Richard Burnett
Richard Burnett | |
---|---|
Born | Richard Burnett Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Other names | Bugs Burnett |
Education | Concordia University |
Occupation(s) | Writer, editor, journalist, and columnist |
Richard Burnett, also known as Bugs Burnett,
In 2017, CBC Arts wrote that "If you live in Montreal and you go out at night, you know Richard "Bugs" Burnett. Perhaps that's an understatement. If you live in Montreal and go outside, you know Burnett. Existentially speaking, if Richard Burnett does not attend your event, it might be said that your event never happened."[3]
Career
Burnett began working as a writer in the 1990s for several magazines and newspapers.[3]
"Three Dollar Bill"
His
"Three Dollar Bill" debuted in July 1996 and ran in several alternative newsweeklies. The column first made national news in September 1998 when Winnipeg’s Uptown magazine dropped the column after one installment ignited a citywide furor over gay sex.
Other work
Burnett was one of the original organizers of Montreal’s internationally renowned
Burnett was also editor-at-large of
Burnett also got the last-ever sit-down interview with James Brown before Brown died on December 25, 2006.[7]
Burnett has been writing for the Montreal-based LGBT magazine Fugues (magazine), since 1995.
As his career has progressed, he has devoted a significant amount of his writing into covering opera.[3]
Controversies
He is known as an often controversial fixture of the Montreal media, with his writing sometimes attracting attention internationally.[2]
Burnett's 2004 Hour cover story interview with Jamaican dancehall performer
In 2005, Burnett was quoted about rising new HIV infections in a POZ cover story called "Bite the Bullet" as saying that "If you want to play God, [deliberately] spread HIV and ruin other lives in the process—then do us all a g------ favor and put a f------ bullet through your head instead.”[12]
Burnett made more headlines when he criticized the
Burnett also riled many Canadians when he critiqued the medals of Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics. "The gold and bronze medals look like melted chocolate someone pulled out of their back pocket," Burnett told the Associated Press. "The silver medal looks like it still has foil wrap on it."[15]
Cultural impact
Burnett was named one of Alberta-based Outlooks magazine's Canadian Heroes of the Year in their June 2009 issue,[16] and was listed by Quebec's French-language gay publication Fugues as one of that province's 100 most influential gay Quebecers.[17] "As Michael Musto is to New York City, Richard Burnett is to Montreal," The Montreal Buzz stated in April 2010.[18]
Throughout his career, Burnett has been known as a prominent figure in Montreal's nightlife scene. In 2017, CBC Arts wrote that "If you live in Montreal and you go out at night, you know Richard "Bugs" Burnett. Perhaps that's an understatement. If you live in Montreal and go outside, you know Burnett. Existentially speaking, if Richard Burnett does not attend your event, it might be said that your event never happened."[3]
Influences
Burnett cites the late Montreal newspaperman Nick Auf der Maur and The New York Times bestselling author Felice Picano as his two mentors.[19]
References
- ^ a b "Richard Burnett". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
- ^ a b c d e "A decade of speaking up - with effect". Canada.com. 2006-07-26. Archived from the original on 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Vaughan, R. M. (February 16, 2017). "Mr. Montreal: If Richard Burnett doesn't attend your event, it might be said that it never happened". CBC Arts.
- ^ "Out à Montréal - Telefilm Canada". Telefilm.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- Montreal Gazette. Postmedia Network Inc. Archived from the originalon April 11, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- ^ "Richard Burnett, Special to". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ "James Brown - Audience with the Godfather - Hour Community". Hour.ca. Archived from the original on 2009-11-16. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ a b "Sizzla - What happened to "one love"? - Hour Community". Hour.ca. Archived from the original on 2011-02-05. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ Cooke, Melville (September 30, 2004). "And now, 'homofibia'(Part 1)". Gleaner Company Ltd. Archived from the original on October 28, 2004.
- ^ "Three Dollar Bill - Public enemy - Hour Community". Hour.ca. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ "Sizzla - Nah Apologize Lyrics". Lyricsmania.com. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ Evans, David (August 2005). "Bite The Bullet". POZ. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
- ^ [1] Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Three Dollar Bill - We built this city - Hour Community". Hour.ca. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ Italie, Leanne (February 14, 2010). "Critics poke fun at wavy look of Vancouver medals". Archived from the original on January 16, 2011.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ "FUGUES - Qui est Qui?". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
- ^ "Tourisme Montréal Blog". Tourisme-montreal.org. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ "Three Dollar Bill - Au revoir, kind of - Hour Community". Hour.ca. Retrieved 2015-04-25.