Another Queer Jewish Buddhist

Urinal Advertising & Male Insecurity

A search of advertising that either shows men at urinals checking each other out, or is site specific — and the site we're talking about is a urinal where the advertising that runs there speaks to male insecurity — is rather amazing. There's just lots of ads that use male insecurity about penis size. Comedy Central is one example of site specific work that pokes fun at size insecurity. While Funk sunglasses advertising is an one of many examples of a print ad that shows two men standing at a urinal with one clearly checking out the other's equipment — and making an editorial comment about size.

Yes, men are sensitive about dick size. And advertisers taking advantage of this doesn't merely extend (pardon me) to pumps and Smiling Bob (who lost his smile when the company that made Enzyte was ordered to pay millions to consumers for fraudulent claims). Even Sony got in the act, with their uncomfortably funny and justifiably famous PSP TV spot.

Now the 3M has entered the competition, with the site specific ads seen below that offer a truly terrific product demonstration while at the same time encouraging the target, who is standing at a urinal, to let his eyes wander to the urinal next to him. The product is a privacy guard for computer display screens that completely masks what is on screen from anyone who isn't looking at it head (ahem) on.

Yes, men are very sensitive indeed. Of course what a man is sensitive about won't be protected by this product. Nevertheless, the whiz-kids at Cozum the agency in Istanbul that's responsible for this work, has created work that demands to be looked at in a place where men studiously appear to be looking away. And that deserves attention indeed.   

Proof that Valentine's Day is Gay

Not only is Valentine gay, but he's into older men. Works for me. So what's with the fish, eh?

Fetishism and the body impolitic

Perhaps the ultimate expression of alienation is the fleshlight, which reduces the most intimate human connection to an automated orifice. But reducing our desire to parts of people rather than a whole human being alive in his otherness is nothing new. Apart from the obvious example of porn, the fashion world (which sometimes appropriates and approximates porn images) uses it in all kinds of odd ways.  Here are two very peculiar examples.

First, this old promotional item for Jordache jeans — a telephone that looks like the bottom half of a manikin. Put the butt to your ear, the ankle near your mouth and start talking. Now I ask you, regardless of what your particular preferences might be with regard to butts, would you want a butt in your ear? Would you, even if you were a foot fetishist, want to speak into an ankle?

Now I understand the value of a brand, and how it can be extended, made iconic with other merchandise. But this is simply kitsch.  Of course, some companies would use kitsch intentionally. I doubt that is the case here. You may disagree, if so I’d love to hear your reasoning.

Then there is some very visually striking new advertising for 707, which appears to be a clothing brand in Indonesia:

Kind of creepy, but you can’t not look at it. Kind of like the ads you see in the back of HX or Next or online at some gay “dating” sites: just pecs, abs, or other parts. Not that these parts aren’t nice. However speaking personally, I’m looking for more. And I know I’m not alone.

Why do we sell ourselves short? Why do we believe just this part is what we have to attract someone? Certainly we believe it because we’re attracted ourselves to bits and pieces. We all notice certain things first. Advertisers and magazine publishers know this and create promotional phones, jeans ads and all kinds of material to get our attention. And in a feedback loop it creates fetishists of us all.

Don’t get the idea that I’m a puritan. Not by any means. I just think that cutting people up like this gets in the way relationship to the real, not to mention a real relationship.

Nerdy Gay Teen Into UFOs

Yep, that's me in the ultra modern sweater on the far left 41 years ago today. I was a member of NICAP — the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. I'd read Incident At Exeter. And even the insane books by George Adamski that had us actually holding our sides in pain with laughter. I've long been out of touch with the guys I hung out with here (nerdy gay boys ultimately don't mix so well with Italian boys in Canarsie). But I look back on those days with affection and humor. Seven months later I was at my first World Science Fiction Convention. Is it any wonder I was into escapist literature?