Nature of All Kinds Abounds in The Ramble in Central Park

 

 

The Ramble is a wooded area situated in the middle of Central Park, between 72nd and 79th Streets.  It was notorious for being a "meeting place" for gay men, not unlike Fire Island's Meat Rack, only less safe.  According to Wikipedia, "Since at least the early 20th century, the seclusion of the Ramble has been used for private homosexual encounters."  In the 1920s and '30s it was referred to as the "Fruited Plain".  (Surprisingly, this cruising spot was never referenced in any Village People song.)  Today it seems to have largely lost its allure due largely to Grindr and other similar apps.  Meanwhile the general public thinks of it as a place for bird watching.

 

 

 

While I've had my share of encounters in the Meat Rack, I never ventured into the Ramble looking to hook up.  (In fact, I used to think it was called The Bramble.)  However, when I was coming out in the late 1970s and still living in Pittsburgh I had some of my first gay sexual experiences in a wooded area in Schenley Park, located near the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.  I used to bike there from home (a trip of about 15 miles).  Another outdoor escapade occurred shortly after I moved to New York when a boyfriend and I cavorted in Harriman State Park (in Rockland County). 

 

Occasionally, I'd lay out on the sloped lawn adjacent to the Ramble to get some sun or to rest after biking around the park.  My first time there (1981) I bumped into a fellow I had just met at my new job (he later became my boss) and he was there with his boyfriend.  Since there were plenty of other places to meet guys, especially if you were openly gay, I never thought of exploring the Ramble as a meeting place. 

 

 

 

During the summer of 1978 figure skating legend Dick Button was mugged in the Ramble as was newspaper columnist Stuart Elliott in the early '80s (before he wrote the Advertising column for the New York Times).  This incident was the impetus behind Elliott coming out publicly (but not so for Button, which brings to mind the notoriously closeted Kevin Spacey who, after being mugged in 2004 in a section of a London park known for being a cruising spot, concocted a story about walking his dog at 4 AM and tripping on its leash).  And one non-celebrity, a former boyfriend who was sexually compulsive and liked to sneak out to the Ramble, was beaten and robbed there on one occasion.

 

 

In popular culture the Ramble was mentioned in John Rechy's 1963 novel City of Night.  Then thirty years later Tony Kushner's Pullitzer-winning play  Angels in America depicted an explicit encounter in the Ramble, with one of the characters wanting to be infected with HIV by engaging in unsafe sex.

 

 

And in May 2020 the Ramble briefly got national attention after a racist encounter between a white woman and an African American bird watcher was recorded on his phone and went viral.  (The woman took umbrage when the bird watcher advised her that her dog needed to be on a leash in that part of the park, and she called the police and reported that her life was being threatened.)

 

 

 

Nighttime in the Middle East: Wall-to-Wall, Horny Young Men

With women in many parts of the Arab World largely barred from venturing outside once the sun goes down (and they're not very welcome in the light of day either), the streets at night are teeming with men.  And, believe me, they aren't spending all of their time studying the Koran, talking politics or plotting ways to cause mayhem in the West.  With the vast majority of them young, unmarried and horny, thoughts of sex are likely never far from their mind.  Since women aren't around to satisfy their carnal desires, what recourse do they have?   

 

Considering how virulently homophobic Muslim society is, it's comical that their religious leaders (or local chapter of the Taliban) have created an environment, similar to prison, in which homosexual sex is one of the only viable options available for single men seeking "release."  Similar to "Don't ask, don't tell," furtive gay sex goes on behind closed doors (the Muslim "DL"), but come daylight and homosexuality is condemned.  And woe to anyone who's openly gay in the light of day - that is an abomination met with severe punishment, even death.  (Note to Western gays: Muslim men on their knees with their butts in the air during the daytime are praying.)

 

Assuming the "receptive" position, five times a day.

 

However, a similar dysfunctional dynamic holds sway here in the good ol' USA with the Religious Right.  The more vehemently some of them condemn homosexuality, chances are it's a smokescreen to hide their true nature and clandestine same-sex assignations.  (Larry Craig and Ted Haggard, left, are two shining examples).  Or, perhaps they're just angry that others are living the life they desire.  And, oh, do they love to talk about homosexual sex (hello, Rick Santorum!)  400 years after it was written by Shakespeare, the famous line from Hamlet still rings very true in both the Middle East and the West:  "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

   

 

Landmark Supreme Court Decision Strikes Down US Sodomy Laws (June 26, 2003)

On June 26, 2003 the US Supreme Court ruled that Texas' same-sex sodomy law was unconstitutional. The landmark Lawrence v Texas ruling was decided by a 6-3 vote, with Justices Scalia, Thomas and Chief Justice Rehnquist the dissenting votes.  (Pictured are John Geddes Lawrence, far right, with fellow plaintiff Tyron Power.  Both have died since the decision.)  The ruling voided the remaining sodomy laws in twelve other states as well (including Florida and Michigan). This decision came 42 years after Illinois became the first state to strike down its sodomy law.

 

This ruling reversed the Court's infamous 1986 decision upholding Georgia's sodomy law (Bowers v Hardwick). Many legal scholars consider Lawrence v Texas one of the Court's most important rulings. Once same-sex relations were made legal it opened the way for making same-sex marriage possible - and the state of Massachusetts followed suit the following year.

 

Celebrating The Sexiest Part of A Man's Body

In an episode during the first season of HBO's gay drama Looking, Patrick (played by Jonathan Groff) confides to a friend that he could lick his Hispanic boyfriend's hairy armpits for days.  Friends of mine and I agreed that this was a comment only a gay man could appreciate.  What makes the armpit such a turn-on?  Perhaps it's the animal attraction  created by the pheromones found there.  Or, unlike the pubic hair around a guys cock and balls, we can catch glimpses of armpit hair in public.  Last year I published "Paying Lustful Homage to Hairy Armpits" which was very popular.  Movie sequels are dicey because they often aren't as good as the original, but I'm hoping that's not the case with this post.

 

 

Even though it keeps getting thinner and the page size smaller, you can count on Next Magazine to have good armpit shots, sometimes on the cover or table of contents page.

 

 

 

 

 

We're bombarded with ads for feminine hygiene products and all sorts of medical conditions, yet deodorant/anti-perspirant advertisers are loathe to show a hairy armpit.  That's what makes a current campaign for Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing so interesting.  Similar to Old Spice, the campaign features a sexy bare chested guy in a towel or swim trunks.  And although he has a smooth chest he prominently displays his hairy armpits. That's fine with me but even I find it a curious juxtaposition.

 

 

 

 

Speaking of advertising for deodorants, hairy armpits are rarely shown (at least in the US), so this TV ad for Degree Dry Spray for Men is notable - and welcome.

 

 

 

During the 2012 Summer Olympics I wrote about divers being sexier than swimmers because they don't shave as much of their body hair.  Two years later I think gymnasts trump divers because of how their muscled biceps enhance their armpits.

 

Kohei Uchimura (Japan)

 

Li Xiaopeng (China)

 

Max Whitlock (UK)

 

Louis Smith (UK)

 

Football, basketball and tennis players also have armpits to show off, courtesy of Michael Sam, Brandon Roy and Rafael Nadal.

 

 

 

 

 

The ads for gay.com always feature hairy armpits, even if the hair is often clipped.

 

 

 

Here's a nice shot from the 2007 gay-themed movie Shelter.

 

 

This photo of Indian actor Ranveer Singh caused some controversy in India, where it's frowned upon for someone of social prominence to expose a hairy armpit.

 

 

A typical sexy fashion spread from a 2013 issue of Out Magazine.  And his treasure trail is an added bonus.

 

 

 

Kittens romping all Max Greenfield in a scene from the Fox sitcom The New Girl.

 

 

While it's easy to see pit hair at the beach or gym, some of the best sightings are when you catch a glimpse somewhere else.  For example, what I like about this photo is that the armpit is somewhat hidden, showing just a hint of pit hair sticking out.

 

 

From the pages of Playgirl back in the late 1980s.  This centerfold was a  fireman from Southern California.

 

 

Finally, this sexy shot is of the virginal (and adorable) lead character from the silly 2006 movie simply titled Another Gay Movie.

 

 

Save

Remembering Adventures at the Baths: A Gay Rite of Passage

 

 

Before the onset of AIDS, bathhouses were very popular with gay men.  After graduating from college in 1979, I moved to New York and, being a frisky 21-year-old, I felt like a kid in a candy store whenever I'd go to "the baths" - with a variety of different venues to visit.  I went on a regular basis for a little more than a year, from the spring of 1979 thru the summer of 1980.  Besides being exciting, it was also a learning experience.   Most of the time I went to the Club Baths, but I also experienced Man's Country, St. Mark's Baths, the Everard and the Big Apple.  Besides being a place for anonymous hook ups, the baths, like bars, also served as a place for making friends.  (I can think of the names of eight guys I met there who I saw outside of the baths on a number of occasions.)  What follows is a synopsis of the venues I went to. 

 

THE CLUB BATHS

The Club Baths was part of a chain with locations across the US.  New York's "franchise" was on 1st Avenue near Houston St. next door to an Hispanic funeral parlor.  It had a lounge with a bar and TV, and there was a swimming pool and sauna downstairs.  The price of admission got you a locker; for an additional charge you could rent a cubicle-sized room (with a cot and a door) for four hours.  I never rented a room since I preferred walking about the complex - and I didn't want to deal with the hassle of rejecting those I wasn't interested in (and there were many, especially since I was fresh meat and everyone wanted a taste).  For those looking for groups to play with there was an orgy room, a movie room with bunks, and a maze.  Patrons walked around with a towel wrapped around their waist and opened it, or dropped it to the floor, as "opportunities" presented themselves.

 

Mark Beard, "Man in a White Towel"

 

My first trip on a New York subway was made during a visit to the baths.  I usually went on Saturday night, arriving around 9 PM and staying until daybreak, when I'd fine myself on the subway with people who looked like they were going to church.  Since I lived in New Jersey at the time, it wasn't an easy trip, but the fun that awaited easily motivated me.

 

Disco station WKTU played throughout the complex.  Whenever I hear songs such as Put Your Body In It (Stephanie Mills); Harmony (Suzy Lane); Street Life (The Crusaders); or Yellow Beach Umbrella (Bette Midler), warm memories come to mind.  The music would be regularly interrupted by the desk clerk announcing a room number whose four-hour rental was about to expire. 

 

 

THE BIG APPLE

The first bathhouse I ever went to was The Big Apple in the Times Square area - on Good Friday.  My first encounter was with a lawyer from Mexico City whose name was Javier.

 

  

 

ST. MARK'S BATHS

Located on St. Mark's Place in the East Village, the St. Mark's Baths had the reputation for attracting the hottest men.  The one time I went there was on a balmy October evening and the roof deck was open.

 

 

MAN'S COUNTRY

Man's Country was on West 15th St. between 5th and 6th Avenues.  Like the other bathhouses, it was multi-level with long, narrow floors.  What made it unique, however, was that upon entering one of the floors you came face-to-face with the front of a red semi with a trailer attached that guys went into to have sex.  This floor also held jail cells for more role-playing scenarios.  A famous billboard for Man's Country was in Sheridan Square, with the word "Come" dominating.

 

 

THE EVERARD

It was infamous for a deadly fire in 1977 that killed nine patrons.  Located on 5th Avenue south of 34th St., I went there in the winter of 1980 (it relocated a few blocks after the fire), and met a fellow named Gordon who I dated until the end of the summer.  I'd take the train up to his place in Poughkeepsie on weekends.  He is just one of the men I saw outside of the baths ...

 

NOT ALL ENCOUNTERS WERE ANONYMOUS

Perhaps the most interesting experience I had with someone I met was with Joey, owner of a car dealership in Westchester County, who took me out on his boat in the town of Harrison on Long Island Sound.  He picked me up on a Saturday morning in August 1979, and there were two children in the backseat of his car!  It turns out he was married, and while he and I went out on the boat to "relax", his wife and kids were back at the boathouse.

Dennis was a Catholic priest from Douglaston, Queens, who I met through a personal ad in the Village Voice.  Although I didn't meet him at the baths, I introduced him to the Club Baths on a Friday when it was "Buddy Night", and two gained admission for the price of one.  Another fellow, Tom, a librarian from Scranton, PA, invited me to visit him, but with the caveat that since he lived with his father we'd have to have sex in his car in the garage.  We spoke on the phone a few times but I didn't take him up on his invitation.

 

 

Bill was a guard at the US Embassy in Iran on Tehran's Teleghani Ave.  I met him in the summer of 1979, just a few months before embassy personnel were taken hostage.  Then there was Bruce (at first he told me his name was Rick), who was a chef at a restaurant on Cape Cod during the summer in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard.  On one date he came to my apartment and made Coq au vin, and showed me how to prepare asparagus.  Phillip, who lived in Inwood in northern Manhattan, was the first black guy I was ever with.

Mel was a former copywriter at McCann Erickson and lived on Staten Island.  I've only been to that borough a few times in my life, and the first time was to visit him.  He took me to see the Broadway musical Whoopie and we also saw the Woody Allen film Manhattan.  His was the first uncut cock I ever "encountered."  One more thing - he was in his early 50s, my father's age.

Bill, originally from Milwaukee, was a temp at Touche Ross (before it became Deloitte Touche), and lived at an SRO on West 12th St. off 6th Ave. called the Ardsley House.  He took me to the Russian Tea Room for dinner.  He was smitten with me, but I wasn't ready for a serious relationship.  His was the first of many hearts I've broken.

Don lived in Bethpage on Long Island and I visited him there on Memorial Day weekend 1979.  Upon coming back on Sunday I went directly to the baths and ended up meeting Joe from Bensonhurst Brooklyn.  On one of our dates we saw Alien in Times Square and while we were in the theater his car was towed.  He had a share out in the Pines but he wouldn't take me because he didn't think I was ready.

 

 

My adventures at the baths ended once I started seriously dating someone in September 1980 (we didn't meet at the baths).  Many bathhouses closed by the mid-80s due to the backlash caused by the onset of AIDS.  Today there are a few in business (e.g. The West Side Club in Chelsea), but they aren't nearly as popular as they were back in the carefree '70s.

 

Poster for a 2013 documentary about the iconic bathhouse, which had its heyday before I moved to New York.

 

 

 

 

Save

Save

A Large Penis Doesn't Alway Impress

I'm amused whenever a guy tells me his dick is 10-1/2 inches - as if he expects me to bow reverently and beg him to come home with me.  Hardly.  As others have probably discovered themselves (men as well as women), that's simply too big for either orifice.  It may be tempting in theory, but in practice the appeal diminishes.  Although you can hold it in your hands, that's pretty much the extent of the interaction.  As for me, I run the other way.  Sorry Mandingo, but as Shania Twain once said, "It don't impress me much."  Since the average size of a man's penis is 5-1/2 inches, seven inches is plenty big enough.  After all, as the song by Henry Glover says so well, "It ain't the meat, it's the motion."

 

Of course, whenever a supposedly horse hung individual tries to beckon me, I put him off gently.  Since their endowment is likely crucial to their self worth, I don't want to crush the poor guy.  (Fred Schneider, of B-52's fame, wrote an amusing tribute in their honor titled "Monster".)

Mario Lopez Teases & Pleases on "Nip/Tuck" (September 19, 2006)

 

 

The TV drama Nip/Tuck was created by Ryan Murphy and aired on cable network Fx between 2003 and 2010.  It told the story of two high-living Beverly Hills plastic surgeons, Sean and Christian, and their high-end clients and sexual conquests.  Although they were heterosexual and bedded plenty of women, the two had a big-time bromance going on between them, and a homoerotic vibe characterized the series. 

 

Enter Mario Lopez, who was introduced early in Season 4 (Sept. 19, 2006 to be exact).  He played a recurring character, a plastic surgeon, Mike Hamoui, with a killer body.  Christian encountered Mike in the shower at the gym and couldn't keep his eyes off him, jealously ogling his beautiful butt and washboard abs.  It's one of those scenes you want to watch over and over again.  To watch it in its delectable entirety, double click here.

 

 

 

 

At the same time as this jaw dropping appearance, Lopez was also competing on Dancing with the Stars (he and his partner came in second).  Nine years before his Nip/Tuck shower scene, he had another water-oriented acting role, portraying Olympic diver Greg Louganis in USA Network's movie Breaking the Surface.  In this role he spent considerable screen time strutting around in a Speedo.  And two years after Nip/Tuck, he made his Broadway debut in A Chorus Line, playing the part of Zach, the director (pictured, far right).  It was reported that Lopez demanded more form fitting clothing, especially since hunky Nick Adams, who played the assistant director, got to wear tank tops that showed off his great physique.  

 

 

Hot Bodies ... Refreshed by Cool, Clean Water

Take a break from the broiler that is summer by immersing yourself in these cool images of water refreshing a lineup of hot male bodies ...

 

Actor Chris Evans looks a bit like Hugh Jackman here, so it's a win-win ...

 

 

Matt Kemp, star player for the LA Dodgers, vying for the title of Sexiest Ballplayer with Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins ...

 

 

 

Magazine ad for DK Men Unleaded cologne, which I believe was discontinued back in 2003 ...

 

 

Another print ad, this one for Versace mens briefs (circa 1995).  As we know, underwear models take their job so seriously that they refuse to get naked even in the shower ...

 

 

From a photo spread of Jason Statham in Men's Health Magazine from about five years ago ...

 

 

Here's an ad from the mid-1990s, saved from the pages of the defunct HX Magazine for the defunct Sound Factory Bar in Chelsea.

 

 

This photo from Next Magazine was part of a photo spread about life in the Pines, which is always enhanced by an outdoor shower ... especially if you're on the deck watching ...

 

 

You can tell this photo is from the 1980s because the model is not overly muscular.  It's also probably from GQ.  The "tell" is the slight limp wrist, a signal by a skittish GQ, acknowledging its gay readers. 

 

 

Somewhat of a Joe Manganiello thing going on here, circa 1994 ...

 

 

Hot fun in the summertime ... the ever popular hose in the pants shooting up a suggestive spray of water.  Sexy boys will be sexy boys ...

 

 

Not cooled down yet?  Here is an earlier post with the same refreshing theme ... Sexy Men, Soaking Wet .

New York's Sexiest News Anchors & Reporters

 

 

When I first moved to New York in 1979 I watched the CBS affiliate's local news and was drawn to Rolland Smith (right) and John Stossel (long before he went over to the dark side at Fox News).  Nowadays my exposure to news broadcasts comes from the eight TV monitors I see at the gym while I do cardio, providing me the opportunity to take in many hunky talking heads at once.  For this post I've narrowed it down to two dozen who turn my head - five of them are openly gay.  (Please note that this post was originally published in 2013 and I've tried to keep it current since then, with additions, and mentions where my choices are no longer working in New York.)  

 

NEW YORK'S FINEST

• Steve Lacy (Fox 5/ late-40s?) - Straight from central casting, Steve looks like the straight twin of MSNBC's Thomas Roberts (see below).  He took over evening anchoring duties at the beginning of 2013.  Actually, his photos don't do him justice. 

 

 

 

• Rob Schmitt (WNBC-4/ 36 years old) - The new kid in town (that is, when I first wrote this post seven years ago; in fact, he's no longer working in New York any longer), Schmitt was hired away from LA's CBS affiliate in the summer of 2013 and anchors Channel 4's 12 noon newscast.  A little more dashing than Steve Lacy, he has Thomas Roberts' (CNN) good looks. 

 

  

 

• Phil Lipof (WABC 7/ 46 years old)  - Sadly, Phil was hired away by the ABC affiliate in Boston (WCVB) in the fall of 2013.  Still, I'd like to keep him on this list, at least for a while, as an honorary member.  Although he wasn't a weatherman, he seemed to be the guy WABC liked to send out into bad weather.

 

 

• Mike Woods (Fox 5/ 52 years old) - Woods has been with Fox 5 since 2001. What makes him stand out is the fact that he enjoys flaunting his body and has done a number of on-location weather reports shirtless.  (Something fans of The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore have always hoped for.)  Openly gay, I bumped into him at the Monster after I wrote this post and told him of the honor I bestowed upon him (he was very personable).  And in November 2014 he received another honor when People Magazine named him the sexiest news anchor.

 

 

 

 

• Raphael Miranda (WNBC 4/ 42 years old) - Another gay weatherman, Raphael's profile on WNBC's website mentions that he's gay and has a partner.  However, I rarely see him on the air.  When he first joined the station a few years ago I'd chuckle because his presence seemed to unnerve the sports anchor, Bruce Beck.

 

   

 

• Matt Brickman (WNBC-4/early-30s?) - Yet another weatherman, but straight.  Local Jersey boy who got established in Minneapolis before returning to New York last year.

 

 

• Maurice DuBois (WCBS 2/ 54 years old) - He has the sexiest name of any on this list.  DuBois has been with WCBS since 2004; prior to that he was with NBC's New York affiliate, WNBC, for seven years.  (The first photo is current, the other is from the mid-2000s.) 

 

 

• Rob Powers (WABC-7/ 55 years old) - Bright eyes and a great smile.  I like this photo because it looks like someone poked a finger up Rob's ass just as the photo was snapped.  He left WABC for hometown Cleveland's WEWS (also an ABC affiliate).

 

 

• John Chandler (WNBC-4/ 40 years old).  Has spent the last six years at the station.

 

 

MORE CUTE THAN SEXY

• Sheldon Dutes (WNBC-4/ mid-30s?) - He's a general assignment reporter who regularly appears on WNBC's morning show Today in New York.  He possessed a boyish charm, enthusiasm and a great smile.

 

 

• Chris Glorioso (WNBC-4/ late-30s?) -  Probably the same age as Tom Llamas, he looks like Llamas' fair-skinned twin.  Both also have a serious demeanor and are somewhat stiff on camera.  But while Llamas is now an anchor, Chris is an investigative reporter.  

 

 

 

• Pat Kiernan (NY-1/ 51 years old) - He's been with cable new station NY-1 since its inception in 1992 and still exudes the same boyish charm.  He's the person I wake up to in the morning.

 

 

• John Schiumo (NY1/ late-40s) - He was also at NY-1 for a long time, but not as long as Pat Kiernan.  And in 2018 he left the station to join a PR firm.

 

 

 

• Joe Torres (WABC-7/49 years old) - As he's gotten oldler, his face has gotten puffier and more wrinkled, like a shar pei dog, but he still retains his boyish charm.

 

 

 

• Harry Cicma (WNBC-4/ 38 years old) - Relatively new to the New York market, he's been a sports announcer on WNBC for a couple of years (and also does on site reporting during bad weather).  He has a very approachable persona and reminds me of some of the cute, eager phys ed teachers of my youth (including the flat-top).  

 

 

THE STUDS OF NETWORK NEWS

Since the TV networks are headquartered in New York, I've stretched the boundaries of this post and included some of the "big guns".

 

• David Muir - (ABC/ 46 years old) - Muir, and his great shock of hair, took over anchor duties on World News Tonight from the unwatchable Diane Sawyer in Sept. 2014, and it's boosted the newscast's ratings.

 

 

 

• Richard Engel - (NBC/ 46 years old) - NBC's dashing Middle East correspondent.  There was speculation about his sexual orientation but he married in May 2015 and he and his wife are expecting a child (thanks to one of my readers who brought this news to my attention).

 

 

 

• Tom Llamas (ABC/ 40 years old) - Very boyish, with a little bit of peach fuzz above his lip and somewhat imperfect teeth.  Of Cuban heritage.  When I originally wrote this post Llamas was on NYC's WNBC.  Then in 2014 he moved to the NBC News division and in the winter of 2015 he moved over to ABC where he anchors World News Tonight on weekends. 

 

 

 

• Jacob Rascon (former NBC correspondent/ 33 years old) - Like Llamas, Rascon is another rising star.  He moved to the network in 2014 after spending time as a general correspondent for KNBC in LA but then returned to local news in Houston four years later.  He manages to exude a sexy swagger even when wearing a dorky ski hat.

 

 

 

 

• Jeremy Diamond (CNN/ late-20s?) - Diamond appeared on my radar in the spring of 2017 and is the youngest of the guys chosen for this post.

 

 

• Martin Bashir (ABC/ 57 years old) - Of Iranian heritage, Bashir is the oldest of the bunch here.  His most recent reporting job was with MSNBC, which he resigned from late in 2013 after making an unfortunate comment about Sarah Palin.  Before MSNBC he was an anchor for NBC News Dateline and ABC News.

 

 

• Thomas Roberts (MSNBC/ 47 years old) - Openly gay, there are also photos of Roberts shirtless on the internet, but unlike Fox 5 weatherman Mike Woods, he's never gone bare chested on-camera.

 

 

 

• Don Lemon (CNN/a very youthful 54) - He's the shortest of this group, only 5'6".  He became a news story for a while in 2011 when he revealed he was gay.  He bares a striking resemblance to Pharrell Williams (sans hat).

 

 

• Van Jones (CNN/51 years old).  A commentator rather than a reporter or anchor, I've included him nonetheless by dint of him being so telegenic and sexy.

 

 

• Rick Folbaum (Fox News/ 47 years old) - Folbaum used to be an anchor on the Fox affiliate in New York.  He's sexy, in that uptight, married, right wing, I'll-meet-you-at-the-rest-stop, kind of way.

 

 

• Anderson Cooper (CNN/ 52 years old) - Then, of course, there's golden boy, Anderson.  Another newsman I'd categorize as being more cute than sexy, Cooper is known for his cute smile, beautiful blue eyes and disarming giggle.

 

 

• Boris Sanchez (CNN/ early 30s) - The fifth chosen from CNN's roster.  Nicely plucked eyebrows.

 

 

• Sam Brock (NBC Nightly News/ 30-ish).  Young Sam came to my attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Seeing him usually made hearing the latest bad news about the virus a little bit easier to take.  With or without a mask.

 

 

• Colin Jost (SNL Weekend Update/ 37 years old) - Finally, his inclusion may be a bit of a stretch, but Jost is too adorable to overlook.  After working behind the scenes as a writer at Saturday Night Live since 2005, Harvard graduate Jost took over anchor duties from Seth Meyers when Meyers moved to Late Night.

 

 

 

Two other posts you may like are "A Salute to Major League Baseball's Sexiest Players" and "The Aphrodisiac of Power: Sexiest World Leaders".

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Discreet Encounters ... a Thing of the Past?

About ten years ago I read the book Gay New York (by George Chauncey) and remember a chapter that discussed how straight guys back in the day (i.e., before 1940) could enjoy getting a blow job without stressing whether it meant they were gay.  After all, it was the fellow giving head who was the "queer" one.  Furthermore, there was little chance these dalliances would be exposed since the homosexual had more to fear from being exposed.  That's not necessarily the case nowadays.

 

Since many gay men no longer live a secret life wrapped in shame, they don't have issues about discussing their exploits or revealing their partners.  (Exhibit A: Mike Jones, the masseur/escort who exposed evangelist Ted Haggard in 2006.)  And cellphone cameras can make any seemingly anonymous encounter glaringly public.  As a result, discreet encounters may become a thing of the past. (The photo to the left is from the 2002 movie Far From Heaven, about a closeted husband in the 1950's, played by Dennis Quaid, and the turmoil he causes for his storybook-perfect family.)

 

However, despite these changes, the animal urge for sex will often trump the fear of being caught/revealed.  Of course, with the growing acceptance of gays, the need for men to live in the closet will, hopefully, continue to decline.  This will diminish the need for men to live life "on the DL" and bring to an end the heartache suffered by unsuspecting girlfriends and wives.