Do you find this offensive?

[WegCash Robert]

This thing hurts my feelings!

[DonMike]

Okay, I have egg all over my face. I had written a letter to the company at 3 am, just after I wrote the first post in this thread, about how upset I was. The email I got back was very nice, explaining that it was supposed to be irreverent humor and apologizing that it may have been offensive to me. So basically, I just didn't get the joke. And after reading this guy's blog, I really feel like a heel.

Never post when you're drunk or cranky from lack of sleep.

But I do think it sparked off a great discussion. I'm gonna go crawl in my hole now. :footmouth:

[maxpower]

Don’t worry about it man, I put myself out their all the time “normally when I am cranky from lack of sleep” I am sure they will forgive you, it was still kind of a bad joke we could have lived with-out.

[Jasun]

OK, I don't find them offensive, but I DO find them annoying.

And Max, you're not dating a "Str8" guy. You're dating a pathetic closeted loser who can't even tell his BF that he's gay.

I've known a million of them and they never change. But then... so far.. neigher have you.:broccoli: :jasun:

[XXXWriterDude]

Well, Don, I think that A) you have a good point and B) you're also too frickin' sensitive. I mean, what's different about this than Chico's Angels? Sometimes it's just best to have a sense of humor about things. That's what the disclaimer on that site says. These guys aren't saying they represent the entire gay community. And don't we all know guys just like that?

I, in fact, know two of those people pretty well. One is Robbie whathisname from Queer Eye for the Straight Girl. He was the guest host for On Q Live when they had me on to talk about my book. He's a big ol' girl. But who cares? The other guy that I know goes by the name Bridgette of Madison County when he's in drag. Likewise... big ol' flamer.

For every Brokeback, there will be five or six things with flaming queens in them. And as long as those flaming queens keep going out for this stuff, it'll keep happening as well. But I'm actually tired of bitching about it. I mean, really, who cares? I think Americans are perceptive enough at this point (especially with things like Brokeback) to know that all gay people aren't like that. For us to get so up in arms over it, to me, is indicative of our community's own struggle with internalized homophobia and gender issues.

Time to let it go. Those guys are people too, and there's nothing wrong with them having a little bit of fun.

That's what I think anyway.

[DonMike]

Ken, darling, read my last post. I realized after digging a little deeper that I totally jumped the gun on that one. I even wrote the company back and apologized. Plus, it wasn't the fact that there were three femmy guys on the site, I really took it the wrong way and thought the joke was on us. I get so tired of seeing straight guys in the media affect a lisp and swishy walk every time they make references to gay guys. Even the femme guys I know don't actually act like that. I used to love Danny Bonaduce when he was on the KISS 107 morning show but every time a gay guy would call the station, regardless of he had a softer voice or sounded like a truck driver, if the fact he was gay would come into the conversation Danny would start affecting that stupid gay lisp and I would have to change stations. I don't know what that bugs me as much as it does.

So at any rate, yeah, I really thought it was one of those bad jokes against us rather than a bunch of gay guys camping it up. Plus, I was really cranky when I started this. I usually have a really good sense of humor. So I'll go suck on my shoe some more.

Oh, and I can't wait for the next Chico's Angels show.

[Madame0120]

I'm offended that their site is so flash heavy it took forever to me to hate them. :wtf:

Now I love a great Queen .. but them boys are pityful. Wonder if the had a dialect coach to get those lisps down pat.

Now if you are gona talk about beautiful hair .. they should have hired a REAL QUEEN.

[XXXWriterDude]

Ken, darling, read my last post. I realized after digging a little deeper that I totally jumped the gun on that one.

Sorry, I hadn't read all the responses before posting mine.

[DonMike]

Sorry, I hadn't read all the responses before posting mine.

Heh heh, s'okay baby. I do that all the time. LOL! :bunny:

[GaySearch4Sex]

I think its pretty lame... I mean queens can be funny (of course) but just gets old when its the same thing, targeting a straight audience.

And while it was much worse, it reminds of me of most black characters on tv and in the movies in the 50s.... like 'look at the silly black people making the white people laugh'

however, I wonder if stereotypical gay characters are better than no gay characters

[DonMike]

I think its pretty lame... I mean queens can be funny (of course) but just gets old when its the same thing, targeting a straight audience.

And while it was much worse, it reminds of me of most black characters on tv and in the movies in the 50s.... like 'look at the silly black people making the white people laugh'

however, I wonder if stereotypical gay characters are better than no gay characters

What did Harvey Firestein say in The Celluloid Closet? (I'm paraphrasing here) "I like the sissy... because I am one. But it's always been my belief... visibility at any cost." Or something like that.

[DonMike]

Can I just make a comment. Gay men get so freaked out by people like Carson on Queer Eye and Jack on Will & Grace because they don't want to be seen as being someone like that. But there ARE people like that and those characters are funny because of the things they say and do. They're in on the joke. We are laughing with them not at them. Even Paul Lynde, Charles Nelson Reily, Alan Zeus and the countless others who's effette mannerisms added to their humor but was not the focus of it. When Howard Stern affects a lisp and starts prancing around, that's the joke. That's it. There's nothing funny about it. It's an attack on us, that's all. But why get mad at someone who's funny just because they are femme?

[Squirt]

I think its pretty lame... I mean queens can be funny (of course) but just gets old when its the same thing, targeting a straight audience.

And while it was much worse, it reminds of me of most black characters on tv and in the movies in the 50s.... like 'look at the silly black people making the white people laugh'

however, I wonder if stereotypical gay characters are better than no gay characters

You bring up a good point.

I think the path goes from no acknowledgement, to stereotypical acknowledgement, to acceptance.

Things were really looking up for the Gay community after stonewall until AIDS hit and was labeled a Gay disease by the reagan republican administration. After that we were shamed again for what we are and put back in the closet. After all nobody wanted to get AIDS by talking to, or touching, a Homosexual. Now Homosexuals are viewed as sex ravaged, crystal meth taking, diseased individuals.

This same sort of scenario hit the Black community when VD and drugs hit their minority. After that being around black people you were likely to get addicted to drugs, raped, or get VD. The Black community is still fighting this stereotype.

Odd similarities in our stereotypes don't you think? Kind of a stay away or something bad will happen to you. If you're with them you will be tainted. Or looking at that helpless non threatening funny Gay and/or Black man making us laugh. :toff:

[XXXWriterDude]

Not sure who came up with this, but it's often said that "all press is good press." It just might work in this scenario as well.