A 3/4 Million – Celebratory Search Terms

750,000 hits!

Another landmark for this blog, and time for another Search Terms edition, from the common to the obscure.

The most popular posts remain “Jonas Kaufmann gay?” (no, he isn’t), and “Malena Ernman muscle” (yes, the lady’s got guns), followed by the the Friday Night Conversation of Pepa & Silvia of Spain’s “Los hombres de Paco” – namely: “actresses real name”, “Pepa Silvia together in real life”, “Silvia dead in real life” and “what happen to Pepa after Silvia dies”.

[To address these questions: The actresses are called Marian Aguilera (Silvia) and Laura Sanchez (Pepa). Both are alive and, to my kowledge, not gay, nor dating each other (which doesn’t take away from their amazing onscreen chemistry). In the show, after Silvia dies, Pepa is shown with a new female love interest in the final episode of the show, which is a fact I personally choose to ignore.]

…

Like every time I put up one of these search term editions, there has also been a lot of “gay-guessing” favorite opera singers, particularly mezzos-who-wear-pants. The top spot this time is taken by Tatiana Troyanos, which goes to show that some questions apparently never get old (and some great singers have legacies that live on, and on, and on!). Following in second place is Alice Coote.

In summary:

Popular subjects of the “gay?” search term are Alice Coote, Cecilia Bartoli (a trend since “Sacrificium” came out), Vesselina Kasarova, Pavol Breslik, Jonas Kaufmann (bonus points for “shirtless”), Christophe Dumaux, Nathalie Stutzmann, the “Rosenkavalier” and the flower duet from “Lakmé”. – On the non-operatic front, Alessia Barela still pulls in most inquiries.

Honorable mention in the “is xy gay?” category go to Sarah Connolly, Malena Ernman and Mark Padmore.

Rare requests were made regarding Elīna Garanča, Romina Basso, Susan Graham, Danielle de Niese and Diana Damrau (!).

[one of these things is not like the other – (one of these is a soprano…)]

Finally, in the “Uhm?” column, with two hits:  Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

In the “golden memories of the past” section, Brigitte Fassbaender and Tatiana Troyanos reign supreme. No, some things do apparently never get old.

There were some partners inquiries again, as well (wife of…”, “husband of…”), topped by Jonas Kaufmann, and, new in this category, Anja Harteros (Kaufmann is married to a mezzo-soprano and as for Harteros, I have no idea whether she is married in the first place. My interest lies more with her legato).

With most of these singers, I have no idea whether they’re gay or straight (or bi, or identifying differently). Some of them are press-documented in opposite-sex marriages (Connolly, Garanča, Ernman, Kasarova). Overall, I don’t care. I care about operatic performances, especially when relating to gender and cross-gender aspects, but that merely means that I swoon at the onstage sight and sound of certain mezzos in pants. If you want offstage gossip, I’m afraid there’s not much to be found on this blog. It doesn’t interest me, and singers’ personal lives are off limits, especially when they’re private about it.

If you want out and proud LGB opera singers, start with Patricia Racette and Beth Clayton, David Daniels, Adrianne Pieczonka (and mezzo wife Laura Tucker), Philippe Jaroussky or Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet.

Back to the search terms – there were also some interesting gay-related inquiries:

(I have no idea whether Bartoli has ever gone public in support of her gay fanbase, but with Bartoli being a smart and compassionate person, I cannot imagine her having any opposing stance.)

…

Search Terms for the GAY, continued in lesbian tv fandoms: Currently, there seems to be a renaissance of online attention for both Maca and Esther of “Hospital Central” [They left in season 18, together, Maca did not end up with Vero and, no, you will not find any Maca/Vero fic on this site. Sorry, but I’m a Maca/Esther girl, all the way. – Oh, and Maca’s MS just fell through a giant plothole into space, to never be addressed again after the initial outbreak] as well as for Marina and Esther of “Terapia d’urgenza” [no, there was no season 2, the first season ended on the cliffhanger of Marina being gunned down and yes, there is fanfiction right here, just head over to the Writing Desk and look for “Dare”].

…

Also, on the note of ships, let me announce that I believe the SS Bering & Wells to be unsinkable:

I’m flattered by all the inquiries about my writing, and in particular about “Campus”, “Small Steps” and “Jungle Fever” and my publishing plans (although dear person who looked for “Small Steps Anik free pdf download”: we may need to have a word). The plans are going forward, which means that for now, I’m still editing – time is even more limited after having returned to writing new fiction on the side, which has been the Bering & Wells adventure “Timeless” and is, right now, the J/7 Über story “Troubled Passage”.

Oh, and on the lesbianism of the flower duet – you readers have such wonderful ideas there:

(also, what is the continued fascination with the legs of Fiona Shaw?) – Then again, there were some heteronormative takeover intents regarding the flower duet (see below), to which I’d like to say that there’s a big tenor/soprano love duet in “Lakmé”. Take that instead. The flower duet is still for two female voices (btw, on Ernman’s latest recording, there is a Swedish mezzo version starring Ernman and von Otter. Oh Sweden, the world of mezzo lore would not be the same without you!).

…

A special shoutout to the person who was looking for “Elisabeth von Bernburg fanfiction” – I don’t know of any, but if Rykoe keeps nagging me, we will end up doing a Mädchen in Uniform fanfic project eventually. Also, whoever looked for “Dosso Dossi – Diana y Calisto” (Galeria Borghese, Rome): you made my day.

…

On with the list: There are a lot of food questions, too – many of them about savoy cabbage and German pork stew, and quite a few about Basque specialties (apparently, my pimientos de piquillo stuffed with bacalao made it onto a Basque food website), which reminds me that I still have to make my own piperrada and share the recipe. And I do have a secret croqueta family recipe stashed away, so I will probably get to that eventually, as well.

…

One of my favorite sections are Ph.D. related questions. The highlights this time around:

Well, supervisors can’t be bothered to congratulate us, at times. Fine, they are responsible to nag us so that our research reflects well onto them, but at the end of the day, we’re nothing but the house elves of the Ivory Tower.

…

Meanwhile, I vote for a new subcategory called “assets”, led by “fiona shaw legs”:

Mhmm. Maria Bayo. Mmmmm.

…

And now for the final, favorite section – the odd, the obscure and the downright bizarre:

Oh, honey. Don’t I wish they came genetically. We have to hit the gym like the rest of the populace (we just worship at the altar of the great guns of Ernman a little more frequently).

I don’t know who you are, but would you decorate my apartment?

Dear unknown use with the “Desert Hearts” quote: thank you. This search term reached in and put a string of lights around my heart.

Is there a queer indie movie I am missing in my collection?

I would say “on the rocks” (the soprano. I am not messing with the single malt.)

If only we had cracked the code on that. Or on why it is so often off in its assessments!

…the eyebags probably come from lack of sleep?! Not so bad, I suppose, you could also get them from being up all night working on a deadline. – Also, ask Lisa about her kitchen, if you want it.

…now I wonder: how does that lead to my blog?!

Oh, and there is a lesbian lift industry theme this time (looking at you, Tibette!):

And, finally, the one that takes the (lemon meringue) cake:

Thank you for all your visits. – See you at the 1,000,000 edition!