Guy-to-Guy Dating Service Ad

[dr_mabeuse]

I saw my first TV ad for an all-male singles' dating service yesterday. It was either the History Channel or Discovery. An mildly attractive young guy looked into the camera and talked about the difficulty of moving into the city and having to find "...a doctor, a dentist, and where all the guys hang out!"

I looked up from my coffee.

"A place where a guy like me can find some other, like-minded young men for chatting, hanging around, or...whatever!" or words to that effect. And then they showed him at the beach with three or four presumably like-minded young men, chatting or hanging around or...whatever.

The production values were pretty much identical to those late night sex-call chat-line ads you see, the ones where you know you'd never, ever, ever, end up talking to a person who looked anything remotely like the ones in the commercials, who lounge around in their peignoirs caressing the phone cords, but these were all men, and I didn't know what to make of it.

I mean, of course, more power to them, but I guess I'd always thought or hoped that gays had a better-developed social network or skills that kept them from having to use some sleazy phone service. Or maybe it's that I thought that, if they did have a phone service, the ad would be so incredibly tasteful and hip that it would be a joy to watch. The guy in this ad looked like Archie from the comic books.

Anyone else seen this?

 

[Stella_Omega]

My sister tells me she was up very late the other night, and watched a couple of ladies do an hour-long infomercial about dildos.

This was broadcast TV, not cable...

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The rate of homosexuality in Hollywood is far higher than the national average so it must come as some relief that the closet door is slowly opening and they're enjoying the moment. I hope it lasts for them.

 

[tickledkitty]

I'm picturing some awkward, sheltered young man calling the number and being quite shocked at what he hears. Too bad they couldn't just SAY it. Is it still necessary to operate under the guise of...what? Social networking?

 

[shereads]

I mean, of course, more power to them, but I guess I'd always thought or hoped that gays had a better-developed social network or skills that kept them from having to use some sleazy phone service. Or maybe it's that I thought that, if they did have a phone service, the ad would be so incredibly tasteful and hip that it would be a joy to watch. The guy in this ad looked like Archie from the comic books.

Not all gay men have a sense of style. I know one who showed up at his birthday party wearing black bike shorts with white athletic socks and a plaid shirt. All of the other men in the room looked like a GQ fashion layout. Birthday Boy did indeed look like Archie, but an Archie who'd been dressed by Jughead's schizophrenic aunt Bob.

A sweet man; he might benefit from a nice middle-class dating service of good repute and questionable taste.

 

[sr71plt]

Yep, gettin' a bit uppity, aren't "they"?

 

[TE999]

Not all gay men have a sense of style. I know one who showed up at his birthday party wearing black bike shorts with white athletic socks and a plaid shirt. All of the other men in the room looked like a GQ fashion layout. Birthday Boy did indeed look like Archie, but an Archie who'd been dressed by Jughead's schizophrenic aunt Bob.

A sweet man; he might benefit from a nice middle-class dating service of good repute and questionable taste.

Another myth exploded.

I also hear that some gay males live in poorly decorated apartments and drive 1998 Buicks.

Who'da thunk it.

 

[cantdog]

Another myth exploded.

I also hear that some gay males live in poorly decorated apartments and drive 1998 Buicks.

Who'da thunk it.

Gawd. Not '90's Buicks. The Horror!

 

[shereads]

Another myth exploded.

I also hear that some gay males live in poorly decorated apartments and drive 1998 Buicks.

Who'da thunk it.

That's a lie about the Buicks. It has to be.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Yep, gettin' a bit uppity, aren't "they"?

Yeah, next thing you know, 'they' will want to get married and stuff!

Really though, Doc if you are bemoaning the taste level of that ad, remember it was exactly that. Just because it was aimed at gay men doesn't particularly mean it was made by gay men-- could be someone figures to get a buck or two out of the new kids in town.

Furthermore in regard to the good-taste stereotype, I think that as more and more GLBT's come out of the closet, the proportion of tasteful-- and therefore visible-- fags will begin to shrink. Being gay means you prefer your own sex for company, and really doesn't have so much to do with designer lagels.

 

[TE999]

Gawd. Not '90's Buicks. The Horror!

That's a lie about the Buicks. It has to be.

Well, maybe it was Oldsmobiles or Lincolns. One of them gas-guzzling road hogs. It weren't no Beamer, that's for sure.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The ill-dressed gays will come as a great relief to the tasteless straights. I mean, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" was funny but I felt so sorry for the "clients" who had to be taken out shopping like with their mothers. And leave my Hawai'in shirts alone, dammit!

 

[sr71plt]

I had a 1969 Buick LeSabre. The scourge of Bangkok. It ruled in heavy traffic until it got hit by a city bus. The police took me straight to the bus company and made the company owner give me his ID card until he had the car made as good as new. The company president was so impressed with the Buick that he offered me double price for it. The only time it failed me was when a tire flattened on a chicken bone next to the crocodile farm on the way to Pattya Beach. If you look very carefully in the background of a scene in The Deerhunter, you'll see said car being used as a Vietnamese version of a limousine. It eventually drove off the side of a mountain in Turkey--but not while I still owned it.

(I also had a gay ole time in the backseat of that Buick, I might add.)

Ummm, what were we discussing?

 

[shereads]

Which will come as a great relief to the tasteless straights. I mean, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" was funny but I felt so sorry for the "clients" who had to be taken out shopping like with their mothers. And leave my Hawai'in shirts alone, dammit!

Oh, I miss that show. What fun!

 

[Stella_Omega]

The ill-dressed gays will come as a great relief to the tasteless straights. I mean, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" was funny but I felt so sorry for the "clients" who had to be taken out shopping like with their mothers. And leave my Hawai'in shirts alone, dammit!

I'm sorry Bear, you can't turn back the clock on that one.

Straight women and gay men alike, KNOW that straight men can be taught to dress.

Ummm, what were we discussing?

Sex, duh. (I wish you would tell more of those stories )

 

[shereads]

Straight women and gay men alike, KNOW that straight men can be taught to dress.

And undress.

Isn't life great?

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I'm sorry Bear, you can't turn back the clock on that one.

Straight women and gay men alike, KNOW that straight men can be taught to dress.

Sex, duh. (I wish you would tell more of those stories )

Just because I know how to dress doesn't mean I will. I like Hawai'in shirts, especially the one's with flying boats on them . . . and girls . . . and WWII aircraft . . . and the Beach Boys . . . from Reyn Spooner, Kamahamaha and Tony Bahama. So there. Especially with silk trousers and a panama hat.

 

[sr71plt]

Sex, duh. (I wish you would tell more of those stories )

I've pretty much let it all out in a series of stories here (chronology available on my profile) and in an eXcessica release--Flying High.

I must admit that I almost spilled my glass of Shiraz when I saw the crack about Buicks. Does no one appreciate how much room there is in the back seat of a Buick--and how cushy those seats are?

 

[Stella_Omega]

I've pretty much let it all out in a series of stories here (chronology available on my profile) and in an eXcessica release--Flying High.

I must admit that I almost spilled my glass of Shiraz when I saw the crack about Buicks. Does no one appreciate how much room there is in the back seat of a Buick--and how cushy those seats are?

I started a story in a big block Chevy, but never finished writing it. Maybe I should switch makers and try to finish it...

 

[Guest]

I saw my first TV ad for an all-male singles' dating service yesterday. It was either the History Channel or Discovery. An mildly attractive young guy looked into the camera and talked about the difficulty of moving into the city and having to find "...a doctor, a dentist, and where all the guys hang out!"

I looked up from my coffee.

"A place where a guy like me can find some other, like-minded young men for chatting, hanging around, or...whatever!" or words to that effect. And then they showed him at the beach with three or four presumably like-minded young men, chatting or hanging around or...whatever.

The production values were pretty much identical to those late night sex-call chat-line ads you see, the ones where you know you'd never, ever, ever, end up talking to a person who looked anything remotely like the ones in the commercials, who lounge around in their peignoirs caressing the phone cords, but these were all men, and I didn't know what to make of it.

I mean, of course, more power to them, but I guess I'd always thought or hoped that gays had a better-developed social network or skills that kept them from having to use some sleazy phone service. Or maybe it's that I thought that, if they did have a phone service, the ad would be so incredibly tasteful and hip that it would be a joy to watch. The guy in this ad looked like Archie from the comic books.

Anyone else seen this?

So did you call?

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I started a story in a big block Chevy, but never finished writing it. Maybe I should switch makers and try to finish it...

And don't forget to include a Hawai'in shirt!

 

[Elianna]

I've pretty much let it all out in a series of stories here (chronology available on my profile) and in an eXcessica release--Flying High.

I must admit that I almost spilled my glass of Shiraz when I saw the crack about Buicks. Does no one appreciate how much room there is in the back seat of a Buick--and how cushy those seats are?

Actually... yes.

 

[Stella_Omega]

And don't forget to include a Hawai'in shirt!

Huh. it was set in the midwest/south-- I could switch the setting to Huntington Beach...

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Huh. it was set in the midwest/south-- I could switch the setting to Huntington Beach...

Or Laguna.

 

[carsonshepherd]

For a way to hook up, it beats messages on rest stop walls. Good for them for getting some production value into it.