Faloonaville (Pop. 1)

Journalist looks into the abyss of Manhunt.net finds lonliness, delusion, chance for hot three way

The new issue of Out Magazine has a very long (for Out) piece by Michael Joesph Gross on the ‘social networking’ site Manhunt.net.  I posted a lovely photo of the founders/owners of the site below.  One of which claims to be a “liberal Republican”, which is a category I didn’t know existed until reading that.  So, Mr. Gross seems to think Manhunt is the end of gay social life, and hell, gay life in general.  Quote:

As a normative way of socializing for gay men, online cruising is a disaster. We need to recognize its effects — including its tendency to isolate us, encourage objectification, and diminish our sense of life’s nonsexual possibilities — as disasters. We need to recognize that too many of us, too much of the time, are cruising online because it is easier and feels safer than thinking about the love we are missing and the power we do not have.

Ouch.  So, I think Mr. Gross makes a good argument, and he gets credibility points by admitting early in the piece he has wasted years of his own life cruising online, and has done every stupid thing imaginable you can through Manhunt.  But, I think he is dealing in some trends that are supported by anecdotal evidence.  He quotes one statistic which is from the UK, so that is bunk.  He quotes a few ‘experts’ that tell him “the implications of that trend are enormous”. Of course they are, they always are, when you are looking for experts to support your line of thinking.  Lots of psychologists eager to diagnose the new generations of gays as internet sex addicts offer quotes.  And of course the Director of NGLTF makes an appearance to bemoan the fact that more guys are interested in hooking up than they are in political action. Ground breaking.

Yes, Manhunt is replacing meeting someone in a bar. Yes, it encourages you to create a secret life.  Yes, it encourages you to create a pornographic version of yourself that you sell online.  But I still don’t see how going to a bar, or a public restroom, or the rambles in Central Park, was such a great idea in the first place.  Are those the alternatives? 

Here’s the thing: just be open about your Manhunt use.  Don’t make it a secret. Don’t be ashamed.  Don’t expect instant gratification always in life. And don’t expect to meet your husband.  And for god’s sake wear a rubber.

Anyway, read it, there are some juicy bits and a little hilarity. 

Has Manhunt Destroyed Gay Culture? [Out]

Hating Hipsters: maybe it means you're an old

Some more interesting analysis of the hating on hipsters phenomenon. Quote:

Well, the first reason is, journalists doing pieces like this are usually getting closer to 30 and they see this new generation of kids as worthless young upstarts who don’t care about stuff as much as they should. This is a natural part of getting older. Seniors will always hate sophomores. That’s why there’s wedgies. The problem arises when you try to categorically prove this generation sucks and you were the real deal. Sorry, but your youth was not that special.

I don’t know who this blog dude is but I have two words for Adbusters: ya burnt!

[Street Boners and TV Carnage]

Newsflash: Media totally in the tank for Obama

Someone please alert Time magazine this is the stalest story of the week.  Yes, the media has a liberal bias.  Yes, they love Barack Obama. No, it is not going to change the results of the election.  This is the worst kind of media on media reporting that no one, myself especially, gives a crap about.  If anything this just gives the blowhards over at Fixed News something to gas about.  Here’s a better headline: Egotistical news media gives themselves credit for electing people!

(Time)