Live at Last was Bette Midler’s first live album released in 1977.
This live video show later released in 1977 on the album “Live at Last” a full-length live performance at the Cleveland Music Hall, Cleveland, Ohio and sees Midler, her backing group The Staggering Harlettes and her band Betsy and the Blowboys covering material from her three first albums as well as The Supremes’ “Up the Ladder to the Roof”, Neil Young’s “Birds”, Ringo Starr’s “Oh My My”, the mock lounge act The Vicky Eydie Show doing a “global revue” and the song cycle The Story of Nanette. The show also captures Midler’s rapport with – or loving heckling of – the Cleveland audience, a monologue about fried eggs and a part that since has become a staple of her live performances: the raunchy Sophie Tucker jokes.
On Sunday, Bette Midler who has never been known to hold back on a Tweet drew the ire of the ultrawoke and trans activists when going off about the recent recent decision of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade.
Midler tweeted:
Midler was criticized for the misuse of gender-neutral language to include trans people, seeking reproductive or other medical care. To which Midler was immediately labeled “transphobic” and “another JK Rowling”. Because we all know a 76 year old irate woman who has supported the community openly all her life has GLAAD’s Media Reference guide next to her computer to make sure she is using the proper language on every tweet she posts so she should know better and did it on purpose. -smh-
Bette responded to the backlash, insisting,“There was no intention of anything exclusionary or transphobic in what I said; it wasn’t about that. “I’ve fought for marginalized people for as long as I can remember. Still, if you want to dismiss my 60 years of proven love and concern over a tweet that accidentally angered the very people I have always supported and adored, so be it. But the truth is, Democracy is slipping through our fingers! I’m all in on trying to save Democracy for ALL PEOPLE. We must unite, because, in case you haven’t been paying attention, divided we will definitely fall.”
Midler is right about one thing: “We must unite, because, in case you haven’t been paying attention, divided we will definitely fall‘ and if that means taking it on the chin when someone uses the wrong pronoun roll with it and instead of calling a loooongtime ally “transphobic” perhaps you can take that energy and apply it to the REAL transphobes and homophobes. Like. I don’t know? The Republican Party that wants us all dead maybe.
Take some advice from an old time activist. Back in the old days of the 70’s and 80’s the L, G, B, and T communities did not generally mix or generally got along well. BUT we tolerated each other and fought together side by side against the real enemy we fought hard and we won, some. We had our differences. But we did not make them the major issue at hand and let them separate us. We kept our eyes on the prizes But we didn’t finish the job. And we have to now.
WE have to all put our differences aside once again and work for a common goal. Freedom, Equality, the Right to Choose and the destruction of the Republican party.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are back in their best witchery as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, the teaser trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 has landed, giving a first look at what to expect from the Disney+ reboot.
In the late 1960’s Steve Ostrow opened the Continental Baths in the basement of the landmark Ansonia Hotel, which at one time was home to such greats as Caruso, Stravinsky and Toscanini.
Famous for its lavish accommodations, the Continental Baths was advertised as being reminiscent of “the glory of ancient Rome.” The impressive features of this bathhouse included a disco dance floor, a cabaret lounge, sauna rooms, an “Olympia blue” swimming pool, and clean, spacious facilities that could serve nearly 1,000 men, 24 hours a day. (And many patrons did!)
One gay guide from NYC in the 1970’s described the Continental Baths as a place that “revolutionized the bath scene in New York.”
An extra added attraction at the Continental was the first class entertainment provided by performers such as Melba Moore, Peter Allen, Cab Calloway, The Manhattan Transfer, John Davidson, Wayland Flowers and Madame and Bette Midler, who began her career by performing there with Barry Manilow in 1972.
Despite Midler’s constant complaints about “that goddam waterfall,” her poolside performances were so successful that she soon gained national attention, beginning with repeat performances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
Many of those who were fortunate enough to see Bette’s early bathhouse shows attest to the fact that her greatest achievement in show business took place the night she convinced the otherwise shy Barry Manilow to accompany her on the piano while wearing only a white towel, which was considered “proper bathhouse attire.”
As the popularity of the cabaret shows increased, a wide variety of entertainers were invited to “give it up” at the Continental Baths, including the soprano Eleanor Steber, who gave a “black towel” concert there in 1973.
The list of visitors to the Continental Baths read like a “who’s who” of the entertainment world, from actors, singers, artists, producers, to the mafia and and even the Metropolitan Oper. They all paid a visit either to see Bette, or have some fun.
And for those unfortunate souls who never descended into that legendary basement bathhouse, the Continental Baths were able to come to them in the form of the highly popular Continental Baths towel, which was sold by Bloomingdale’s department store at the height of the club’s fame.
During this period even the mainstream news talk show The Pat Collins Show broadcast live from the club. In one segment, Pat sat by the pool and interviewed proprietor Steve Ostrow while nude men, apparently indifferent to the television cameras, went splashing (WCBS-TV received only one complaint about the program.)
Below watch one of Bette Midler’s final performances in its entirety at The Continental Baths. (With Barry Manilow on the piano of course)
Apologies about the quality of the videos below but its a miracle that it exists at all
Setlist:
“Friends” “Fat Stuff” “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” (Andrews Sisters) “Superstar” “Empty Bed Blues” (Bessie Smith) “Marahuana” “For Free” (Joni Mitchell) “Easier Said Than Done” (The Essex) “Chapel Of Love” (The Dixie Cups) “I Shall Be Released” (The Band)
In 1991 Hollywood’s one of the largest responses to the AIDS epidemic, a $1 million+ fundraiser was held at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California. Bette Midler, Carol Channing, Tyne Daly, Melissa Manchester, Lainie Kazan, Richard Dreyfuss, Jennifer Holiday, and others gathered to support the AIDS Project of Los Angeles
Bette received APLA’s “Commitment to Life” award along with MCA Inc. President Sidney Sheinberg and AIDS research specialist Dr. Joel Weisman in recognition of their work in battling discrimination and the disease.
Midler seemed downbeat about Hollywood’s response to AIDS. “I didn’t start running for the hills like a lot of people did,” she said, referring to the mid-80’s when Hollywood responded tepidly and nervously to the epidemic that has ensnared the film community. She said, in a cracking voice, “Nearly everyone I started out with has died.”
In 1991 alone, 29,850 Americans died from HIV infection
The Divine Miss M. is catching seriously manufactured backlash from right-wing nuts and snowflakes over a tweet about “supposed” black Trump supporters being paid.
Bette Midler sent a tweet on Wednesday in which she caustically joked that black attendees of President Trump’s recent 2020 re-election rally were paid to be there.
“Look, there are African American men in this shot! How much did he pay them to be ‘blackground?’” Midler tweeted with an image of the Trump rally.
Well that left an opening for every deluded Trump supporter and nutjob to be histrionically faux-outraged and to pile on Bette “dontcha’ know” as Soph would say. Calling the grand Diva and “racist”
“This is one of the most racist, degrading ‘jokes’ I’ve seen on Twitter & that’s saying a lot. We get it Bette, you hate Trump & that’s your right but to imply Black men have to be PAID to celebrate their OWN political views is pure and REAL racism. And “BLACKGROUND”?? WTF??!!”
“I support the @POTUS for free,”. Williams tweeted.
Then Joy Villa who is more well known for her wearing of Trump inspired clothing than her lackluster music career chimed in,
Really, Bette? REALLY? @bettemidler You’re this crazy to insinuate black Americans have absolutely no mind or values of their own & would only support their country & @realdonaldtrump for ‘money’? SMH you probably think they’re all pimps & black women like me are just hoes, too?
You were the one who said “hoe” Joy Villa. Not us .
Freeform TV announced on Thursday (October 18) that Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker & Kathy Najimy will reunite during the Hocus Pocus 25th Anniversary Halloween Bash airing on Saturday (October 20) at 8:15-10:15 p.m. ET/PT, as part of their “31 Nights of Halloween” series.
The special will feature exclusive interviews with the Sanderson sisters themselves, plus musical performances by Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, and Jordin Sparks as well as a “Hocus Pocus” themed costume contest, judged by Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Margaret Cho and Ross Mathews.
Bette Midler was thrown under the bus last night and slammed over what she thought she was a powerful statement about how women are perceived and treated in the world in light of the FBI’s brief and limited investigation into the sexual assault claim made against Kavanaugh by Christine Blasey Ford.
Midler tweeted a paraphrased line from one of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s more controversial songs entitled “Woman Is the N—-r of the World.”
Midler’s name began trending on Twitter immediately and continued to through the night. Her post instantly sparked outrage, with many arguing it erases the struggle of black women and is blatantly disrespectful to the African-American community in light of social issues in our country. Midler was also accused of showing her privilege and reminded that a white woman shouldn’t be marginalizing black women.
People also stressed that the struggle of white women can’t be compared to the history of racism, violence and systematic oppression that black women have faced, which her tweet “erased”.
Midler acknowledged in a follow-up tweet that her message “offended many” but defended it by noting that it was originally spoken by Yoko Ono, “Which I never forgot. It rang true then, and it rings true today, whether you like it or not,” she wrote. “This is not about race, this is about the status of women; THEIR HISTORY.”
“I am an ally and stand with you; always have,” she wrote. “And I apologize.”
But that was not enough for many.
Midler’s explanation of the quote inflamed people even more.State Sen. Nina Turner (D-Ohio) told Midler that her white woman privilege was showing.
Rapper Talib Kweli Greene reminded her that “black women exist” and “are treated like niggers. You are not,” he tweeted to her. “Please stop erasing black women. Thank you.”
Later Midler apologized and acknowledged that black women “doubly suffer, both by being women and being black.”
Nothing like a white woman telling another white woman that her offensive Tweet, which invalidated black suffering, “didn’t invalidate black suffering.”
Social Justice Warriors are accusing Bette Midler is being homophobic after the long-time ally and Divine Miss M posted a tweet yesterday about US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
‘Trump and Putin are meeting in Finland next month,’ she wrote.
‘That’s a long way to travel for a blowjob, but hey — Putin’s got the money.’
Well that just shocked, shocked I say those within our community that are so “woke” it must be exhausting.
Bette has not responded to the “faux” uber-pc outrage.
