ABOVE: I never see posters like THIS.

BELOW: Keep reading for hot rodent men, a Traitor-ous plea, a SCOTUS abortion ruling and more ...

The crypt of Marilyn Monroe, so moving to see in person (Image by Matthew Rettenmund)

When I was in L.A. recently, I spent time at both Hollywood Forever and Westwood cemeteries, checking out all the famous resting places, including Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Farrah Fawcett, Natalie Wood, Burt Lancaster and many, many more.

If that sounds vaguely interesting, please have a look!

ABOVE: I'm in shock Ricky Martin's twins are old enough to grow a mustache.

BELOW: Jonathan Majors and Ben Aldridge spreading their legs, a Black queer comic, the worst possible result for a lesbian mom seeking custory and more ...

She and her shadow (All images by Matthew Rettenmund)

Jimmy James is a live performer who blew my young mind on January 18, 1991.

By that time, I — at 22 — had spent a good dozen years obsessing over Marilyn Monroe, who was in vogue again throughout the '80s. I read all the bios and visited those mall stores filled with airbrushed Marilyn posters that were the perfect combo of retro and of-the-moment. I rented her movies, bought an incredible vinyl album with (and memorized) all of her songs and best movie one-liners. Boomers were so powerful they made Gen X respect the favorites of their youth in a way Gen X will never, ever get Gen Z to do — numbers-wise, we simply don't have the range.

My drawing on a folder of Jimmy circa 1991

So when I saw that a person named Jimmy James, a female impersonator, as we called them then, was coming to one of my fave clubs in Chicago, the aptly named Vortex, where innocence went to die, I made sure I was there. I watched Jimmy from the second floor, gape-jawed at the completeness of the illusion he created, looking every inch the glamour queen. To say he captured Marilyn in spirit is to mean he brought her back from the dead. He had her zaftig form, her gown (the original of which was recently defiled by Kim Kardashian), her cotton-candy hair and her speaking and singing voices. The spotlight was like a halo as we peeked into Marilyn in heaven.

Presuming I have my dates right, Jimmy was already well into what would become a 35-years-and-counting-long career, having KILLED on Donahue in 1987. I was so happy I got to see him, and I was also happy this weekend to discover the San Antonio resident was putting on a show not only in my current hometown, NYC, but three blocks from my apartment! Sub-zero temperatures? Who cares? I could have walked over there naked and avoided any Prince Harry frostbite.

ABOVE: Grease-y kid stuff.

BELOW: Keep reading for a natural man, Trump's tax loss, Musk's fascist takeover continues to depress and more ...

ABOVE: Esai Morales turns 60. Couldn't you just eat him with a fork?

BELOW: Keep reading for a naked gigolo, another reason to avoid Blonde and more ...

ABOVE: How many can you name? I'm not sure who the woman is with Robert Donner.

BELOW: Keep reading for gay club lawsuit, William's pegging scandal and more ...

ABOVE: Pretty funny, and yet still pretty hot.

BELOW: Keep reading for a chat with Kylie, Kim trashing Marilyn permanently, BTS on hold and more ...