I don't get gay culture

No, really, I don't. Here's why.

Last night I had to go and take photographs for MCV at Midsumma Mooning at the Laird, which is an event where men show off their arses to the audience, with the most atractive arse voted as the winner. When one man made his arsehole wink the crowd went wild. It was about as tasteful as a wet t-shirt competition, and just as sexy.

This afternoon, I have to go take photographs at the Peel, which is hosting an underwear party. Yes, a party of gay men, dancing, in their underwear. Don't ask me where wallets will be kept, because really, I don't want to know.

Why do I sometimes get the feeling I failed Gay.101?

Comments

par3182 said…
if that's the curriculum i'm beginning to think i didn't even enrol for gay 101

and for that i am truly thankful
27/1/08 17:06
caoin said…
Yeah, I dunno about the underwear party thing. I mean, I can see where they’re coming from...underwear can be sexy (though I’m more interested in the contents being sexy), so by association they think the party should be sexy, but I’m not sure they’re not stretching the chain of sexiness a bit farther that it will go.

And do they have underwear standards? If you turned up in the oldest, saggiest, daggiest undies would they care? If your underwear was too straight could they invoke the exemption?
27/1/08 17:55
Anonymous said…
Yes! I totally get ya there. There is a lot that is wrong with gay culture (there are good bits... but the vanity/male sluttiness/horrible trashy music taste is the sort of thing I'm getting at).

Especially the horrible trashy music taste. Why can't gay people just like Sufjan Stevens instead?
28/1/08 01:42
Anonymous said…
I seriously don't get it either... and drew has hit the mark with the trashy music too. Beam me up...
28/1/08 07:46
Anonymous said…
Well said, Richard. Your comments and ’Pong’s Australia Day photo essay led to today’s rant, Are you proud of your culture? Enjoy.
28/1/08 11:15
Anonymous said…
I think you are incorrectly blaming gay culture there Richard. I'm sure many heterosexuals would just love to go underwear parties these days. As for arseholes winking, well, there's wet t-shirt competitions and the like (where being able to wiggle one breast at a time is a bit of a crowd puller). Its not exactly like that sort of stuff is much different. You'll live.
28/1/08 18:57
Anonymous said…
I'm sensing bitterness .. and at 40its abit young no? lol

Come on its all just abit of fun ... when did gay people stop laughing at themselves?
28/1/08 23:17
richardwatts said…
caoin - not sure about underwear standards, tho from what i could see, designer labels were de rigueur.

drew - i'm with you there on sufjan!

conrad - it's my culture and i'll blame it if i want to. ;-) seriously though, you're right, it's the same sort of male mentality at play regardless of the sexuality being expressed. as you might guess, i'm not a big fan of wet t-shirt competitions either. *grin*

jason - bitterness? nah, sorry - simply the same confusion about gay culture i was expressing 10 years ago in my zine, 20 years ago in conversations with friends who felt equally removed from the scene we in theory belong to...
29/1/08 08:40
mskp said…
mmm, yes, that all sounds pretty base. but is it the "male mentality" so much as it is the "mainstream mentality"? i mean, you feel alienated from the gay culture that you're supposed to belong to, and i feel totally alienated from any so-called "straight" culture too. isn't it more to with being outsiders in general?
31/1/08 13:35
Anonymous said…
whingy whiny woo, lighten up bud! : )

If you want to define gay culture by winking arseholes and dudes dancing in their undies, well you can!!!!
If you want to complain, well you can!!!!
31/1/08 16:01
Dave said…
I'm twenty-two and I have no idea how the gay community works, and I've been in it for years. By the time I'm fourty, I'll probably be the exact same way. It's kind of expected, I'd thought. Who actually flourishes with positive feelings of affirmation in the gay community anyway? At least being an outsider has solidarity on its side.

ION, Sufjan is the bestest. As is this blog.
8/2/08 20:59
Anonymous said…
we are free to be gay and dance in our underware, lucky were not living in a repressive country. we are blessed!
11/2/08 15:38
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