Michael Musto (born December 3, 1955) is an American journalist who has long been a prevalent presence in entertainment-related publications, as well as on websites and television shows. Best known as a columnist for The Village Voice, where he wrote the La Dolce Musto column of gossip, nightlife, reviews, interviews, and political observations, in 2021, he started writing articles about nightlife, movies, theater, NYC, and LGBTQ politics for the revived Village Voice, which returned as a print publication, with accompanying website.
His books are Downtown and Manhattan on the Rocks, as well as a compilation of selected columns published as La Dolce Musto: Writings By The World's Most Outrageous Columnist and a subsequent collection, Fork on the Left, Knife in the Back. He currently writes about pop cultural and sociopolitical issues for the Daily Beast and a monthly gossip column called "Read Now, Cry Later" for Queerty.
Among Musto's first journalistic jobs were assignments covering culture for Circus magazine, SoHo Weekly News, and After Dark magazine, as well as becoming the music critic for Us magazine in the 1980s. In 1982, he began writing for Details, then a downtown style-and-nightlife magazine, and in 1984, Musto began his Village Voice column, after having already written features for the publication.[5] Musto's breathlessly dishy and opinionated first-person column celebrated nightlife and LGBT personalities, described outlandish New York club fetes, and gave vital early coverage to up-and-coming performers like John Sex, RuPaul, Kiki and Herb, Bridget Everett, Jackie Hoffman, Bianca Del Rio and Peppermint. A 1989 appearance in Slaves of New York—based on Tama Janowitz's book centered on the New York nightlife scene—was called the film's only moment of credibility by critic J. Hoberman of The Village Voice. Other cameos through the years were made in Garbo Talks (1984), Day of the Dead (1985), Jeffrey (1995), Death of a Dynasty (2003), The Big Gay Musical (2009), Violet Tendencies (2010), and The Smurfs (2011). Larger film roles awaited for more recent films like Vamp Bikers, Japanese Borscht, The Duke of New York, and Mister Sister.
Musto was a great personal friend with the videographer, Nelson Sullivan who filmed much of the footage that exists of the "Club Kids", as well as obsessively chronicling Musto's exploits and those of RuPaul and Sylvia Miles.
Musto also used his column to lambast homophobia and to demand attention to the growing AIDS crisis, Musto joining the activist group ACT UP and engaging in their highly influential rallies and protests. In 2011, The Advocate magazine referred to Musto's "legendary gossip column" and said, "Since 1984, shrewd and self-deprecating humorist Michael Musto has written his 'La Dolce Musto' column, tirelessly chronicling nightlife and celebrity culture. The bridge-burning blogger and baron of blind items has earned a position as both historian and spokesman for the gay community."
In the 1980s, Musto did nightlife-related segments for MTV, where his un-self-conscious gayness seemed radical. Videotographer Nelson Sullivan chose Musto as one of his favorite subjects and relentlessly followed the writer through clubs, appearances, and family get-togethers, many of the videos later surfacing on YouTube. From 1993 to 2000, he was one of the most prominent columnists on The Gossip Show, an E! program which featured colorful reporters relaying celebrity dish, and again, Musto was out and flamboyant on the show. He was featured on the cover of New York magazine in a 1994 "Gossip Mafia" story that spanned New York's most influential tattlers, including Richard Johnson, George Rush, and Jeannette Walls. In 1999, he cohosted "New York Central", a nightly magazine-format show on the Metro Channel.
Musto penned several writeups in The Village Voice about the 1996 murder of Andre "Angel" Melendez, helping bring national attention to a case that resulted in the trial and conviction of Michael Alig and Robert "Freeze" Riggs. He was the first to report Alig's firing from The Limelight club by owner Peter Gatien and to allude to talk about a missing person from Alig's sphere. When his blind item describing the buzz on the details of the crime got picked up by The New York Post's Page Six gossip column, the story took on even more prominence.[citation needed] A later Village Voice feature story acknowledged Musto's breaking item. The movie "Party Monster" (2003) includes reference to a Musto item, and Musto has appeared in many related documentaries, including "Disco Bloodbath" and A&E's "American Justice", as well as several Geraldo Rivera shows, where he had long been the expert on club kids. Discussing topics like gossip and nightlife, Musto also appeared on daytime talk shows hosted by Sally Jessy Raphael, Joan Rivers, Ricki Lake, Richard Bey, Gordon Elliott, and Mark L. Walberg.
In 2001, Musto appeared in a groundbreaking ad campaign for Fortunoff in which he sported a wedding veil, campily promoting the possibility of same-sex marriage.
In 2010, Musto made a cameo appearance in Erasure's re-release of A Little Respect (HMI Redux)';[6] the proceeds of this release were donated to help students attending the Harvey Milk Institute. Also in 2010, LCD Soundsystem mentioned Musto in the song "Pow Pow" playfully urging him to "Eat it" (wacky retaliation for banter between Musto and the group's James Murphy at a Paper Nightlife Awards ceremony). That year, Musto also added "Theater Producer" to his resume, when he coproduced the musical comedy Perfect Harmony about the search for truth, love, and high school a cappella championship glory, which played Off-Broadway in New York City.[7]
In 2011, Musto was named one of the "Out 100" as one of the country's most influential LGBT personalities.[8]
In 2013, he played himself in a scene on the NBC series "Smash", having also previously figured in a plot line involving his gossip writing.
In May 2013, Musto was laid off from The Village Voice,[9] but in 2016, he was back as an entertainment correspondent, writing three cover stories that year. The Village Voice folded, but then it came back in 2021 as a quarterly print publication. Musto was writing for the paper (and the accompanying website) again.
Musto was a regular commentator on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann where he sardonically skewered the antics of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and other scandalous celebrities du jour. Starting in 2015, Musto became a recurring panelist on Logo TV's "Cocktails and Classics", which involved showing well known films and offering campy commentary on them.
He has moderated Broadway talkbacks for shows like "Talk Radio" and "End of the Rainbow", and in 2016, was the celebrity guest star one night in the off-Broadway production of "Oh, Hello."
Musto has also dabbled in acting and singing. In 1980, he became lead singer of a Motowncover band called the Must, and once shared a bill with rising star Madonna. He played a lead role and received rave reviews from Eileen Shapiro of Huffington Post,[citation needed] for the film Vamp Bikers Tres by Eric Rivas, as a head doctor named Hedda Hopper alongside Angel Salazar. The film premiered in 2016 at Anthology Film Archives and in 2018 was released by the Orchard. Musto sang a pop/reggae/dance ditty, "I Got Ur Back", written and produced by Tyler Stone, based on Musto's idea, for Trax Records, released in 2017. A celebrity roast of Musto at Actors Temple on May 22, 2017—kicked off by Rosie O'Donnell and hosted by Bruce Vilanch-raised significant money for the Callen-Lorde clinic. The roast which was produced by Daniel DeMello and directed by Rachel Klein, featured Bianca Del Rio, Jinkx Monsoon, Judy Gold, Orfeh, Randy Rainbow, and Luann de Lesseps. In addition to doubling the take of the benefit, O'Donnell—after aiming some barbs at Musto's closet-busting mania—thanked him for pulling her into the community; in the 1990s, he'd urged her and Ellen DeGeneres in print to come out of the closet.[10][11][12]
He has won eight Glam Awards for Best Nightlife Writer/Blogger, as well as their Living Legend award. He was named one of Genre magazine's "Men We Love" more than once, won a Lifetime Achievement award at the Gay Expo at Javits Center (2015), was named one of Metrosource magazine's "People We Love" (2019) and got a special award for his work from the Imperial Court of New York.
Musto, Michael (September 1, 2011). Fork on the Left, Knife in the Back. Vantage Point Books.
Contributed to works published by others:
Boas, Gary Lee (January 2000). Starstruck: Photographs from a Fan. Dilettante Press. ISBN0-9664272-5-4. Contributed foreword.
McMullan, Patrick (November 2003). so8os: A Photographic Diary of a Decade. powerHouse Books. ISBN1-57687-187-8. Contributed as an author.
Hastreiter, Kim (September 14, 2004). 20 Years of Style: The World According to Paper. Amazon Remainders Account. ISBN0-06-072302-5. Contributed as an author.
Haden-Guest, Anthony (October 2, 2006). Disco Years. powerHouse Books. ISBN1-57687-325-0. Provided afterword.
A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially in a gossip magazine. Gossip columns are written in a light, informal style, and relate opinions about the personal lives or conduct of celebrities from show business, politicians, professional sports stars, and other wealthy people or public figures. Some gossip columnists broadcast segments on radio and television.
The Village Voice is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, The Voice began as a platform for the creative community of New York City. It ceased publication in 2017, although its online archives remained accessible. After an ownership change, The Voice reappeared in print as a quarterly in April 2021.
Michelangelo Signorile is an American journalist, author and talk radio host. His radio program is aired each weekday across the United States and Canada on Sirius XM Radio and globally online. Signorile was editor-at-large for HuffPost from 2011 until 2019. Signorile is a political liberal, and covers a wide variety of political and cultural issues.
Lady Bunny, originally known as "Bunny Hickory Dickory Dock", is an American drag queen, nightclub DJ, actor, comedian, and event organizer. She is the founder of the annual Wigstock event, as well as an occasional television and radio personality. She has released disco singles such as "Shame, Shame, Shame!" and "The Pussycat Song", and has hosted two one-woman comedy shows, 'That Ain't No Lady!' and 'Clowns Syndrome'.
Michael Alig was an American club promoter and artist who was convicted of felony manslaughter. He was one of the ringleaders of the Club Kids, a group of young New York City clubgoers who became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In March 1996, Alig and his roommate, Robert D. "Freeze" Riggs, killed fellow Club Kid Andre "Angel" Melendez in a confrontation over a drug debt. In October 1997, Alig pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter. Both men were sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison. Riggs was released on parole in 2010. Alig was released on May 5, 2014.
The Club Kids were a group of young New York City dance club personalities popularized by Michael Alig, James St. James, Julie Jewels, Astro Erle, Michael Tronn, DJ Keoki, and Ernie Glam in the late 1980s, and, throughout the 1990s, grew to include Amanda Lepore, Waltpaper, Christopher Comp, It Twins, Jennytalia, Desi Monster, Keda, Kabuki Starshine, and Richie Rich. The group was notable for its members' flamboyant behavior and outrageous costumes. In 1988, writer Michael Musto wrote about the Club Kids' "cult of crazy fashion and petulance": "They ... are terminally superficial, have dubious aesthetic values, and are master manipulators, exploiters, and, thank God, partiers."
Disco Bloodbath: A Fabulous but True Tale of Murder in Clubland is a 1999 memoir written by James St. James about his life as a Manhattan celebutante and Club Kid. The book specifically chronicles his friend Michael Alig's rise to fame, and Alig and his roommate's subsequent murder of fellow club kid and drug dealer Andre "Angel" Melendez. St. James was Alig's mentor, rival, and collaborator in the Manhattan party scene and was familiar with many of its key figures. The memoir was later retitled Party Monster after the 2003 motion picture of that name starring Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Chloë Sevigny, and Marilyn Manson.
Bruce Gerald Vilanch is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a two-time Emmy Award-winner. Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant; behind the scenes he was head writer for the show. In 2000, he performed off-Broadway in his self-penned one-man show, Bruce Vilanch: Almost Famous.
The Pansy Craze was a period of increased LGBT visibility in American popular culture from the late-1920s until the mid-1930s. During the "craze," drag queens — known as "pansy performers" — experienced a surge in underground popularity, especially in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. The exact dates of the movement are debated, with a range from the late 1920s until 1935.
Murray Hill is a New York City comedian and drag king entertainer. He is the entertainer persona of Busby Murray Gallagher, although this persona is maintained even in private settings. Murray Hill is the self-proclaimed "hardest-working middle-aged man in show business".
"La Dolce Musto" is a weekly humorous celebrity gossip column, syndicated by The Village Voice and written by Michael Musto.
Lucas Entertainment is a New York-based gay pornographic studio started by porn star Michael Lucas, funded by his ex-husband Richard Winger. It is one of the largest such studios in the world. The studio is known for lavish, big-budget films, and it contends that its 2006 film Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita is the most expensive gay porn ever made. The film won 14 GayVN awards in 2007, the current record.
Michael Lucas is a Russian-American-Israeli businessman, performer, founder, and CEO of Lucas Entertainment, Manhattan's largest gay adult film company.
Luann de Lesseps is an American television personality, singer, model, and author. She is best known as an original cast member of the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of New York City, featuring in 13 of the first 14 seasons since its 2008 premiere. In 2018, she began headlining "Countess and Friends", a cabaret show of her own making.
Shawn Hollenbach is an American comedian, writer and actor, based in New York City. He worked at Comedy Central in the programming department. As a comic and actor he has performed around the country and throughout New York. He is an energetic and upbeat performer and self-deprecating humorist focusing on LGBT subjects and a "style that capitalizes on the myriad incidents and accidents that befall us all in the midst of our human existence". He currently works at Logo, Viacom's channel that appeals to the LGBT community and their allies as the social media manager for the channel and its most popular show, RuPaul's Drag Race.
OURsceneTV is a lifestyle entertainment video site for the LGBT community, headquartered in New York City. Owned by OURscene Networks, LLC, it was founded in 2008 by Christine Alloro to "bridge gaps for the LGBT community to the rest of the world, and also give those who are closeted a sense that they can come out.
Robert Couri Hay is an American publicist and gossip columnist. Initially working for Andy Warhol among the original contributing editors to Interview magazine, his reporting subsequently appeared in People, Town & Country, and Hamptons, with contributions to Women's Wear Daily and New York newspapers. Recent appearances in documentary retrospectives include Halston (2019) and The Andy Warhol Diaries (2022).
Hera Hoffer, best known under the stage name Jinkx Monsoon, is an American drag queen, actor, singer and comedian. Named the "Queen of All Queens", she has been noted for her celebrity impersonations and quick wit.
Kayvon Zand is an American nightlife personality and musician. They are most known for eccentric live performances and parties, as well as their established personal style featuring John Sex hair and Elvis Presley jump suits. They are the founder of Zandwagon, a model management and specialty casting company.
Industry Bar, or simply Industry, is a gay bar and nightclub in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Owned by Bob Pontarelli, it is a sister establishment to Barracuda, a gay bar, and Elmo, a restaurant. Industry opened in 2010 and caters primarily to a crowd of young gay men and tourists. Its musical selection is mostly pop, and its live entertainment consists of a number of weekly drag shows, many of which are hosted by internationally recognized drag queens. New York City nightlife journalists frequently note Industry as one of the top gay venues in Manhattan.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
