Comments on: Dan O’Neill and Dr. Terence Gerace http://thenewgay.net/2009/06/dan-oneill-and-dr-terence-gerace.html For Everyone Over the Rainbow Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:09:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Devon Hunter http://thenewgay.net/2009/06/dan-oneill-and-dr-terence-gerace.html#comment-12738 Devon Hunter Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:18:07 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=9317#comment-12738 I am one of the models for this campaign. In fact, I have the honor of being called the headliner. I am very proud of this, and I am also very proud of the other people who agreed to put themselves on the line here. They ARE part of the face of the gay community, and I find it very small of you guys to talk about what we "did wrong" in selecting our models. As was pointed out in the story, ALL OF THIS WAS DONE ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS. We worked very hard to find a variety of models, so as to specifically avoid homogeneity. We very consciously sought to address as many different ages, races, looks as we could in order to reach as wide an audience as possible. We took pictures only of THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP - we put out a wide call, and we cast a wide net. We tried to pull people from a great many places and communities. We even have Mr. DC Leather 2009 in our campaign, for God's sake! It's really off topic to focus on what we tried "to squeeze" into this. If you want different body types represented, just so your selfish fantasies can be represented/validated, then tell your dream guys to bring their fat/skinny/hairy/smooth/pimpled/muscular/saggy/wrinkled/perky asses to the next damn photo shoot. Until then, stop complaining and do something constructive like packing a couple hundred FUK!T sachets at the next packing party. I am one of the models for this campaign. In fact, I have the honor of being called the headliner. I am very proud of this, and I am also very proud of the other people who agreed to put themselves on the line here. They ARE part of the face of the gay community, and I find it very small of you guys to talk about what we “did wrong” in selecting our models.

As was pointed out in the story, ALL OF THIS WAS DONE ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS. We worked very hard to find a variety of models, so as to specifically avoid homogeneity. We very consciously sought to address as many different ages, races, looks as we could in order to reach as wide an audience as possible. We took pictures only of THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP – we put out a wide call, and we cast a wide net. We tried to pull people from a great many places and communities. We even have Mr. DC Leather 2009 in our campaign, for God’s sake!

It’s really off topic to focus on what we tried “to squeeze” into this. If you want different body types represented, just so your selfish fantasies can be represented/validated, then tell your dream guys to bring their fat/skinny/hairy/smooth/pimpled/muscular/saggy/wrinkled/perky asses to the next damn photo shoot. Until then, stop complaining and do something constructive like packing a couple hundred FUK!T sachets at the next packing party.

]]> By: michael http://thenewgay.net/2009/06/dan-oneill-and-dr-terence-gerace.html#comment-12634 michael Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:25:54 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=9317#comment-12634 This is interesting. It's not inappropriate to "pick on something as superficial" as the models chosen. This is more a marketing campaign than anything else, and as such they need to appeal to as broad a swath of the gay male community as possible. While this campaign has the a lot of the races and ages represented, they don't do a good job of appealing to those interested in other body types or styles. These guys all appear to be trying to squeeze into the very narrow definition of what a "hot gay male" is, as defined by mainstream gay culture. So, they missed Mark, but maybe Mark isn't their target audience. I'm not up on the statistics of who has unprotected sex in gay DC, but I'd wager that the bulk of them would find at least one of the models in this campaign attractive. And to that end it's more likely to be an effective campaign. Could they have done a better job of helping illustrate all different types of guys? Yes. Might they be perpetuating the "hot gay male" stereotype while trying to exploit it? Yes. Will that diminish the effectiveness of this campaign? Doubt it. This is interesting. It’s not inappropriate to “pick on something as superficial” as the models chosen. This is more a marketing campaign than anything else, and as such they need to appeal to as broad a swath of the gay male community as possible. While this campaign has the a lot of the races and ages represented, they don’t do a good job of appealing to those interested in other body types or styles. These guys all appear to be trying to squeeze into the very narrow definition of what a “hot gay male” is, as defined by mainstream gay culture.

So, they missed Mark, but maybe Mark isn’t their target audience. I’m not up on the statistics of who has unprotected sex in gay DC, but I’d wager that the bulk of them would find at least one of the models in this campaign attractive. And to that end it’s more likely to be an effective campaign.

Could they have done a better job of helping illustrate all different types of guys? Yes. Might they be perpetuating the “hot gay male” stereotype while trying to exploit it? Yes. Will that diminish the effectiveness of this campaign? Doubt it.

]]> By: Greg http://thenewgay.net/2009/06/dan-oneill-and-dr-terence-gerace.html#comment-12632 Greg Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:34:11 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=9317#comment-12632 Mark, I feel very sorry for you if you don't find any one in that diverse group of seven men sexy or attractive. That says a lot more about your insecurities than theirs. In any event, in an article about a group trying to do something good to help the community, why pick on something as superficial as the fact that models used aren't appealing to you personally? That also says a lot about you. What gives you the right to judge them as insecure and desperate? Sounds like a lot of projection on your part, buddy. Spend more time doing something positive with your life and less judging other folks and maybe you'll be a little happier. Mark, I feel very sorry for you if you don’t find any one in that diverse group of seven men sexy or attractive. That says a lot more about your insecurities than theirs. In any event, in an article about a group trying to do something good to help the community, why pick on something as superficial as the fact that models used aren’t appealing to you personally? That also says a lot about you. What gives you the right to judge them as insecure and desperate? Sounds like a lot of projection on your part, buddy. Spend more time doing something positive with your life and less judging other folks and maybe you’ll be a little happier.

]]> By: Mark http://thenewgay.net/2009/06/dan-oneill-and-dr-terence-gerace.html#comment-12630 Mark Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:23:03 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=9317#comment-12630 After looking at that group shot I'm not thinking about sex. None of those guys is sexy or attractive. They look like the same old urban gay stereotype: hypergroomed, posed, wooden and affected. It's like looking at a picture of insecure women (the kind you see in LA) who've all had too much plastic surgery and are aggressively, desperately trying to proclaim themselves "sexual" and "attractive". There's a difference between being naturally sexy and self-consciously so. <i>Why do gay men try so damn hard?</i> After looking at that group shot I’m not thinking about sex. None of those guys is sexy or attractive. They look like the same old urban gay stereotype: hypergroomed, posed, wooden and affected. It’s like looking at a picture of insecure women (the kind you see in LA) who’ve all had too much plastic surgery and are aggressively, desperately trying to proclaim themselves “sexual” and “attractive”.

There’s a difference between being naturally sexy and self-consciously so. Why do gay men try so damn hard?

]]> By: Brian http://thenewgay.net/2009/06/dan-oneill-and-dr-terence-gerace.html#comment-12626 Brian Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:06:31 +0000 http://thenewgay.net/?p=9317#comment-12626 If you want to reach a community this a great way to do it. Good luck and hope more communities have the same outcome. Another question, how do you measure the outcome ? If you want to reach a community this a great way to do it. Good luck and hope more communities have the same outcome.

Another question, how do you measure the outcome ?

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