Seems to me that all this insane "pride" bullsh*t reached a climax with that display at the Paris Olympics last year, and I suspect the universal embarrassment that caused is the reason for the current pull back you talk about. Personally, I had a lot of pride in the stone work I did during a 45 year career, and I am pretty proud of the little homestead I've managed to put together since then, but as you point out, certain aspects of ones life should be kept behind those closed doors. Over my life, I have had plenty of gay friends (first wife was a drama mama), have seen some succumb to the HIV/AIDS mess, but can't think of a one who would have been very happy with the last decade or so of screaming in the face of normalcy. Glad that is taking a rest
Like you, I feel pride in things I have earned with hard work and perfection of skill. I suppose celebrating superficial descriptors, rather than actual achievements, is appropriate for those mired in that lifestyle. Most of the gay men I know do not see themselves represented by the outrage industry, which seems hellbent on destroying social cohesion, more than anything else. Basic biological functions are uninteresting because they are ubiquitous. Better to let our skills and merits be our public face, since that makes us unique individuals, and not just reactive masses of protoplasm. I does seem, though, that we have turned a corner and are heading back to a more modest use of the public square.
Patrick and I were thinking of a Humility Month skit. Parades of nuns and monks flagellating themselves, crawling on their knees, with a crown of thorns on their heads, etc.
My wife and I have catered many gay parties in the SF Bay Area, too many. One of the craziest was in West Sonoma County.
The theme was orange and we, the catering staff, had to wear the gay's skin tight t-shirts. The gays had put oranges floating in the pool. We made blender after blender of Margaritas for the guests. Our cook got drunk. It was crazy!
Some of the best parties I have ever been to were hosted by gay couples, and especially show people. I've seen some that last for several days, and in any case, the hosts throw obscene amounts of money at the decor and F&B. And the drugs, oh lawzy the drugs. I had to flee Hollywood or be consumed by the nihilistic lifestyle.
I like the idea of Humility Month, but I've seen the whole nun/monk flagellation thing done a number of times. Catholic satire is a common theme. I've been toying with something like Snide Month, but how to express it still eludes me.
The gays would tip us $100 each, cash. That was great! These two SF gays had a summer home in West County near Guerneville. That's the summer gay vacation spot for SF gays.
Of course, what I remember most from that party was the two beautiful 15-year-old girls in bikinis. They were jail bait flambe'. The two girls got drunk and had a great time.
Ah, the tips. And that was when $100 actually bought stuff. As long as I stayed in California, I WAS the jail bait - 18, naive, farm fresh - I was chasing the Playboy bunnies, while behind me was a swarm of middle-aged queens chasing me. Really quite comic in hindsight.
May they revert to the civil rights revolutionaries of the 70's, 80's and 90's with medical marijuana. Take pride in winning respect and legal rights, not leather and bondage.
One of my favourite films is 'Pride' - harks back to what your comment is about. Based on a true story. A little disneyfied but I stepped right back into my 16th year when I watched it.
I assume you are referring to the 2014 documentary on the 1984 miners' strike. Great flick and that is precisely what the fight for rights is about.
I've been to the leather bars and the drag bars and they are fun and interesting, but it is not what I would consider "public" behaviour. I hold everyone to the same standard. The public sphere encourages least offensive behaviour on everyone's part, so that we can all live together in relative harmony. The more challenging behaviours belong behind high walls and privacy drapes.
No. This is the dramatised version - mildly disneyfied but it brought the story into the mainstream. Captured 80s London pretty well too - my teenage decade. I watched the documentary after seeing this - I had no knowledge of the story other than the miners strike being on the news every day. Fun fact - I eventually worked with police officers from that era who paid off their mortgages with the overtime they earned beating the living crap out of miners that year - doesn't bode well for any movement against what they're trying to impose on the population now.
That was close to the time I lived in London, about 1980 or 81, whatever year the Ally Pally burned down. I spent a lot of time in Liverpool and Skem listening to the men who'd eventually end up paying off cop mortgages. It's no unlike the current situation -- different deck of cards, same bad hands.
The Man Who Knew Too Much. Another great movie, was it Hitchcock? When Doris Day sings Que Sera at the end and her son hears her and the woman who was supposed to kill the kid can't do it. Great movie!
Most certainly Hitchcock, and a great film. The suspense surrounding the "Que Sera" scene was masterfully done. I'm one of the weird ones though, in that I prefer the 1934 version, if for no other reason than I am a big Peter Lorre fan. I certainly don't blame Hitch for going more mainstream with his remake. The original was very much a British film, while the remake was obviously more commercial, in living color, and had a much larger budget. Either way, it's a great story and both versions have plenty of Hitch's genius all over them.
Seems to me that all this insane "pride" bullsh*t reached a climax with that display at the Paris Olympics last year, and I suspect the universal embarrassment that caused is the reason for the current pull back you talk about. Personally, I had a lot of pride in the stone work I did during a 45 year career, and I am pretty proud of the little homestead I've managed to put together since then, but as you point out, certain aspects of ones life should be kept behind those closed doors. Over my life, I have had plenty of gay friends (first wife was a drama mama), have seen some succumb to the HIV/AIDS mess, but can't think of a one who would have been very happy with the last decade or so of screaming in the face of normalcy. Glad that is taking a rest
Like you, I feel pride in things I have earned with hard work and perfection of skill. I suppose celebrating superficial descriptors, rather than actual achievements, is appropriate for those mired in that lifestyle. Most of the gay men I know do not see themselves represented by the outrage industry, which seems hellbent on destroying social cohesion, more than anything else. Basic biological functions are uninteresting because they are ubiquitous. Better to let our skills and merits be our public face, since that makes us unique individuals, and not just reactive masses of protoplasm. I does seem, though, that we have turned a corner and are heading back to a more modest use of the public square.
LOL @ "Rainbow Doritos". That's hilarious.
Patrick and I were thinking of a Humility Month skit. Parades of nuns and monks flagellating themselves, crawling on their knees, with a crown of thorns on their heads, etc.
My wife and I have catered many gay parties in the SF Bay Area, too many. One of the craziest was in West Sonoma County.
The theme was orange and we, the catering staff, had to wear the gay's skin tight t-shirts. The gays had put oranges floating in the pool. We made blender after blender of Margaritas for the guests. Our cook got drunk. It was crazy!
Some of the best parties I have ever been to were hosted by gay couples, and especially show people. I've seen some that last for several days, and in any case, the hosts throw obscene amounts of money at the decor and F&B. And the drugs, oh lawzy the drugs. I had to flee Hollywood or be consumed by the nihilistic lifestyle.
I like the idea of Humility Month, but I've seen the whole nun/monk flagellation thing done a number of times. Catholic satire is a common theme. I've been toying with something like Snide Month, but how to express it still eludes me.
The gays would tip us $100 each, cash. That was great! These two SF gays had a summer home in West County near Guerneville. That's the summer gay vacation spot for SF gays.
Of course, what I remember most from that party was the two beautiful 15-year-old girls in bikinis. They were jail bait flambe'. The two girls got drunk and had a great time.
Ah, the tips. And that was when $100 actually bought stuff. As long as I stayed in California, I WAS the jail bait - 18, naive, farm fresh - I was chasing the Playboy bunnies, while behind me was a swarm of middle-aged queens chasing me. Really quite comic in hindsight.
Hilarious!
May they revert to the civil rights revolutionaries of the 70's, 80's and 90's with medical marijuana. Take pride in winning respect and legal rights, not leather and bondage.
One of my favourite films is 'Pride' - harks back to what your comment is about. Based on a true story. A little disneyfied but I stepped right back into my 16th year when I watched it.
I assume you are referring to the 2014 documentary on the 1984 miners' strike. Great flick and that is precisely what the fight for rights is about.
I've been to the leather bars and the drag bars and they are fun and interesting, but it is not what I would consider "public" behaviour. I hold everyone to the same standard. The public sphere encourages least offensive behaviour on everyone's part, so that we can all live together in relative harmony. The more challenging behaviours belong behind high walls and privacy drapes.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3169706/
No. This is the dramatised version - mildly disneyfied but it brought the story into the mainstream. Captured 80s London pretty well too - my teenage decade. I watched the documentary after seeing this - I had no knowledge of the story other than the miners strike being on the news every day. Fun fact - I eventually worked with police officers from that era who paid off their mortgages with the overtime they earned beating the living crap out of miners that year - doesn't bode well for any movement against what they're trying to impose on the population now.
That was close to the time I lived in London, about 1980 or 81, whatever year the Ally Pally burned down. I spent a lot of time in Liverpool and Skem listening to the men who'd eventually end up paying off cop mortgages. It's no unlike the current situation -- different deck of cards, same bad hands.
I've always felt sorry for your ones whose lives are so devoid of meaning that they only have pride in who they're stuffing on Saturday night.
You mailed it: empty meaningless lives that have no purpose but to exploit their own foibles and functions, rather than more meaningful pursuits.
The Man Who Knew Too Much. Another great movie, was it Hitchcock? When Doris Day sings Que Sera at the end and her son hears her and the woman who was supposed to kill the kid can't do it. Great movie!
Most certainly Hitchcock, and a great film. The suspense surrounding the "Que Sera" scene was masterfully done. I'm one of the weird ones though, in that I prefer the 1934 version, if for no other reason than I am a big Peter Lorre fan. I certainly don't blame Hitch for going more mainstream with his remake. The original was very much a British film, while the remake was obviously more commercial, in living color, and had a much larger budget. Either way, it's a great story and both versions have plenty of Hitch's genius all over them.