AngryGayBlackCanadianman

I have to be honest I don’t have a close relationship with my father. My father has a much more closer relationship with my heterosexual older brother. My older brother is the “golden boy” in my father’s eyes he doesn’t have to say it but it is true.

For instance, my heterosexual older brother he got married three years ago, he has a lovely wife I got to know when I was in Jamaica earlier this year. In my father’s eyes my brother is living the “good life” he is following the path that society says everyone is supposed to live by. I am viewed as the dirty homosexual living the “bad life”.

However, I am gay so in my father’s eyes I am viewed as “different” when I speak to him sometimes the conversations are awkward, fractured, and indifferent. There is no resonance to the words my father says to me. I notice the interaction my father has with my older brother and I see the warmth and his personality shines and he is happy talking to my brother. I don’t care about boxing, or cricket, or other baseball. The only sport I am passionate about is tennis.

I notice I don’t really relate well to heterosexual men. Maybe it is because heterosexual men have negative perceptions about gay men? I don’t know? All I know is there is more to me then just my sexual orientation. I don’t think about being “gay” twenty four seven. I don’t know what to say to straight men sometimes there is this distance? Perhaps it is all perception but I sense if a straight man “knows” I am gay they act differently around me. I don’t mean being rude or anything but being distant emotionally and maybe reticent.

If you read my book “You Don’t Know Me” there is a poem called “The Good Son” in the poem I explore my feelings on this issue. I am not sure if it is because my father can’t “relate” to me or what but we definitely don’t have the stereotypical traditional “father and son” relationship. I guess that’s the reason Father’s Day never meant much to me.

Maybe it is an issue of masculinity? Regardless of sexual orientation I think it is harder for men to be open about our feelings. I have a much more closer relationship with my younger sister and my mother they actually “tell me” what they are “feeling”. I don’t have a clue about my father I feel like I don’t exist in his universe. Maybe that’s just the way things are supposed to be?

Senator Barack Obama recently made a comment at an event in San Francisco about “bitterness” in the lower classes. Hillary Clinton John McCain, and the news media jumped on Senator Obama. First off, just look at Barack Obama he is a very attractive black man he’s tall, he’s fit, he’s wonderful. The press and Senator Obama’s enemies are now trying to brand him as the uppity educated Negro that is too distant from the masses.

Senator Obama is not W.E.B. Du Bois. If you want to read about a black elitist please read the works of W.E.B. Du Bois. Visit the local public library or bookstore and you will be shocked at the hypocrisy of W.E.B. Du Bois.

W.E.B. Du Bois was a snob he also wrote about the “talented tenth” which is the upper crust black elite. Du Bois view was only the “talented tenth” were the “only suitable “leaders” for the black race. Although W.E.B. Du Bois is very important because he founded the NAACP he also was very prejudiced against poorer people. Some scholars believe Du Bois appropriated aspects of white culture in relation to class and privilege.

Senator Obama appeals to me because I think he is so inspiring due to his hard work and determination. Now of course, Senator Obama is a gorgeous black man but he’s also a very intelligent black man. I admire Senator Obama a great deal because he is demonstrating to young blacks we can have dreams and we should strive for our dreams. Why can’t young blacks believe we can shatter the glass ceiling? The pernicious attitude of the mainstream media is that young blacks we should “stay in our place” at the back of the bus. The question remains when will it ever be the right time to advance forward in society? Well some people need to understand this is the year 2008 not the year 1955. We have a right to demand more for ourselves in terms of advancing our lives and political careers.

Senator Obama’s presence has made an incredible difference to me in so many ways. The racist tactics of the Clintons, Gloria Steinem, Geraldine Ferraro and other Democrats are a true eye opener. People complain about the Republicans but it is clear Democrats have no respect for black voters. It is time for black voters to explore new political options.

The media have always tried to frame Senator Obama as this “uppity black man” that is too distant from the masses. It is true that Senator Obama is very educated but so are the Clintons. Do people want political leaders that aren’t educated, that didn’t work hard for success? The double standards and the hypocrisy is incredible.

It is interesting that Senator Hillary Clinton and John McCain are slamming Barack calling him “bitter”. I just think its interesting the Clintons are incredibly well educated, very rich more rich then Senator Obama. Hillary Clinton used to be on the board for Walmart. The Clintons are America’s political aristocracy.

Back in the 1990s when I was a jaded, depressed, unhappy, teenager I started listening to The Smiths. I think one of my first crushes was on Steven Patrick Morrissey. Although my crush on Morrissey has faded over time I still respect him as an artist. Some people say Morrissey is irrelevant to the music industry but I strongly disagree. I think sometimes he is misunderstood. Sometimes I do feel Morrissey takes himself a bit too seriously after all he’s a pop superstar.

I remember a friend of mine he loaned me a copy of “Viva Hate” Morrissey’s first solo album. I loved the brashness of Morrissey’s lyrics and the assertiveness of his voice. Morrissey is a very good singer he is also very opinionated, outspoken, and attractive. Morrissey still looks good for a man that’s almost 49 years old.

The Smiths were a cult eighties British rock group. I didn’t discover The Smiths until the 1990s. I was most impressed with the lead singer and songwriter for the group Steven Patrick Morrissey.

Morrissey was born in Manchester England in the year 1959. Morrissey has a cult following in North America a few of his albums have reached gold status. Even when Morrissey didn’t have a record deal for seven years he toured and sold out concerts. For a long time Morrissey refused to conduct interviews because he felt the media manipulated his comments by twisting his words to create controversies.

The interesting aspect about Morrissey is he refuses to declare his sexual orientation. Some pop critics in the occidental media have declared Morrissey is gay even though he chooses not to speak about his sexuality. In England British journalists often compare Morrissey to the gay literary icon Oscar Wilde. I can see the comparison between both Wilde and Steven Patrick Morrissey have Irish roots. Both Wilde and Morrissey are also passionate about their art and politics. Morrissey and Wilde are also very outspoken and controversial as well.

In the song “America Is Not The World” Morrissey does talk about race, gender, and sexuality. I don’t know if Morrissey is gay but I definitely know he’s not straight. I think perhaps Morrissey is bisexual. People don’t really think about male bisexuality. There is an assumption in society that men cannot be bisexual. A man is either heterosexual or homosexual there is no in between. So why is there this double standard? Female singers can declare they are lesbians or bisexual and nobody says anything.

Now if you listen to The Smiths songs like “Hand In Glove” and “Charming man” you know the songs have a strong homoerotic element. Morrissey continues with the homoeroticism in songs later on in career such as “Roy Keen”. Also, has anyone ever seen the musicians in Morrissey’s band? I mean look at the guitarist, bass player, and drummer these guys are gorgeous aren’t they? Morrissey definitely has one of the best looking bands in rock music these days.

I have a love and hate relationship with Morrissey. Sometimes he says really stupid things because he’s trying to be edgy sometimes Morrissey needs to think before he says stuff. I find Morrissey to be incredibly pretentious and he does things just to shock people. Other times I think Morrissey is one of the smartest men in the music business. I give Morrissey a lot of respect in terms of following his own artistic vision.

For seven long years after Morrissey’s 1997 album “Maladjusted” bombed he didn’t have a record deal. Finally, in the year 2004 Morrissey returned to form on “You Are The Quarry”. Morrissey’s voice never sounded better and the songs are simply incredible. Also “You Are The Quarry” is the most successful solo album of Morrissey’s career.

However, in 2006 Morrissey released “Ringleaders Of The Tormentors” and I must say the album is complete rubbish. The songs are uninspired lacking the lyrical content has a sense of levity. I was disappointed because I think “Ringleaders Of The Tormentors” is Morrissey’s worst solo album. What happened to Morrissey? Where is the man that sang “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful”? What about songs such as “Everyday Is Like Sunday” or “The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get”? On Morrissey’s 2006 album he appears lost and confused. Morrissey now claims he is no longer celibate and having sex. Maybe Morrissey’s mood changed because he’s happy again? I hope Morrissey’s next studio album will be a stronger and better.

In the summer of 2004 John Cho and Kal penn finally had their first major breakthrough in Hollywood. Cho, and Kal Penn have been working diligently for years often in secondary roles . Cho was most famous for his role in the WB sitcom “Off Centre” and “American Pie”. Kal Penn was known for his role in the teen comedy “Van Wilder.” Finally, John Cho and Kal Penn were given the opportunity to shine in the leading roles of Harold Lee and Kumar Patel in the stoner comedy “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle”.

Although “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle ” made $18 million at the box office the movie gained cult status due to DVD sales. Since the DVD sales for the first movie were huge a sequel will be released on April 25th 2008. There is more pressure on Cho and Penn that the second movie is a box office hit. Hollywood is slowly making progress realizing there is an audience that desires to see Asian American men as leading men in the movies.

Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle” has received a lot of press because the leads are two young Asian American male actors. John Cho is Korean American and Kal Penn is Indian American. Harold and Kumar are also not nerds they are two intelligent, ambitious, and attractive young men. Cho and Penn definitely are eye candy and have the potential to become Hollywood superstars.

The plot is simple Harold and Kumar are two young Asian American men that are restless, sexually frustrated, and also craving some weed. Harold Lee is a junior analyst at a business firm he is hardworking but also lonely and depressed he has no love life . Harold is an attractive man yet he has no self esteem he doesn’t believe he is worthy of true love.

The only woman that showers Harold with attention is a young Asian American female Cindy Kim. Cindy is a student at Princeton University she is also the president of the East Asian club. Cindy is attracted to Harold and she is stereotyped in the movie as a nerd. Harold is nice to Cindy they talk a lot but he’s not interested in Cindy he fears he will have to date an Asian American woman. Harold even says Cindy calls him a “twinkie” yellow on the outside and white in the middle.

I kind of wish the movie explored Harold’s fascination with Maria a bit more. Why was Harold so against dating an Asian American woman? What was so wrong with Cindy Kim? Cindy’s kind of cute I didn’t understand what was wrong with Cindy? Is Harold interested in Maria more because she’s from a different culture?

It is easy to understand why Harold would be sexually attracted to Maria she is svelte, sexy, curves in all the right places. I wasn’t sure what to think of the character Maria? Maria hardly has any lines and she appears to just be a sex object for Harold’s sexual desires. By contrast Cindy Kim is stereotyped as an aggressive, desperate, unattractive, nerdy, Asian student. Is the movie trying to say ambitious women are not appealing to heterosexual men? Why was Cindy Kim such a caricature? I think if Cindy Kim was less of a caricature perhaps this would of been more interesting?

Kumar Patel he is an aspiring medical student he’s a bit more outgoing then Harold and kind of is the leader. One evening after Harold returns from work he and Kumar decide to instead of eating KFC or take out they crave White Castle hamburgers. Kumar appears to be in love with no one except his desire and craving for weed. There is even a funny sequence when Kumar marries a bag of weed although I did cringe when Kumar uses scatological language to describe his “wife”.

Harold and Kumar definitely has some funny moments for instance Neil Patrick Harris plays an extreme role of himself as a womanizing heterosexual drug user. According to media reports Harris was hesitant of taking the role because he first thought the movie was going to make fun of him. The screenwriters actually wrote a role specifically for Harris. Another funny scene is Chris Meloni’s cameo “Freakshow”. “Freakshow” is a Christian man that looks like a grotesque monster out of an old Halloween movie.

Some women may not like “Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle” because the female characters really have no purpose other then being sex objects . There is also female nudity in the movie this might be a turn off for some women as well. I have read in the sequel there will be more balance there will definitely be male nudity so that’s fair. There is also some jokes in the film that may be interpreted by some as homophobia. I didn’t think the movie was homophobic at all. I think the movie was trying to demonstrate that Harold and Kumar have an intense platonic friendship some people may interpret as homoeroticism. There is a really cool scene the Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is a male nurse. After operating on a patient Reynold’s character starts hitting on Kumar telling him he likes his “chocolate lips”. There is also another scene where Kumar is licking Harold’s face after he passes out.

I think this is perhaps the main weakness in the film. In one scene two female English foreign exchange students talk to Kumar at Princeton and tell him they wouldn’t mind smoking a joint with him. Kumar tells Harold in an explicit manner what he thinks of the two English students. Perhaps Harold and Kumar is a way to peek into the minds of heterosexual men? Harold and Kumar isn’t meant to be a serious film it is a comedy. A part of me felt conflicted watching the film some feminists will not enjoy the crude humor. The sections of the movie I did enjoy is when the film explored the issue of race, racial profiling, becoming independent, and living your own dreams.

Kal Penn, John Cho, and Neil Patrick Harris all say the movie changed their lives and careers. Harris credits the movie for launching his comeback on to television on the CBS show “How I Met Your Mother”. Kal Penn desperately wanted to audition for the male lead in Mira Nair’s “The Namesake”. Cho told Penn about “The Namesake” while filming “Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle”. Penn and Cho attempted to buy the rights to “The Namesake” but learned they were too late. Penn started an aggressive campaign to obtain Nair’s attention but this proved futile. The reason Kal Penn got an audition for “The Namesake” is because Nair’s teen son was a fan of “Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle”. John Cho credits the film for giving him the opportunity to be one of the stars in the new Star Trek film.

Harold and Kumar isn’t rocket science the chemistry between Cho and Penn makes the movie endearing. You sense that Cho and Penn genuinely like each other and get along well. The magic to the film is the fact you are rooting for Harold and Kumar not just to reach White Castle but to gain independence and start to live their lives on their own terms.

Prior to the emergence of Noah’s Arc there was a paucity of positive representations of black gay men on mainstream television. The only images of Black gay men on television were snap queens, sex objects, or freaky drag queens. Carter Heywood on ABC’s Spin City shattered the negativity about black gay men in pop culture.

The character Carter was also important in relation to race because finally an openly gay man was a main character on television. Far too often whenever a character is gay on television its always a white person. In North America gayness equals whiteness and gay black men are displaced due to race, gender, and sexual orientation. Finally, the writers and producers of Spin City got it right. Carter was a well adjusted young black man he wasn’t on the down low, he also wasn’t confused or conflicted about his homosexuality.

I am currently on the hunt for Spin City on DVD ASAP! I have to have my Carter fix! I remember when I was struggling with my sexual orientation in the 1990s I was lost and confused. In the 1990s the vast majority of the gay male characters on television were not black I simply couldn’t relate. One evening I was watching a new television show in 1997 Spin City on ABC. I recall Michael J. Fox from the 1980s sitcom Family Ties he was the star of the show.

The character I was most fascinated by was Michael Boatman’s character the openly gay black man Carter Heywood. Carter was a revelation because he wasn’t confused about his homosexuality, he also was comfortable with his blackness. I love Carter! The writers also allowed Carter to have romantic relationships with other men. Carter’s love life was an important part of the storyline.

I felt so connected to the Carter character because he was negotiating being a black man and also dealing with his sexual orientation. Sometimes Spin City focused on the politics that gay black men endure in our lives. Spin City wasn’t afraid to deal with polemical topics such as race, sexual orientation, and homophobia.

Carter also wasn’t just an asexual sidekick like Jack on Will & Grace on NBC. Carter was a confident openly gay black man a rarity on North American television. I never liked Will and Grace because I felt there was a reticence to dealing with male homosexuality in an honest manner. Will and Jack I believe were neutered they were asexual while Grace got all the men.Jack and Will were just effeminate caricatures.

I also was impressed that Carter wasn’t effeminate, he didn’t dress like a bizarre drag queen, or some other offensive gay male stereotype. Carter liked sports he loved basketball, baseball, football he was masculine and sensitive at the same time.

One aspect of Spin City I loved was that Carter’s best friend was a white heterosexual ladies man Stuart. Stuart didn’t care that Carter was gay in fact Stuart and Carter eventually move in together but were platonic friends. I love the fact that the writers of Spin City explored the fact that gay men and heterosexual men can be friends. The straight man doesn’t have to worry that the gay man might hit on him. In fact, Stuart genuinely cared for Carter very much he was Carter’s best friend. It was so hilarious because Stuart hated Carter’s suicidal dog Rags. Another joke on Spin City was that Stuart and Carter were a couple even though Stuart was straight. In fact, there was one episode that explored the possibility that Stuart had romantic feelings for Carter. Carter was accepted by his male peers he was one of the guys. Carter emerged as one of the breakthrough characters on Spin City.

Unfortunately, Michael J Fox had to leave Spin City due to a diagnosis of Parkinson disease in the year 2000. ABC hired has beens actors Charlie Sheen and Heather Locklear to help the show. However, ABC also fired some of my favorite actors on the show such as Victoria Dillard, Connie Britton, and Alexander Chaplin. The chemistry and magic was gone. The spark that made Spin City so witty and exciting was gone the show just wasn’t the same and I tuned out. The former 1980s TV stars Sheen and Locklear ruined Spin City and the series was canceled in 2002.

I was disappointed that the producers fired some prominent characters from the show and the writers didn’t make the characters Carter and Stewart have more prominent roles on the program. Stuart and Carter was shoved to the background. Spin City shifted to Charlie Sheen and Heather Locklear’s characters storylines and it just made me want to vomit. I felt Sheen and Locklear had bad comic timing both actors ultimately destroyed the credibility of the series. I still have fond memories of Spin City but I refuse to watch episodes with Sheen and Locklear. I just feel Sheen and Locklear are not funny. I miss Carter but he will always live in my memories of Spin City.

I was talking to my friend on the phone the other day and he was watching You Tube. My friend was laughing at the Sasha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell kiss during an award show. I should point out we are both gay men. My friend urged me to watch the clip. I have to admit I laughed as well. I looked at the audience in the clip there were also laughing. Cohen and Ferrell are rolling around on the ground kissing but it was meant for shock value.

I began to question myself and wonder why is the clip funny? Why was I laughing as well? Am I homophobic too? Was the joke funny because it was just two comedians making a joke or is there a more deeper and subversive issue taking place here? Is society trying to say two men cannot have a loving, passionate, relationship with each other?

After all would the audience laugh if two attractive women were kissing? Would the audience have been so shocked? Was the audience really laughing at the kiss or was the audience laughing in attempt to hide their own fear and prejudices about male homosexuality?

Here is another clip from the gay storyline on the American soap opera As The World Turns. For the past six months Luke and Noah have been in an intense and passionate gay romance. Luke and Noah have only kissed two times in the past six months. The heterosexual couples on As The World Turns get to have sex so why can’t Luke and Noah? Everyone knows Luke and Noah are gay so were is the passion? The kiss between Noah and Luke although very short demonstrates the passion between them. You are not supposed to laugh when Luke and Noah kiss you are supposed to yearn that their relationship works and that their love survives and thrives. Fans of the show As The World Turns are upset at CBS because they believe homophobia is the real reason Luke and Noah haven’t been allowed to kiss more often.

Here is a third clip from the lesbian drama the L Word. The scene is from the first season of the L Word a passionate and erotic kiss between Jenny and Marina. You can tell from their body language that Jenny and Marina are yearning for each other. I know some people don’t like Jenny but I love Jenny! I kind of wish Marina was on the show more often. Marina was such a mysterious and amazing character. I thought the kiss here was very important it was the first time Jenny and Marina acknowledged they are sexually attracted to each other. The L Word is on Showtime in America and that’s a cable station so there is more freedom to explore lesbianism, love, passionate sex, breaking up, making up, and all that jazz.

I just heard that Jensen Atwood the gorgeous talented actor from Noah’s Arc may not return for the movie. According to Jensen’s Myspace blog he says that he isn’t certain if he will return for the film. The rumor is that Shemar Moore may replace Jensen. Isn’t Shemar Moore kind of old the guy is almost forty?

Of course Shemar Moore is attractive but he’s not very good at romantic comedies his acting comes across as stale, dry, lacking layers, complexity, and wooden.When people think of Shemar Moore they think he’s an attractive man nobody thinks he’s a solid dramatic actor.

If Shemar doesn’t get his act together when his looks fade he may be out of work. Shemar has always been typecast in just about every movie he’s been in as the hot guy. Perhaps, Shemar wants to be in the Noah’s Arc movie to demonstrate he has range?

The character Wade on Noah’s Arc is a tough role in relation to acting. Wade has a strong masculinity yet he is also vulnerable. Shemar Moore never impressed me with his acting. I just don’t think Shemar has the range or talent to pull this performance off.

Also would Shemar be comfortable kissing another black man? Shouldn’t a younger actor such as Jensen Atwood be cast? Also, isn’t Shemar upset about the so called gay rumors? Wouldn’t the gay rumors just fuel the fire if Shemar was starring in the Noah’s Arc movie?

The quandary for the Noah’s Arc movie is how can the film reach a larger audience? LOGO wants the movie to make money but I am not sure Shemar Moore is “famous” enough anyway to attract a larger audience anyway. Shemar Moore has been on a few soaps, a few supporting roles in films, and on a CBS show “Criminal Intent” but he’s never been a leading man.

Gay people already know about Noah’s Arc and perhaps a few heterosexual women. However, the dilemma for the marketing team for the Noah’s Arc movie is how can the movie grow and reach other demographics? Can Noah’s Arc reach the lucrative heterosexual black audience such as the Tyler Perry crowd?

The dilemma for black gay and lesbian entertainment are the barriers in relation to race, gender, and sexual orientation. Race is an issue because some people won’t watch the film because it has a black cast. The gender and sexual orientation is another issue because how many black heterosexual women want to watch a movie about black gay men falling in love? How many black heterosexual men would watch the film? Can some black females handle seeing gorgeous and sexy black males kissing on screen? Will it upset them?

I think since Jensen Atwood developed an audience with his character the sexy, mysterious Wade he should be cast in the film. Now of course, this is just my opinion but remember Hollywood is a business and it is profit driven. Remember earlier this week Sean Combs ruined “A Raisin In The Sun” with his horrible acting? Well the ratings are in and despite Combs ludicrous performance the movie had a respectable ratings of 12.7 million viewers on ABC. I will admit I am sure some people tuned in just if Combs can act. LOGO doesn’t want the movie to be released in just a few hundred theaters and pull in a low box office. Also, how many people know about Noah’s Arc anyway?

LA Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has decided against having surgery on his finger despite having ligament damage. I wonder is this wise on Kobe’s part? I think Kobe should have surgery and have the proper amount of time for convalescence. Since the sports media in North America is dominated by heterosexual men there is a constant battle for male athletes must prove their masculinity. It is a chilling reminder to men that don’t conform to the heterosexist matrix of masculinity that other men are our oppressors.

I can’t image being an athlete because the intense pressure men place on other men is simply incredible. Sports fans on various internet blogs have praised Kobe for “fighting” through the pain and supporting his teammates.

Why is masculinity tied towards concealing physical, psychological, and emotional pain? Why are men only allowed to express anger or physical strength in popular culture? Is it masculine to deny physical pain?

I notice in North America there is so much pressure on men to constantly present this image that we are “strong” all the time. I never played that heterosexist game of trying to be macho. I guess because I am a sensitive person I never hide my feelings.I wonder if the right message is being sent to “fight” through intense pain just maintain the masculine image of being a “strong” man?

Former American Idol winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks have been dropped from J records. Studdard and Hicks both won American Idol despite not having the Hollywood looks and toned bodies. Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks are strong male singers. Despite Hicks and Studdard’s singing talent it simply wasn’t enough for J Records. I am wondering if there is a misandrist element to American Idol? It is important to point out Ruben and Taylor are male because I have always felt American Idol wasn’t the right format for talented male singers. The people that call in to vote on American Idol are mostly young females.

Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard both lost American Idol even though they won. Inferior talents such as Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry actually achieved more success and media attention then Hicks and Studdard. In terms of singing talent Hicks and Studdard are superior they have more range and more powerful voices. Clay Aiken didn’t win American Idol but his debut CD was more successful then Ruben Studdard’s album. Chris Daughty also didn’t win American Idol but he has the looks that mainstream North America considers sexually attractive. Daughtry also has sold more CDs then Taylor Hicks. The reason is Daughtry and Aiken appeal to women. The marketing machine in the music industry is cognizant of the fact young women find Aiken and Daughtry sexually attractive. Aiken and Daughtry are also younger then Studdard and Hicks. Women imagine they can have sex with Daughtry and Aiken. Ruben and Taylor were not able to maintain the momentum of their success on American Idol.

Ruben and Taylor obviously were not trained for Hollywood 101. One way stars maintain the public’s interest is by acquiring as much media attention as possible. In Hollywood image is everything. I am not sure Ruben and Taylor understand the game but appearance is critical to success. It is not fair but Hollywood is never fair. Hollywood is not the real world it is a dream factory. Taylor and Ruben just didn’t have the looks or body image that turn women on. Ruben and Taylor also did not obtain endorsements from companies because they were not considered marketable. It is also interesting to note Ruben and Taylor are both from the same city Birmingham Alabama. Both Ruben and Taylor seem like nice guys that just didn’t gel with Hollywood and the mainstream public.

In the music industry music fans want the young male singers to have sex appeal to draw in the female demographic. The dirty secret of the record labels is they also want the young male singers to draw in a gay male demographic as well. Yet the record labels never discuss the gay market because they don’t want the public to know this fact. For example, Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias are rare in the music industry they acknowledge their gay male audience.

Martin and Iglesias know that gay men show up to their concerts to support them because they think both men are sexually attractive and they also like their music. Martin and Iglesias have openly talked about the fact they have gay male fans. The marketing teams for Martin and Iglesias are cognizant by acknowledging the gay male demographic is just good business. Most young male singers try to act macho and ignore the gay male audience. Martin and Iglesias know they can make more money by selling more CDs, DVDs, concert tickets, more publicity by acknowledging gay men.

I am not suggesting that Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard should of reached out to the gay male audience to sell CDs. All I am suggesting is that marketing is very critical to success. A singer cannot simply be a singer these days. A singer is a part of a brand and a brand has to be able to appeal and sell to more then just one demographic in order to be successful.

Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks simply did not attract any demographic and this is one of the reason they were dropped from J records. The music business is in a tough position these days due to digital downloading and the apathetic attitude of the general public. Also, heterosexual women and gay men were not interested in either singer.

The record labels do not publically acknowledge the gay male demographic in the media but in marketing meetings they definitely are target the gay community. At gay bars and clubs across North America for example when a major young male singer has a released there are often contests at gay bars for fans to win a free CD. Also, record companies pay advertising space in the gay media to let the gay audience know when young male singers have a CD released.

The feminists like to say society puts pressure on females to be sexy and to be thin. Yet the hypocritical feminists always ignore the fact men we are also pressured to look sexy too. The pressure was extremely intense on Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks to lose weight, get in shape, get the hard abs, and be sexy. Ruben did lose some weight but clearly this was not enough to interest the female audience. Ruben and Taylor were perhaps a bit too old for American Idol?

Another reason Taylor and Ruben were not successful is both guys didn’t really have a background story or interesting personalites. Ruben and Taylor’s management teams obviously didn’t put the time and effort into creating their image. You cannot simply be a good singer in this superficial pop culture you need a gimmick. In Hollywood everyone has a gimmick, the star has to have something about him or her that that can pull in an audience. The public needs to have a hook to identify and relate to the star.

The reason Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, and Carrie Underwood are very successful is all three young women have the “it” factor. According to Soundscan Carrie Underwood is the most successful American Idol winner in the United States. Underwood’s second CD is proving she has maintained her audience.

Carrie Underwood is an attractive young woman she also can sing she has the blonde hair and the Eurocentric appearance Hollywood and North America finds appealing. Fantasia has the background story she was living in poverty, was in an abusive relationship, had her daughter at the tender age of seventeen. However, Fantasia overcame the odds and this is why the public loves Fantasia. Fantasia has continued her success with the hugely successful Lifetime movie which was the second highest ratings winner on that network. Fantasia also had a successful autobiography as well. In addition, Fantasia has proven she can act she is the star on Broadway in the play the Color Purple. The Color Purple is a huge success due to Fantasia and the critics have praised Fantasia for her incredible acting and singing performances.

Kelly Clarkson won because she was ordinary all American girl. Although Kelly Clarkson and Fantasia are not considered attractive by American standards heterosexual women and even lesbians can relate to them. Clarkson also had a very large under twenty five female demographic on her side. Unfortunately, for Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks not enough women found them to be sexually attractive to buy their albums.

The pressure is now on for younger male singers they have to be sexy and fit. Justin Timberlake, Usher, Omarion, Bow Wow, 50 CENT, Kanye West, and Chris Brown all know they have to spend hours in the gym developing the rock hard abs so that women can drool over them at concerts. Women like to look a good looking and attractive men that can sing. Taylor and Ruben can sing but they simply were not considered hot. Ruben and Taylor both need to fire their management teams they need an image overhaul.

Women have to be able to fantasize about male singers, imagine that the male singer are singing only to them and love them. Women need to be able to masturbate and get wet and have the sexual fantasy while listening to their CDs. It is the reason N’SYNC, Backstreet Boys were so successful in the late 1990s and early part of this decade women wanted to have sex with them. I doubt very few women are masturbating and getting wet in their bedrooms over Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard.

Unfortunately, I think this could be the reason Hicks and Studdard have not been successful they actually look like real ordinary looking men. There is no fantasy to Ruben and Taylor. Women don’t care about their background story because there is none. Also, Hicks and Studdard are the oldest American Idol winners. Hicks and Studdard failed to reach an adult demographic. The adults don’t care about Ruben and Taylor because they see American Idol as a tacky teen show. Taylor and Ruben’s music wasn’t their own music it was a part of the American Idol machine. Simon Cowell the creator of American Idol wasn’t very helpful when he was so public in criticizing Taylor Hicks in the media. Cowell just didn’t like Hicks. The reason Cowell didn’t like Hicks is because Cowell didn’t think Hicks was marketable because he is an average looking guy that wasn’t fit and trim.

American Idol is clearly a program meant for younger singers under the age of twenty five. Studdard is twenty nine years old and Hicks he is thirty one. Another point to consider is Studdard and Hicks are the only men to have ever won American Idol.

Studdard’s first CD “Soulful” was successful selling over 2 million copies. However, Ruben’s recent CD “The Return” was a commercial failure selling only 236,000 copies. Taylor Hicks had even worst sales his debut CD sold only 699,000 copies he didn’t even go platinum. The question has to be asked is American Idol the proper format for male singers?

Everytime I watch American Idol I just don’t think it is fair to male singers. I have a feeling a lot of men also don’t find American Idol very appealing. The dilemma for male singers is they cannot count on the male demographic to support them. American Idol is considered unworthy of male support.

My perspective is American Idol is all about a girl’s dream that she can become a singer. American Idol is obviously a program geared towards a female audience. Women like it the show is so corny. American Idol is all about a girl’s dream that she can sing her heart out and make her dreams come true. I think this is the reason American Idol is so appealing to the female demographic. All the female winners of American Idol have been very successful. Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, and Carrie Underwood are still in the spotlight. The recent winner Jordan Sparks her CD hasn’t sold a lot but maybe the sales will go up?

However, a very sexually attractive male singer has never won American Idol. I think it goes back to days of Elvis. American Idol has a fear of male sexuality. It seems the public is comfortable with average looking guys like Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard winning because they also have a very safe heterosexuality. Ruben and Taylor are non threatening heterosexual men.

Some men will never admit this but all men look at other men’s bodies. Heterosexual men like Kanye West, 50 CENT, Eminem. Notice that 50 CENT, Kanye West, and Eminem are also attractive and physically fit as well. Regardless of whether a male is heterosexual or homosexual men have to imagine we can “be” the singer. 50 CENT, Kanye West, and Eminem are always showing off their bodies. Men do pay attention to the physique of male singers even though some men will lie and say we don’t.

Men don’t like Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks because men don’t find either singer to be very masculine and physically appealing either. Listen to the rap and rock CDs of male singers they always boast about their sexual prowess. Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks don’t sing about sex in their music they come across as asexual. Young men cannot relate to Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks because males don’t find them appealing either. Young men like their male singers and rappers to have a bit of machismo to be brash, arrogant, to be outspoken. Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks are nice ordinary guys they don’t frighten parents but they also don’t turn on their daughters either.

I think the lack of success Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks have proves male sexuality and body image is very important. The media also don’t care about Ruben or Taylor there is nothing controversial about them. Many men view American Idol as a corny female program because the show changes genres every single week. A lot of men look down on American Idol we just don’t take the show seriously as real music.

The American Idol brand also ignores rap music for a reason. The reason is rap music is considered to be very controversial and has an intense testosterone and male sexuality. Rap music provokes thought and American Idol isn’t about thinking it is just about singing crappy songs. American Idol blocks out rap music because the show is supposed to be “family entertainment”. Men want to hear music with more substance and the show has turned off the male demographic. American Idol is a female show the marketing team behind American Idol play it safe because it sells. Unfortunately for male singers unless you can turn on the female audience and be sexually attractive they are going to fail.

Link: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/07/arts/People-Taylor-Hicks.php

Today its raining in the greater Toronto area and I’m bored. I rarely watch TV these days except for the local news, some pro tennis, or pro golf, BBC news, a couple of reality shows, and that’s it. I click the remote control and there is nothing good on TV right now. Its times like these that I keep on thinking about why was Noah’s Arc cancelled? Noah’s Arc was the first all black gay TV show ever to be broadcast on television. Is Noah’s Arc ever going to air in Canada? And why was Noah’s Arc on the small gay channel MTV LOGO and not on a major American TV network like HBO, Showtime, or one of the mainstream channels?

The story is that MTV LOGO claimed that Noah’s Arc production costs were getting too high even though the show was one of the highest rated programs on MTV LOGO. I enjoyed the show but didn’t like the fact episodes were only 22 minutes I felt it should of been a lot longer. Also now that the show has been cancelled MTV LOGO announced a movie will be released in the year 2008. I don’t think MTV LOGO was the right network for Noah’s Arc it deserved so much better.

The black TV sitcom genre has died a slow death. The glory days of black television was only for twenty something years from the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s. It all started with “The Jeffersons” in the 1970s then “The Cosby Show”, “227″, “Amen” in the 1980s, “A Different World”, “In Living Single” were great 1990s shows. However, Girlfriends is the only black TV show that I think had any meaning or importance and yet that show isn’t even on a major network its on the cable channel CW network. Jill Marie Jones the talented young actress that played Toni Childs quit the show and it hasn’t been the same since.

Although I welcome black sitcoms I don’t see the risks that “The Jeffersons” “Cosby Show” and “A Different World” took back in the day. The new black TV sitcoms are derivative and unchallenging and that’s why they get cancelled so quickly. The CW network cancelled the program “Alll of Us” and I am not surprised. The rapper Eve had her own sitcom which was quickly cancelled by the CW network. The new black sitcoms play it a bit too safe because the producers want to ensure their shows don’t get cancelled they make the programs as boring as possible. I also notice another trend and pattern this decade all the new black sitcoms have to be wannabe Cosby show rip offs and all focused on black heterosexual nuclear families. The Cosby Show was considered daring and controversial when it aired in the 1980s. Bill Cosby made sure that there was a positive image of blackness that American pop culture ignored when he made the Huxtable family middle to upper class. It was such a pleasure to watch the Huxtables deal with regular life problems and struggles yet still love and respect each other. It was so refreshing to see a show about a black family where the father was was a doctor and the mother was a lawyer they didn’t speak in slang, they had five kids and lived in a nice house in New York City. The knock offs of the Cosby show just didn’t have the excitement or good writing. As I matured I realized that my experiences as a black gay man was always ignored by television. Television is more important then some people realize it is where social attitudes to various topics and issues are discussed and a cultural dialogue is formed.

Noah’s Arc is definitely one of the best black TV shows I have seen in a long time. Noah’s Arc is controversial just for existing. Black people aren’t going to watch MTV LOGO I think Noah’s Arc should of been on BET. I mean BET broadcasts the most boring and mundane entertainment these days Noah’s Arc would of really helped the network gain more black viewers. BET these days isn’t even marketed to black people these days its obvious the people behind BET have diminished the black content so much they are trying to reach a white suburban audience.

The cultural politics of “gender”, “sexuality”, and “race” appear to have hindered the show’s success. Why wasn’t Noah’s Arc on a bigger network? Why wasn’t Noah’s Arc on HBO, ABC, or CBS, NBC, or FOX even? The two recent shows dealing with gays were on Showtime in America. Why wasn’t Noah’s Arc given the opportunity to be on Showtime? People like to say race wasn’t a factor in Noah’s Arc’s inability to reach a larger audience but I definitely believe racism was indeed a core reason why the show didn’t take off like it should.

The mainstream media says “Will and Grace” was a groundbreaking show but I beg to differ. Will and Grace still maintained the status quo where heterosexuality was at the center of the program. Also, Will and Grace had nothing to do with my experiences I just didn’t find the show that interesting. I am not a white gay man and it just doesn’t interest me that everything gay has to equal everything white. I wanted to see myself on TV or people I knew and recognized on TV and Noah’s Arc was that show.

MTV LOGO was created to provide the gay and lesbian community its own space to broadcast programs that would interest a gay audeince. However, MTV LOGO is such a small specialty channel. Why couldn’t Noah’s Arc be on the regular MTV dial? I mean MTV has silly shows about rich white kids such as “The Hills” on their main network Noah’s Arc should of been given a chance to reach a larger audience. Unlike those other two gay shows Noah’s Arc wasn’t overtly sexual the show had class. Noah’s Arc was so much more important then that program. Canada had its own gay channel that I could care less about I mean it has nothing to do with gay people of colour. And that’s why I miss Noah’s Arc so much. I miss Noah, Ricky, Chance, and Alex. Its maybe a bit hard for people that are not black and gay to understand why Noah’s Arc was so important to us. I wish the reruns of Noah’s Arc was on BET. Yes I contacted BET already and of course I didn’t get a response. The show was not disgusting like that other gay TV show that got so much press a few years back. Noah’s Arc had class.

And that’s why I was so pleased a few years ago when Noah’s Arc became the first black gay sitcom to air on television. Although Noah’s Arc was broadcast on American TV I heard about it through the grapevine and I knew once the show was available on DVD I had to watch it. Noah’s Arc aired on MTV LOGO which is the gay MTV channel that is owned by the parent company Viacom. Viacom also owns BET, MTV, and various other networks. Its such a shame that Noah’s Arc was not broadcast on the regular MTV or BET. I think the executives at MTV just didn’t care for the show it simply wasn’t promoted enough. I also found it interesting that the so called “gay media” also ignored Noah’s Arc and certainly didn’t give the show the press it deserved. Part of the blame definitely is on MTV LOGO for not promoting the program enough but the other part is the so called “gay community” patronizing attitude towards the lives and experiences of gay black men. Let’s face it, we live in a culture where whiteness has to always be the center of the universe. The cultural production of “gayness” equals “whiteness”. And Noah’s Arc was a form of resistance to this racism. The attitude of the mainstream American gay press of course was to patronize Noah’s Arc because it had nothing to do with them. Sure, the program dealt with the issue of homosexuality but Noah’s Arc was refreshing that homosexuality was not the core focus of the show. Noah’s Arc was incredible because it demonstrated the struggles that black gay people go through being both black and gay. And in gay culture far too often gay people of colour are treated like a circus or a side show.

For once, Noah’s Arc dealt with a black gay community where black gay people are at the center and not on the margins. Black culture isn’t much better I mean BET has its nightly comedy programs and so often the comedians make gay jokes. Its frustrating because gay black men we are a part of the black community yet we are also demonized as well. And when black heterosexual shows attempt to deal with the issue of homosexuality its often from a negative perspective such as focusing on the whole down low issue. I wish more black people got to see Noah’s Arc maybe they would learn and open their eyes to see that we are just like them. We have joys and struggles with life we deal with similar issues just like them.

I commend the people behind Noah’s Arc for keeping the show black and keeping away from those tired racist storylines. The show dealt with important issues such as the black church, homophobia, black parenting, and many more.

Noah’s Arc was groundbreaking for many reasons. For once it was a show where white gay men were not at the center and black gay men were the focus of the story. Second, it was a show that I could relate to. The show demonstrated that black gay love and romance was real without the supremacy. Far too often in gay culture men of colour are paired with whites in TV and film erasing the existence of black gay men and other gay men of colour. Noah’s Arc broke this supremacist mold of thinking and firmly focused on four young black gay men trying to make it in this world. It was so uplifting and amazing to watch. Its such as shame that Noah’s Arc wasn’t able to reach a larger black audience. I really honestly believe if more black people knew about the show they would watch the program. Do yourself a favour go to Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble go to your local HMV, or music store and purchase a copy of seasons 1 and 2 of Noah’s Arc on DVD and see why this show was so amazing.