Why Is Publishing So Sexless?
I don’t have an answer to that question. I’m just curious.
When it comes to anything sexual, in a general sense, the publishing industry has always fallen short. At least compared to the film industry, or even the television industry. Think American Horror Story. Hollywood may have its flaws, but at least it doesn’t ignore sex.
It’s ironic, too, because the biggest book in the last few years was Fifty Shades of Grey…a book about BDSM….sex. Whether you like FSoG or not…and I know a lot don’t, with good reason…it sold and it gave a lot of frigid publishing people bonus checks. Even more ironic, there is far better erotic fiction out there than FSoG and you never hear about it in the mainstream.
I’ve been following literary agent blogs for a long time. Literary agents are still the gatekeepers for the mainstream and they choose what the mainstream is reading. These literary agent blogs are written by men and women. Rarely do I see a mention of sex, and when I do it’s either an embarrassed whisper or a snarky sarcastic joke, as if she/he just shuddered and crossed her/his legs. And only a handful of agents are brave enough to rep erotica.
The truth is that if you write about sex in publishing, especially in fiction, and the sex is too explicit, you’re not only placed at the bottom of the heap, but you’re also forced to use pen names if you ever hope to write mainstream fiction and be taken seriously. And even THAT is never discussed aloud, not even by the writers who do it. Many of the authors I worked with at one e-publisher were hoping for careers as mainstream fiction writers and they used pen names for the erotica they wrote with the e-publisher because they were far too grand to let anyone know they were writing smut. In some cases, they were gay men who clearly…obviously…didn’t want their real names remotely associated with gay erotica.
And I’m just curious about that. I’m also curious about why no one ever talks about it openly. I don’t have any answers. I’m not drawing any conclusions right now.
However, I am going to explore it in more depth this coming year, so if you don’t like dick and dick offends you, I’m giving you plenty of warning ahead of time.
Gay Asian Man Fed Up
This is about a gay Asian guy who doesn’t think life is fair.
“As a queer man of color—I’m Asian—I feel wounded whenever I am exposed to gay men in New York City, Toronto, or any city where white gay men dominate,” the man recently wrote to advice columnist Dan Savage. “Gay men, mostly whites and Asians, reject me because of my race, and no one admits to their sexual racism.”
While I agree with him to a certain extent, because the world is not fair all the time, frankly, I’m fed up with butthurt. I’m tired of ALL racism, and references that resemble “white-painted gay community.” I don’t marginalize anyone, and there are a lot more people like me out there.
You can read the rest here. The comments vary, and if this guy is going after attention, he got it.
Avoiding Swamp Crotch
On a MUCH lighter note, here’s an article about a product that will help men reduce the horrors of swamp crotch. It’s a quick way to sink wash your junk without actually needing a sink…so your crotch doesn’t smell like a swamp.
Introducing Nadkins, a brand new male grooming product being dubbed as “Male Jewels Refresher Towelettes” for the guy on the go.
Yes, you read that correctly. These are individually-wrapped, travel-sized cleansing wipes made specifically for men’s nether regions. Think of it like a grown-up baby wipe for sweaty dudes who don’t have time to shower.
They aren’t cheap, but if you’re on the go it might be worth it. Swamp crotch is just wrong.
Is Adele A Gay Icon?
Anyone who reads this blog knows I’m always fascinated by the “gay icon” thing. I’m not a huge fan of entertainers like Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Liza, or any of the others who are considered “gay icons.” I just don’t get it, especially Gaga. I’m sure they’re nice people, all of them. I like some of the things they’ve done. I respect them for reaching the points they’ve reached in life. But they aren’t what I would call icons.
And now it looks as if Adele is reaching gay icon status, and I don’t understand that either. The video I’m linking to is funny. I liked it. I’m only talking about the icon thing right now. I really wish I did understand.
Yes, the very nature of James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” is to humanize celebrities — see, they ride in cars, too! — though the segment can sometimes turn into laughing at the novelty of fans freaking out when they realize a pop star is in the next ride over. Justin Bieber, anyone?
But Adele’s recent appearance has none of the fame and all of the fun.
You can check out the Adele video thing here. The comments confuse me even more. But I guess I’m in the minority on this one. Maybe I didn’t get that part of the gay gene. At least I’m honest about it.
