Here's the 5th installment of enthralling men's underwear ads from my personal collection. Let the drolling begin ...
Nautica - What purpose does the woman in the background of this ad serve? To draw in straight men, giving them permission to furtively glance at the hot man in the foreground? Whatever the reason, her inclusion is puzzling, even comical. Reminds me how every International Male catalog has a token woman on one of its pages.
Nautica - Another beautiful Nautica ad, but in this execution the model's lady friend is out of the picture. The ad evokes a feeling of being away at some balmy beach paradise.
Perry Ellis - A number of things in this ad draw in the reader. First, it's kinda sexy how his slightly damp briefs slightly cling to his butt. Second, the glimpse of his face and pecs in the mirror indicate he's a sexy fellow. And what's on his mind? Work issues? Relationship troubles? Contact lense just fell down the drain?
Emporio Armani - No need for his name to appear on the ad because he's the world's most recognizable metrosexual (i.e., David Beckham).
Calvin Klein - This ad for the X-line of briefs features Japanese soccer superstar Hidetoshi Nakata (now retired at the age of 34). Everything about this ad is pleasing - Nakata's sweat glistening body, the splash of color, the brief's pouch, even the giant 'X' splayed across his torso.
Fruit of the Loom - This ad is from the 1970's. The white towel and aqua briefs contrast nicely with the model's skin color.
If you missed any of the other four installments on underwear ads, here are their links:
A few weeks before celebrating her 25th birthday, Madonna released her self-titled first album. However, it wasn't until 1984 that sales picked up steam. That's when the album cracked the top 10 on the strength of her first top-20 single, Holiday, and two top-10 hits, Borderline and Lucky Star. (The single Everybody was released nine months before the album but it didn't chart.) Two other tracks, Burning Up and Physical Attraction, were popular in clubs.
1983 also marked the ascent of another gay icon, Cyndi Lauper. And although Lauper's career started out more strongly, on the strength of her smash single Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Madonna eclipsed her within a few years. Her career took off following a memorable performance of Like a Virgin at the first MTV Music Awards in 1984.
In addition to Lauper, Madonna also had competition from a number of other female singers in the mid-80's, such as Taylor Dane (middle), Regina (near right), Alisha and Stacy Q (far right). Dane had a string of hits, but the others' careers failed to gain traction after some initial success.
Madonna, however, was in a league of her own, constantly finding ways to create controversy, reinventing herself and demonstrating an uncanny ability to remain in the publc eye. Like Lauper, her career was propelled by a devoted gay fan base. And both performers have been huge supporters of gay causes, especially bringing attention to the AIDS crisis in its early years. (Interestingly, the "gay cancer" was formally called AIDS by the CDC exactly one year before the release of Madonna's first album.)
Other posts about Madonna you may be interested in:
The pleasure seeking duo of Eddie and her best friend Patsy was introduced to American audiences the evening of July 24, 1994 when cable network Comedy Central began airing the popular UK sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. Other cast members included Eddie's disapproving teen daughter Saffie, her somewhat dotty mom and daft office assistant Bubble. The show was probably best known for Eddie's term of endearment, "sweetie darling". Eddie & Patsy were played by British actresses Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.
AbFab was embraced by gay viewers not only for the show's high-camp quotient but also because many identified with Eddie & Patsy's tireless pursuit of being hip and glamorous. The humiliating fixes Eddie & Patsy got themselves into were not unlike those experienced by Lucy & Ethel or Laverne & Shirley - but with a touch more debauchery (and a lot more booze).
And although it appeared that Eddie & Patsy had no redeeming qualities (their lives were more pitiable than fabulous) viewers were occasionally reminded that they were the products of mothers who were either distant (Eddie's) or completely absent (Patsy's).
Some of my favorite AbFab memories:
Interviewed on a morning chat show, a stunned Patsy could only manage to say, "You can never have enough hats, gloves or shoes".
Eddie regularly brought up the fact that pop singer Lulu was one of her most famous PR clients.
During a trip to Morocco Eddie & Patsy arranged to sell Saffie.
Bubble became super efficient and arranged for Eddie to adopt a child, much to Eddie's horror. It turned out it was a dream of Eddie's.
After a humiliating night at an awards ceremony Eddie & Patsy woke up and found themselves on a garbage barge in the middle of the Thames.
In 1995 CBS produced a bowlderized version of AbFab called High Society, starring Jean Smart of Designing Women fame and Mary McDonnell (who later starred in the Battlestar Galactica TV series). It aired on Monday but didn't catch on with viewers and aired just 13 episodes over two half seasons.
During the summer of 1973 Cameroon-born saxophonist Manu Dibango's Soul Makossa became the first "disco" record to enter the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart (peaking at #33). A song with African rhythms and tribal incantations ("ma-ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-ma-kosa"), its mainstream success was a bit of suprise. Since then a long list of artists have sampled parts of the song, the most popular being Michael Jackson's Wanna be Starting Somethin' and Rihanna's Don't Stop the Music.
A year passed before disco songs began appearing regularly on top-40 radio playlists. For the most part they had a more accessible "pop" feel than Makossa - Gloria Gaynor's Never Can Say Goodbye; Rock the Boat by Hues Corportation; KC & the Sunshine Band's That's the Way I Like It; and Vicki Sue Robinson's Turn the Beat Around.
These mainstream dance hits were popular in gay clubs as well, but there was a list of "parallel" hits that never made it beyond gay circles, making them even more cherished - songs like Cocomotion, Spank, Puff of Smoke, I Need a Man, Hot Shot, and Hold on to My Love.
Click here for a more in-depth account of Soul Makossa and its place in the disco-dancing pantheon.
Here's a question that wouldn't look out of place on an SAT exam: Which pair doesn't belong?
Betty & Wilma
Betty & Veronica
Lucy & Ethel
Laverne & Shirley
Peppermint Patty & Marcie?
Of course, the correct answer is Peppermint Patty and Marcie as they are the only duo with hints of a lesbian vibe between them.
Nearly 20 years before the smitten Smithers and Mr. Burns were introduced on The Simpsons, Marcie made her first appearance in the comic strip Peanuts as Peppermint Patty's devoted friend. She was famous for always addressing Patty as "sir". The strip introducing her ran on July 20, 1971.
While not as obvious as the deep crush Smithers has for his boss, Mr. Burns, there is something unspoken going on between the two girls - even if they are unaware of it (and Peanuts creator Charles M Schulz denied it). And the fact that the two of them have vied for Charlie Brown's attention suggests that their radars aren't working properly. After all, what straight girl in her right mind would be interested in Charlie Brown? ("Girly-girls" Lucy and Violet certainly aren't.)
And the debate rages on in the salons of Northampton, Smith College and Cherry Grove.
There are three ways to travel between the predominantly gay Fire Island communities of the Pines and Cherry Grove: take a walk along the beach, hail a water taxi or traverse the inland route. The expanse of inland sand dunes and wind-twisted shrubs/trees is known as the "Meat Rack" (also referred to as "The Enchanted Forest" or just the "Rack"). Some use it purely for utilitarian purposes to get from point A to point B while others go there to fulfill animal urges. (Some mix the two and make a pit stop on their way to point B.)
Like craters on the Moon, sections of the Rack have been given names, such as "Area 51", "Lower Dining Room", and "Upper Dining Room". A song on the Village People's first album was titled Fire Island and its chorus was "Don't go in the bushes, someone might grab you". Besides being a place where sweaty, moaning bodies congregate the Meat Rack is also a place of natural beauty. It's great being there when there's a full moon reflecting off the white sand of the dunes with the pounding of the surf in the background. I remember fondly one particular night when the moon came rising through the fog and emerged a beautiful orange.
The entrance from the Pines side, a winding path with tall trees on either side calls to mind, especially at night, a stage set from Into the Woods or an illustration from the fairytale Hansel & Gretel. (The first time I ever ventured there at night the movie Blair Witch Project kept coming to mind.) For novices it's a good idea to first visit during the day to get the lay of land before venturing out after dark.
Mosquitoes, ticks, sand fleas that bite the ankles, and swampy areas are some of nature's distractions that can lessen one's enjoyment of their Rack experience. (A housemate constructed a famous bridge over one swampy area and repairs it every season.) Daytrippers who stop and stare (or shine flashlights at night) are another constant annoyance. And there's always the possibility of bumping into a friend or a friend's boyfriend - but then, the same can happen in the City at a sex club.
Of course, the various adventures housemates have had during a "nature walk", the magical as well as the humiliating, provide plenty of fodder for hilarious stories to share over dinner.
On the evening of July 15, 2003 the Bravo cable network premiered its new makeover show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. At first I was reluctant to tune in because I expected a show in which a group of catty queens mercilessly ridiculed their hapless subjects, but I was pleasantly surprised at how nice & helpful the team was. And I think their advice was probably as helpful to gay guys as it was to straight guys.
The five engaging "queer guys" were: Carson Kressley (fashion advisor); Thom Filicia (interior design); Ted Allen (food & drink); Kyan Douglas (grooming); and Jai Rodriguez (culture). Carson was the blonde cut-up, Kuyan the cute one and 24-year old Jai, the youngest of the five by nine years, was sometimes the subject of ridicule by viewers because no one really knew what his function was.
I even tried something I saw on one of the shows - a 15-second spray tan. I bought a package of five from a neighborhood tanning salon but ended up using only three of them because I felt as if I was being doused with a cold spritz of insecticide.
Alas, after talking off like gangbusters and becoming part of the zeitgeist Queer Guys burned itself out and the next season ratings took a nosedive (however, it did win an Emmy for best reality show in 2004). The show lasted three seasons in total. Of the "Fab Five", Kressley's on-camera career has been the most enduring as he's hosted other makeover shows, judged beauty pageants and even appeared in a holiday movie on NBC.
The old trope about a picture being worth a thousand words is especially true when it comes to fashion advertising. In fact, the six ads I've chosen here rely entirely on photographs - there's not one line of copy. And upon looking at the selection of ads below the first word of each readers' thousand is likely to be "wow".
Miguel Cruz - Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe snapped this breathtaking photo for this short-lived (and not very highly regarded) apparel company which flamed out in the late 1980's. It hit the skids when its financial backer, a notorious personal banker, art connoisseur & social climber named Roberto Polo, was jailed in Italy for misaapropriation of client funds.
Rockport - If you didn't know that Rockport sold shoes you'd be hard pressed to figure out what this ad was selling. But it's a pleasure gazing upon the ad and trying to figure it out. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Rockport is based in Massachusetts and is now a subsidiary of Reebok International.
Levi's - Sex appeal conveyed in a gritty, blue collar setting. Part of this ad's appeal is guessing what the model looks like from the front. (And why is he looking down?)
Versace - Ladies & gentleman, introducing the Versace iron. Wait, I think it's the shirt that has the Versace label! This ad is a classic from some 20 years ago.
Bottega Venata - Most likely the carefree model is skipping off to some oh-so-fabulous destination. BV is a luxury 50-year old brand best known for its leather accessories. The company is a subsidiary of Gucci and is headquartered in Italy.
Alex Cannon - Nothing brings attention to a shirt than unbuttoning it and opening it wide so the model's beautiful chest can be gazed upon. (However, a warning label should be at the bottom of the ad that reads: your results may differ.) Alex Cannon is a menswear company that's been in business since 2003. The label is sold at Lord & Taylor and a number of specialty stores across the U.S.
Although some openly gay celebrities such as RuPaul have managed to extend their fame well beyond 15 minutes, the gay celebrities featured in this post experienced a brief period of popularity that has since faded. But although their careers may have peaked, for the most part they're still involved in their craft. And, of course, there are always second acts!
Terry Sweeney - Now 51, he rose to fame during the 1984-85 season of Saturday Night Live and was perhaps best known for his somewhat maniacal portrayal of Nancy Reagan. I last recall seeing him on an episode of Seinfeld where he played an executive assistant who catches Elaine trying to take her tennis racket from his boss's office.
Candace Gingrich - Upon half-brother Newt's rise to power in the mid-90's as Republican Speaker of the House she was thrust from obscurity and suddenly became a gay activist. (In fact, her 1997 memoir is titled The Accidental Activist.) However, once Newt dropped from the headlines, for all intents & purposes, so did Candace. But if Newt advances in the presidential race she may be dusted off once again. She's 45.
Amanda Bearse - She rose to B-list stardom while co-starring as Marcie, the Bundy's yuppie next-door neighbor on Fox's first sitcom, the outlandish Married with Children. She came out in the early 1990's and was later involved in a somewhat unsettling child custody suit with a former female partner. She's now 52.
Robert Gant - Resembling somewhat the fair-haired twin of Mad Men's Jon Hamm, Gant played the hunky HIV+ boyfriend of Michael Nifotsky in Showtime's Queer as Folk. Since then he's made a string of guest appearances on primetime TV. Recently I was pleasantly surprised to see him in commercials for Volkswagen and Olive Garden. He turns 43 in a few days.
Sebastian Lacause - A dancer/actor who bartended briefly at New York's Splash before landing his biggest role in 2001 when he was cast as Rocky in the Broadway production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (which required him to dye his hair the color of white gold). He's also performed at Broadway Bares and was in the Ricky Gervais bomb Ghost Town. Additionally, he was a dancer in the movies Boogie Nights and Chicago. (I met him on a few occasions when he was boyfriends with an office acquaintance of mine.) I'd venture to guess he's now in his late 30's.
Rudy Galindo - Openly gay and HIV+, Rudy, now 41, won the Men's figure skating title at the 1996 U.S. Nationals. At times he raised eyebrows with some of his edgy costumes - 10 years before the flamboyant & outspoken Johnny Weir further upended the figure skating arena.
Jimmy Somerville - Lead singer of the groups Bronski Beat (Smalltown Boy) and Communards (Don't Leave Me This Way) before launching a solo career. Known for his falsetto and distinctive skinhead look, the British Somerville's peak popularity (in gay circles) was largely from the mid-80s' to early-90's. He recently turned 50.
Sybil Bruncheon - She sprang to celebrity status upon being crowned the Imperial Court of New York's first empress in 1987. After completing her reign she continued as a charismatic & telegenic drag performer. What made her distinctive was her buff body, closely cropped hair and sparkling personality. She appeared regularly on the Gay Cable Network (GCN) which aired on local access in NYC and Cincinnati and also hosted bingo nights, often for charity, at various venues. Over the years I've occasionally spotted Sybil's masculine persona, John Burke, enjoying breakfast at Manatus in the West Village.
Scott Thompson - This Canadian's springboard to quasi-fame was as one of the Kids in the Hall comedy troup whose sketch show aired on Canadian TV in the 1st half of the 1990's and on Comedy Central in the U.S. Roles that were audience favorites included gay bon-vivant Buddy Cole, housewife Fran Wilson and sensible office worker Cathy. After Kids he was a regular on HBO's Larry Sanders Show, had a recurring role on NBC's Providence and made numerous guest appearances on other shows including late night talk shows. He turned 52 in June.
Todd Oldham - A charming and unassuming designer of clothing and housewares, he hosted Todd Oldham's House of Style on MTV in the 1990's and had stints with Target and Old Navy among other places. He turns 50 later this year.
With New York state's recent passing of same-sex marriage legistlation, one in nine Americans now live in states where gay men and lesbians can marry. If the state of California, with its 37 million population, carries out last year's appellate ruling overturning Prop 8, the number will double.
Presently 10 countries allow same-sex marriage. The largest is South Africa (49 million population) followed by Spain (46 million) and Argentina (40 million). The U.S.'s six states and D.C. have a combined population of 35 million, ranking it after Argentina and just ahead of Canada.
265 million people worldwide now live in countries/jurisdictions where same-sex couples can marry - 4% of the world's 6.8 billion people (besides the U.S. states and D.C., Mexico City is also included). And although many more countries may legalize same-sex unions before the U.S., at least some individual U.S. states can be counted among these socially progressive nations.
I've written two previous posts on the subject of same-sex marriage:
