Fashionistas you have arrived 3-25-03 - 10-3-03

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Just to be sure, it's clear that that is a doctored photo, isn't it? Someone else's ass superimposed over and making fun of J-Lo's already oversized rumpus.

TM

It wasnt clear to me. BUt I never want to see that gruesome photo again.

[W.W.L.D.]

Queer Eye -- tyrannical gay fashionistas remodel some poor straight man in their coke-mirrored image. Echoing the vacuous brain decay of Jack from Will & Grace, this program shows gay men as materialistic vamps, style clowns with cock-centered worldviews who see conversation as an opportunity for Three's Company-level double entendres. When these men open their mouths, distant stars collapse. We expect our television to debase us, empty us, and condescend to us, which this show certainly does, and we all come back for more every week.

If that were not bad enough, Queer Eye is the single most shameless corporate tramp on television. Even the helpful hints, shill for high-end purveyors. Every scene involves a close-up on a store front, a label, or a smartly designed tube of styling gel. Taste, according the this show, is linked to consumer status symbols instead of pleasure. OOOh, were can I get that chocolate? For fuck sake.

So, we love it when our channels of mass communication shove consumerism into our open mouths. Buy this? Sure.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally posted by purse junkie
Excellent post. I have no idea why. Maybe we do internalize what we claim is unfair, then spit it out at each other in the most vicious way. It's funny, but I hardly ever hear women criticize each other on career/school/other indicators of status--just like you say, on how they look. Guys--what's your primary fodder for guy-on-guy insults?

The tight black t-shirt crowd gets made fun of A LOT, especially when the guy has muscle. Black T Guido is usually hanging out with Fake TITS Tina. Although I don't think it's jealousy or insecurity b/c many of the guys (I know) could get away with wearing the tight T, they just choose not to...

Middle-aged guy driving uber-fancy sports car/H2 gets called "tiny dick" all the time, especially if it's a Porsche. Again, this is coming from friends (some trustafarians) who could afford the car, so I don't see insecurity there...

I make fun of suburban men with families all the time, but that's just b/c that's exactly where Sartre would put me in "No Exit". My own personal version of hell. It's either a big city or a small town for me. No in between. I don't dislike these people, I just don't want to be them. Yet. I quote one of my friends: "I'm going to be married and 30 by next year. Just go ahead and kill me."

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I think I sufficiently de-spoilerized your post... Agreed on all counts. I think Franklin is straight, but it is interesting that they don't tell us. The only one who tilited my gaydar for sure was Wes, who was cute enough (in a gay sorta way) for me to wish he was here in Dallas so I could set one of my gay friends up with him...

Carson is hilarious. He always comes up with the best one-liners! Maybe a future in comedy? His own dressing styles sure doesn't hit the mark, tho he's done a good job on the duds for the str8 guys so far (other than making the cutie last night try on that pink tuxedo coat).

So, where are you on Dan of the open relationship? Gay or straight? He had just about the sexiest come fuck me smile I have ever seen and I have never been attracted to a gay man in my life. This is one component of my gaydar- if the guy is someone I would normally be attracted but just am not for some intangible reason. O will be reallllllly sad if Franklin is gay. When the ones you would normally go for and not have a clue are gay end up being gay, that means things are worse than you thought. Why dont they just call this show No Hope for the Straight Girl?

[evenodds]

Originally posted by ThrashersFan
I read the opinion card that was printed in the story and I hope the movie producers didn't see it as constructive criticism. I might be wrong, but it seemed more like these people wanted to see Fucking Moron and J-Lo[ok who I am marrying this week] die -- slow and painful.

edited to add that I hope the person who penned the ways to die suggestions on that card (note that there are "more on other side") was not part of the Atlanta focus group --

Um, you did see this was from the Onion, right?

[Sparklehorse]

Originally posted by ThrashersFan
I read the opinion card that was printed in the story and I hope the movie producers didn't see it as constructive criticism. I might be wrong, but it seemed more like these people wanted to see Fucking Moron and J-Lo[ok who I am marrying this week] die -- slow and painful.

edited to add that I hope the person who penned the ways to die suggestions on that card (note that there are "more on other side") was not part of the Atlanta focus group --

Psst, Thrasher, the Onion is a little publication of something people call "satire" -- just so you know

Apparently E/O types faster than I do!

[bilmore]

Originally posted by W.W.L.D.
When these men open their mouths, distant stars collapse.

I love this line.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Everyone knows the real reasons the sorts of chicks who rail against women with plastic surgery do so:

1. Jealousy ...

2. Anger/feeling threatened ..., and

3. Competition ....

[Other bullshit]

Lookit here, little Sebby, your whole argument is based on the premise that manipulating and doing things to your body isn't just a little yeck to begin with, and so naturally worthy of criticism.

Fact is, some of us like honest, genuine people, and are as turned off by boob and nose jobs as we are by people who design their lives to impress the neighbors. The barbie image and wonderbread both come to the same thing: symptoms of shallow, uncreative people with nothing to offer.

You seem to be embracing barbieism in all its forms. I realize you like having women do things to please you, and so seek to embrace and defend the poor little barbies who are ready to engage in self-mutilation for your benefit. Thus I find you speaking from your insecurities much more than those you charge with such (but nothing new about that, as all our gentle readers know).

[ThrashersFan]

Originally posted by evenodds
Um, you did see this was from the Onion, right?

:sarcastic

edited: Sparklehorse -- give me just some credit for not being a total maroon (but none whatsoever for being able to pull off sarcasm or be funny which I apparently cannot and thus will give up on).

Originally posted by greatwhitenorthchick
I think you are missing the point. I'm not sure that I can correctly make PJ's point, but if you are asking, "is there a gripe other than one that stems from the griper's self-image issues?" then I think the answer is yes.

I don't really care if people get plastic surgery or not. I am glad that the option is available to me if I want it and I have had cosmetic surgery already (although I don't think I'll ever get my boobs done).

I think, however, that a legitimate gripe about plastic surgery is that there are health risks that have been documented in studies associated with it and, to some, it is a sad commentary on society that we risk our health (and others, if you believe some of the studies that discuss breast milk and infants) for the sake of our outward appearance.

Now you can go ahead and blast those health studies to bits. And that's fine, but it does not mean that there is no gripe.

For example, I think women should be able to take an occasional drink during pregnancy. I think the health risks of an occasional drink are pretty much nil, even though people quote studies at me proving otherwise. I can go ahead and criticize those studies until the cows come home. That does not mean that opponents of drinking during pregnancy don't have a "legitimate gripe". It just means I disagree with them.

"Legitimate" to me means grounded in generally acceptable research. You can always criticize it, but it doesn't mean the gripe is founded on pure speculation or emotion, or someone's conception of morality.

Thank you for putting this so well. This is exactly how I feel about this. THat its sad that women do this to themselves andtake a risk for insecurity (or vanity or whatever SD). Its all about misplaced priorities and I mostly feel sorry for these women that their mindset is such that they would risk their health and possibly that of their babies to do this. Someone was asking me the other night how I felt about a friend who had had a boobjob and I explained that this person was not in a super stable mindset bck when she had it done and I felt sorry for her that she was ever at this point, but that it seems she has taken drastic steps in her mind body health to ultimately work on what made her get her tits done a few years ago. I was happy for her.

But yeah, its sad. But thats what you get in a society where "image is everythign". you might as well file this under the category of suburban sprawl, SUVs and McMansions for things gone horribly awry and away from nature's intent in the late twentieth century.

I apologize for continuing this discussion that was so yesterday- but gwinky voiced my thoughts quite well.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by W.W.L.D.
Queer Eye -- tyrannical gay fashionistas remodel some poor straight man in their coke-mirrored image. Echoing the vacuous brain decay of Jack from Will & Grace, this program shows gay men as materialistic vamps, style clowns with cock-centered worldviews who see conversation as an opportunity for Three's Company-level double entendres. When these men open their mouths, distant stars collapse. We expect our television to debase us, empty us, and condescend to us, which this show certainly does, and we all come back for more every week.

If that were not bad enough, Queer Eye is the single most shameless corporate tramp on television. Even the helpful hints, shill for high-end purveyors. Every scene involves a close-up on a store front, a label, or a smartly designed tube of styling gel. Taste, according the this show, is linked to consumer status symbols instead of pleasure. OOOh, were can I get that chocolate? For fuck sake.

So, we love it when our channels of mass communication shove consumerism into our open mouths. Buy this? Sure.

It is meant to be tongue in cheek. Carson is meant to be over the top. It is pretty accurate for the gay guys I hang out with (tho I live in Dallas, capital of consumerism). SO and I laughed pretty hard at the DiSarrono product placement last night. Wiat, did they show the front of the bottle enough times? So what. It didn't make it unwatchable for me. I kind of thought that hte point of showing the furniture store names, et al. was for the middle america schleps (me included) who saw a couch they liked or whatever. Sure it helps the stores, but it also avoids mountains of correspondence asking "where can I get a couch like that?"

If you hate it don't watch. I just don't buy that it is somehow harming the gay community.

[leagleaze]

Originally posted by evenodds
Um, you did see this was from the Onion, right?

But sometimes they are so right. If they change the ending, I'll go see it. Personally, I think they should just have Jenni from the block shoot Benny from the culdasac.


And yes, I am hostile to yet another movie in which Benny is so hot he turns a gay woman straight. What a stud.

Bitch, please.

As far as the new gay shows, harmful, probably not, rank stereotyping, definitely. And I go back and forth between being offended and amused, I can't really decide which to be.

Originally posted by W.W.L.D.
Queer Eye -- tyrannical gay fashionistas remodel some poor straight man in their coke-mirrored image. Echoing the vacuous brain decay of Jack from Will & Grace, this program shows gay men as materialistic vamps, style clowns with cock-centered worldviews who see conversation as an opportunity for Three's Company-level double entendres. When these men open their mouths, distant stars collapse. We expect our television to debase us, empty us, and condescend to us, which this show certainly does, and we all come back for more every week.

If that were not bad enough, Queer Eye is the single most shameless corporate tramp on television. Even the helpful hints, shill for high-end purveyors. Every scene involves a close-up on a store front, a label, or a smartly designed tube of styling gel. Taste, according the this show, is linked to consumer status symbols instead of pleasure. OOOh, were can I get that chocolate? For fuck sake.

So, we love it when our channels of mass communication shove consumerism into our open mouths. Buy this? Sure.

Yeah but what if you love high quality chocolate bc you love the buzz it gives you and you live in a place where you cannot get good chocolate. And dont tell me that place on L Street or wheervever near Farragut North is any good. It wasnt.

And BB4s ordering in of Burger King and the people talking about how delicious Whoppers are and bacon double cheezeburgers anre and how BK has the best fries in teh world might give Queer I a run for its corporate money.
I did wonder about the veracity of high end gay men drinking DiSaranno though.

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
The tight black t-shirt crowd gets made fun of A LOT, especially when the guy has muscle. Black T Guido is usually hanging out with Fake TITS Tina. Although I don't think it's jealousy or insecurity b/c many of the guys (I know) could get away with wearing the tight T, they just choose not to...

Middle-aged guy driving uber-fancy sports car/H2 gets called "tiny dick" all the time, especially if it's a Porsche. Again, this is coming from friends (some trustafarians) who could afford the car, so I don't see insecurity there...

I make fun of suburban men with families all the time, but that's just b/c that's exactly where Sartre would put me in "No Exit". My own personal version of hell. It's either a big city or a small town for me. No in between. I don't dislike these people, I just don't want to be them. Yet. I quote one of my friends: "I'm going to be married and 30 by next year. Just go ahead and kill me."

Will you marry me, my pale legged short shorts, curly black leg haired friend?

[Sparklehorse]

Originally posted by ThrashersFan
:sarcastic

edited: Sparklehorse -- give me just some credit for not being a total maroon (but none whatsoever for being able to pull off sarcasm or be funny which I apparently cannot and thus will give up on).

Yeah, well, sorry, the sarcasm meter wasn't working at my terminal apparently.