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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Umm…No Comment.

posted by on June 20 at 11:53 AM

mfinley_sneak.jpg
Photo Credit: Scott Aitken, www.ScottPix.com.

Random strangers cc me on the most peculiar shit sometimes…

To the organizers of Seattle Pride 2007:

Pride weekend in Seattle. It’s not of high importance on my list annual celebrations, though maybe it should be, and The Stranger’s awards this year surely will bring to life the tattered cultural significance of years past. I am a proponent of change and welcome the celebration to the so-called “heart” of this city.

My desire for progress and a relevant Pride celebration leaves me to wonder why SOAP, who also seem to want positive change, would choose to have Mark Finley host our parade again. Mark Finley is by far an inappropriate ambassador for and of, in his own words, “the Community.”

Last year I saw a rebroadcast of the parade. “Mom” Finley” could not control himself, appeared to be drunk, and to say it as clearly as possible: MADE A FUCKING FOOL OF HIMSELF AND ALL OF QUEERDOM IN A VERY PUBLIC AND HUMILIATING WAY—- declaring himself to be THE voice of gayness. Do you remember his incoherent and vulgar mumbling followed by bursts of screeching while gawking at young men on broadcast television? How he talked about his HIV medicine (“Mom’s meds”) and tried to dig through his bag to find it and had to be cut off? Can you recall how he told the world that all gay men call sailors “mattresses” (WTF?), and that all of the women in the parade (baring lesbians) were men? That’s right Mark! Way to reinforce those stereotypes! Fuck.

And the newscasters …You could see it in their eyes, their disgust with the blabbering fool. And it pained me to watch as they nervously had to manage all Mark’s inappropriate and wandering remarks and actions.

Please (SOAP)! Don’t do this to us again!

Yours truly,
Concerned Faggot

Well. Whatever. God knows I don’t have anything to say about that.

Ahem.

Now please to be experiencing this photographic montage of the life of Mark Finley that he, um, apparently created himself.

Enjoy.


RSS icon Comments

1

They ARE doing it again, and I couldn't agree more with you, CF. Mom SUCKS! SUCKS! SUCKS! as an announcer. SOAP, are you listening? We need someone funny and smart. Adrian Ryan would be way better.

Posted by Butters | June 20, 2007 12:37 PM
2

oh, heavens. don't drag me into this. anymore. than i already have been. dragged into this. whatever. you know what i'm saying! i fear nothing on earth like mom finley. nothing.

Posted by adrian! | June 20, 2007 12:43 PM
3

Finley was cringe-worthy in the extreme on last year's broadcast.

Posted by Trey | June 20, 2007 12:45 PM
4

WHO WANTS TO BUY MOM A COCKTAIL?

Posted by mom | June 20, 2007 12:57 PM
5

CTHULHU 2!
A FINLEY BOOGALOO

Posted by i have no mother | June 20, 2007 12:57 PM
6

SOMEBODY ANSWER HER! Godfuckingdammit---She's GONNA BLOW!

Posted by adrian! | June 20, 2007 1:03 PM
7

Gay-Pride Parade Sets Mainstream Acceptance Of Gays Back 50 Years

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA–The mainstream acceptance of gays and lesbians, a hard-won civil-rights victory gained through decades of struggle against prejudice and discrimination, was set back at least 50 years Saturday in the wake of the annual Los Angeles Gay Pride Parade.

"I'd always thought gays were regular people, just like you and me, and that the stereotype of homosexuals as hedonistic, sex-crazed deviants was just a destructive myth," said mother of four Hannah Jarrett, 41, mortified at the sight of 17 tanned and oiled boys cavorting in jock straps to a throbbing techno beat on a float shaped like an enormous phallus. "Boy, oh, boy, was I wrong."

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28491

Posted by Original Andrew | June 20, 2007 1:07 PM
8

Mom, you know I'm always good for buying you a cocktail - because I can say, "Ecc, Ecc, ECC!" to you and know you know what I'm talking about.

Posted by COMTE | June 20, 2007 1:08 PM
9

I think Mark F is very representative of many gays in Seattle. Not all but sadly many of them.....

I just go to the parade to watch the freaks and half naked guys anyway. Besides, it is looking like some rain this Sunday and I am dying to watch a bunch of twinkies in their underwear freezing their tails off. HILARITY!!!!

Posted by Just Me | June 20, 2007 1:36 PM
10

Some gays just have no shame.

Posted by better than no pride | June 20, 2007 2:03 PM
11

Mark F. is boring.

Posted by Mary | June 20, 2007 2:24 PM
12

comte? what are you talking about?

Posted by adrian! | June 20, 2007 2:34 PM
13

That's between Mom & me.

Let's just say: we go waaaaaay back.

And no need to draw any salacious inferences; it means just what it says.

Posted by COMTE | June 20, 2007 5:00 PM
14

I've known Mark for more years than I care to admit. While we are far from being friends, I don't think he's particularly a bad sort. He's a weird combination of Helen Lawson and Nellie O'Hara, but that's part of his schtick: If you accept that about him, you'll be fine.

I do know that there is a person (or people) out there who really, really, really hate him. When I worked with The Bunny Brigade, and Mark would do stuff with us, we would invariably get weird anonymous letters with no return address (in those pre-internet days) that would say really crazy things about him - crazier than he is himself.

This letter is a bit more coherent than the ones I used to get, but it's the same general tone, including the generous use of the caps key.

Should he be emceeing the pride parade on TV? Probably not - at least not on his own - but I don't think it's the catastrophe that the writer implies, either. Who, besides the two eternal camps (gays and those who love us versus those who will always hate us) even watches it?

Besides, it's three days away. Isn't it a bit late for a campaign like this?


Posted by catalina vel-duray | June 20, 2007 7:05 PM
15

And to think that this all could have been avoided if Boy Mike didn't throw like a girl way back when... (He had a clean shot at her, and took it, but it didn't connect.) Ah the 90s... giant glass encased cafe candles hurling from the balcony at Neighbors.

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | June 20, 2007 7:09 PM
16

Eh. A pride parade is supposed to be fun and outrageous. Considering how mundane they've become, having a drag queen who can potentially embarrass all of us is a plus.

Posted by Gitai | June 20, 2007 8:01 PM
17

From Glamazonia Myspace Blog post:

FROM GLAMAZONIA:
I just received this message:
"So Mark Finley has been announcing the following...

"On a related note, Gay Bingo co-founder Mark "Mom" Finley is your announcer for the 2007 Seattle Pride Parade, held in the heart of downtown Seattle ..."

That was Marks blurb. The following paragraph from the friend who forwarded.

Gay Bingo co-founder ?!!! I was volunteering @ Chicken Soup Brigade with Judy Werley when Gay Bingo was first created- and Mark finley had nothing to do with it except provide a bad hosting job. Didn't they fire him for keeping donated $$$. Anyway this is another disgusting lie put out by Finley and it really is pissing a lot of people off...

Hope to see you out and about soon!

~XXX

Now, GLAM's turn:

It's true. Mark Finley WAS the 1st Hostess of Gay Bingo, which he is always ready to tell anyone within earshot. (Especially when we're in the same room) I will give him props for that.

What he NEVER tells though is why he was... (I'll be polite)
" relieved of his Hostessing duties" to be replaced be Dan Savage, then Chocha Fresca, and for the last 7 years, me.

I'm sure this latest comment from her will stir a pot or two. I'm glad people are pissed.

One more 'for the record' -

She also claimes that I had her removed from Black Tie Bingo 3 years ago.

1/2 truth.

I was asked if I would like to have her asked to leave, since well:

1) She didn't have a ticket to the event.

2) She wasn't invited to the event.

3) She wasn't working the event and

4) The woman who , uhm.. "relieved Mark of her Bingo Hostessing duties" was in the audience, and it was not appropriate for her (Mark) to be there.

At first, I thought no... 'what harm?' But then I thought again, and thought, 'what right?' so I took the advice and suggestion of the Lifelong staff and had them ask her to leave.

Apparently, this story has morphed, and my powers are now far-reaching, 'cause I've heard that GLAMAZONIA has had her barred from other events around the city - including a Margaret Cho concert that I wasn't even at!

(Tho, If I was, nobody would know. Because I don't go to see other performers do their shows while I'm 'in face', as others are prone to do. Oooops. Did that slip out?)

As BINGO faces it's FIFTEENTH Season (!) I am honored and proud to be Seattle's BINGO Hostess for what will be my 8th year. It could not have made it without the Hostesses before me, including Mark, and I hope it continues for years after I step down.

Seattle has been very supportive of 'The Bingo' and I intend to maintain it's integrity as an entertaining, exciting and successful fundraiser for as long as I am allowed.

Anywho... I honestly wish Mark no ill will. As a self-proclaimed Buddhist, he knows all too well about Karma. I'll let the Universe sort things out.

But, the truth is the truth - so here's GLAMAZONIA, reporting straight from the horse's mouth.

XOXO,

GLAMAZONIA

Posted by Lil'Boy Blue | June 22, 2007 12:38 PM
18

Oh dear god not again! Didn't SOAP learn their lession from last year? No one wants to see a tired (and I do mean TIRED)old (and I do mean OLD) Drag queen dribbling on about himself while the parade goes by!!! He botched the job up so bad last year that UPN11 refused to broadcast the gay parade again.

I think I'm going to puke...

Posted by Lola | June 22, 2007 12:51 PM
19

Well, someone told me I'd once again find some interesting tidbits on the "slog".
Sorry that some of you don't like me. I never claimed that I speak for anyone but myself.
In regard to the note with all the cap's and accusations - I know who it is. They know who they are - and so, apparently do many people who have called me 'friend' at one time or another.
Adrian - you're right to not feed the fire on this issue. It's a no win situation.
Glamazonia - apparently you've been told one thing while I was told another. Again, not the first time this has happened in this city. I, too, wish you no ill will.
Moving on to the parade. I was asked to part of the event both this year and last year. True, I did make some factual gaffes on air last year. I'm not trying to wiggle out of taking the responsibility for whatever mistakes that were made. If I didn't know the organization or the participants I read from a script provided by the broadcasting station.
As far as this year was concerned - I was asked to do the event and said, 'yes'. Pretty straight forward.
For the past ten years someone has always had something negative to say about me and what I do. One year a several page letter was sent to all the local press supposedly signed the the entire community. In all of these many emails, letters, fliers, stickers, posters, etc. I'm portrayed as a detriment to myself, my community at large and especially anyone who comes in direct contact with me.
I'm always shocked not only by this content but that there are those who believe these accusations.
I sit bewildered on what to do next. Those against me will no doubt request I 'please stop.' Then there will be those who insist 'please stay.'
Guess what?
Until anyone has the credibility and a convincing argument that they can present to me in person - I'll do what I'm asked to do.
Adrian - no worries -
- Mark R Finley

PS And just for clarification "Mom" is a character I perform. She's not real. Spend your anger and rage against something worthwhile - like fixing our government, making sure that everyone should be allowed all rights, and of course, channeling your energy into something positive.

Posted by Mark Finley | June 25, 2007 4:57 PM
20

Spoken like a true sociopath. Finley thinks it’s everyone else’s fault.

Smoke and mirrors from Finley yet again!

QUOTE FROM FINLEY: "Mom" is a character I perform"

That's like a ventriloquist saying "the puppet did it not me"!

So was it Mom or Mark who stole from Chicken Soup Brigade and got his ass fired from hostessing by Carol Sterling?

So was it Mark or Mom who stole from The Velvet Elvis Theater and almost got his ass arrested (if not for Phillip Endicott not pressing charges)?

Was it Mom or Mark who claimed to be a "co-Founder" of Gay Bingo (easily debunked by Carol Sterling, Judy Werley etc.)?

Was it Mom or Mark who keeps nominating himself for community awards (and losing)?

Was it Mom or Mark who attacked businesses and members of the community via SGN?

Yah- uhuh I thought so!

Posted by Christopher | June 26, 2007 11:05 AM
21

"Until anyone has the credibility and a convincing argument that they can present to me in person - I'll do what I'm asked to do"

Howabout 3 arguments?
1)You're a Fraud
2)You're a thief
3)You're a liar...

No need say it in person to you because your behavior speaks for itself.

Posted by Steven | June 26, 2007 11:20 AM
22

"Glamazonia - apparently you've been told one thing while I was told another. Again, not the first time this has happened in this city. I, too, wish you no ill will."

Well, as Mark says - I have been told one thing; again and again and again.

From many different sources.

What he/she seems to forget is that I have been in Seattle for about 14 years now. I was here for many of the things for which he/she's been been blamed.

While I don't believe EVERYthing I hear, I have heard enough and witnessed enough to form my own opinions; I'm not easily swayed by the masses.

I have been involved with Chicken Soup Brigade/Lifelong AIDS Alliance since 1997/98 and believe me, there are solid reasons that MF is not representing that agency any more.

Adrian - I actually missed last year's televised parade. You and I should have a movie night; FUN!

XOXO,

GLAMAZONIA

Posted by GLAMAZONIA | June 28, 2007 4:41 PM
23

Oh count me in! The movie night thing... Maybe we can get David Schmader to dissect and give commentary to it like he does Showgirls. YES!!!

Posted by PrideBoye | June 29, 2007 12:12 PM
24

Las Vegas
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Posted by rewq4545 | July 1, 2007 12:58 AM
25

Ewww! Does that mean that Finley is going to continue lying to everyone about his credentials and past?

Well they don't call him Psycho Mom Finley for nothing! LOL!

Posted by Lil'Boy Blue | July 3, 2007 3:02 PM

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