Dynasty - Reboots, remakes and racism

Every time a movie or TV show is rebooted or remade, many of you – the fans – get angry. It's inevitable. "Ghostbusters" and "Annie" are two examples, and next in line is eighties primetime soap opera "Dynasty", one of my personal favourites. But what seems to anger you the most is that some characters are being cast by black and latino actors. I think you should ask yourself why that bothers you so much.

Don't get me wrong, it's totally fine to dislike the "Dynasty" reboot – even though you haven't seen one single episode yet – and the casting choices, but please leave race out of it. And before you start shouting: "I'm not racist, you PC troll", stop, take a deep breath and think about how the things you write online might come across.

I'm not saying that you are racist just because you criticise the reboot or the casting choice. But ask yourself: Would you have complained as much if the character was recast by a white actor? Probably not. Many of you have even written things like: "The PC catering has gone too far", "They are turning everyone black" and "Sammy Jo will be a man", which suggests to me that there is something more than just change bothering you.

I would like to think that "Dynasty" fans are open-minded, especially since many of us are LGBT, so we know what it feels like to be targeted simply for existing. But some of the online comments made by fans scare me. Have you forgotten how groundbreaking the original show was for having a gay main character?

I get that change can be tough, that you prefer things to stay exactly the same as they always have. But as much as we love the original show, this is a reboot, targeted at a younger audience – like most shows on The CW – who probably never heard of the original. Back when "Dynasty" originally aired, shows had at most one or two "token characters" of colour. But nowadays shows try to be more diverse, because that's what the world really looks like, it's not "all white". How is that a bad thing?

It's actually quite easy: If you don't like the reboot, don't watch it. I'm pretty sure they're not rebooting it for you anyway. Complain as much as you want about it being rebooted, but make sure you're not complaining because some of characters look different from the original, because that's shallow. If you want the original, watch the DVD's of that show. No one is taking that away from you, I promise.

I'm gay and I watch shows featuring straight characters all the time, so it's not obligatory to have a gay character to please me. But whenever one of the characters turn out to be gay, it makes me feel included, since I can easily relate to him or her. How can wanting to include others be a bad thing?

Reboots usually don't go down well with the original fans and I totally understand if you are fed up with remakes in general. I'm not saying the reboot will be good, because it hasn't even aired yet. I just wish you would stop using personal attacks and racist remarks when criticising entertainment. Because yes, that actually does make you sound racist, no matter how much you say you're not.

Me and Marilyn Monroe

Ever since I was a little boy, I have looked up to Marilyn Monroe. Not just because on her talent and icon status, but because I saw myself in her. I'm not talking about her looks, obviously, since I'm not even half as beautiful as she was. I'm talking about relating to her on a personal level.

Most people think of Marilyn Monroe as just a glamorous sex symbol, the "dumb blonde" who had an affair with the president. Personally, I'm much more interested in the woman behind the glamour and beauty. The sensitive and sometimes fragile woman who fought to be taken seriously and who went through so much pain in her life. The woman who tried her best to survive in a world where sensitivity is seen as a weakness.

I don't know who the real Marilyn was. No one does, at least not completely. But I have my own interpretation of who she was, and that's the Marilyn I relate to. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes it feels like I have a special connection with Marilyn, like I know her. I guess all fans feel that way, but still...

Reading about Marilyn, watching her movies, listening to her music and reading her poems really helps me cope when I'm feeling blue. It makes me feel less alone, like someone out there really understands me, even if it's just an illusion.

In loving memory of Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)



Marilyn Monroe... and me.

Not without my iPod

What would life be without music? When at home, I'm constantly listening to music. And as you can see, I don't leave home without my iPod and headphones. What kind of music are you listening to the most at the moment?

Melrose Place - Amanda Woodward's bed

I'm so jealous of my friend who has a bed that looks like the one Amanda Woodward (Heather Locklear) had on my favorite soap "Melrose Place". I think I'll have to steal it from him. Or ask to share it with him ha ha!

Kids React To Gay Marriage

You have to check out this heartwarming video where kids react to gay marriage. I think the world would be a much better place if grown-ups were as open-minded as children.

"Justin Bieber married a guy!"

Love Always Wins

I just wanted to share this important video to show support for my LGBT friends in Russia. I really hope the Olympic Committee will take a stand against this discrimination. Please share the video with your friends. Thanks!

Deleting Facebook friends

I use Facebook for staying in touch with friends and family, but also for networking and chatting with people who share my interest in music, movies etc. However, having too many "friends" started stressing me out, so now I'm unfriending people I don't know well, or people I don't speak to very often. I used to feel bad when turning friends requests down, but have realised that I need to do so for personal reasons.

I don't want to sound ungrateful or snobbish. It's nothing personal, I just need to focus on my closest friends and family. So if you've been unfriended, it doesn't mean I'm angry with you or that I don't appreciate writing with you every now and then. As you know, Facebook and other social networks are updated in real time, so too many "friends" makes it harder to keep up with your loved ones.

Only some of the posts on my personal Facebook profile are public, because I want to keep my privacy. But you're welcome to subscribe to my profile or like my pages Bimbo Boy, Plastic Retro or Dennis Alexis Hellström to stay updated. I'm also on Twitter, Google Plus, Tumblr and Instagram.

I don't mind getting to know new people and having online friends, but I can't accept requests from all the people I sporadically chat with. If I did, I would drown. If people choose to take it personally, that's their prerogative, and I'm sorry about that, but I have to do what's best for me.

Thank you for understanding!

Baby, I was born this way!

I will never understand parents who don't allow their children to be themselves. If a boy wants to play with dolls and wear pink, let him. If a girl wants to play with cars and cut her hair short, let her. It should be their choice. Forcing gender roles on children is bad parenting and it saddens me that this is still an issue!

Here is a photo of me, taken on my fifth birthday. I was so happy! And no, playing with dolls and dressing up as a girl didn't "turn me gay". I was born this way and I'm proud of my parents for allowing me to be myself, no matter what. Please share a link to this post to show your support!

"Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short, wear shirts and boots. 'Cause it's OK to be a boy. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading. 'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading. But secretly you'd love to know what it's like... Wouldn't you? What it feels like for a girl."



Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to see more stuff from my life. You can also find more information about me on DennisAlexis.com.

Rumours and lies

You wouldn't believe all the crazy rumours I've heard about myself over the years. Some of them even made me blush, and I'm not easily offended. There was a time when I used to get really upset about it and tried my best to deny them all, but after a while I realised it was pointless. You can't be loved by everyone, so why even bother trying?

I've come a long way since then and I've worked hard over the years to build up my self-esteem. Nowadays, I mainly laugh at rumours, but most of the time I don't even waste energy listening to them. People can think whatever they like, that won't change who I am. My friends and I know the truth, and in the end that's all that matters.

I believe in turning bad things into something positive, so nowadays I choose to take rumours about me as a compliment, since they just give me more exposure. I mean, if people spend their time making up stories about me, that must mean I'm pretty interesting, right? You know what they say, you're nobody until you're talked about.

It's funny though how people who spread lies about others actually think that it will make them look better. In the end, gossip always makes the person spreading it look worse than the subject of it. And so what if some people get the wrong idea about me? People who believe rumours instead of making up their own minds aren't worth taking seriously anyway, so it's no loss.

When I was a kid, my mother always told me to be myself and to stand up for what I believe in, no matter how much people bully me, and I'm so glad I haven't changed to please others or to avoid being the subject of gossip. For example, if speaking up against injustices makes me a bitch, then I'm a big, proud superbitch.

I no longer feel the need to be loved by everyone and I'm finally strong enough not to be affected by gossip. Instead, I thrive on it, since it only means that I'm interesting enough to talk about. And you know what? I'd much rather be called a bitch for being myself than called a saint for pretending to be someone else.