Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Blog it forward

Like the mushrooms after a rain, blogs cropping up exponentially all over the web has been something of a recent phenomenon. Doubted anyone could have possibly predicted that a humble web journal could made such an indelible impact on the world today from jumpstarting fashion trends to uncovering government secrets.

Everyone has their own reasons - or hidden agendas - in starting a blog. Mine is simple enough. Secret encrypted journals have always been a passion of mine - one of the trademarks of a Scorpio, I'm sure - and this blog here is just an extension of the one kept locked up in my drawer, albeit with a snazzier template and scandalous shots of lounging half-naked hunks. Oh yeah, and you don't have to deal with my horrible, much-maligned doctor's handwriting that resembles nothing more than the minute illegible scribblings of a inebriated toddler on the wall.

MenOne of the unforeseen side effects of the blog is the fact that more bashful men are taking that quick peek out of the closet. With the relative anonymity of the web, there is some small sense of security - although it's ephemeral at best - but that's certainly encouragement enough for those deeply in the closet to slide a foot out the door. Even that short glance is enough to note that gay men aren't all stereotypically hairdressers, interior decorators and flight attendants - that we do come in all shapes and sizes from engineers to teachers to pilots - hell, even to doctors.

Even going by Kinsey's infamous average, it's quite a community out there and we're not all flawless clones shipped out of gaytown. Not all gay men are spa-going perfectly-coiffed-and-plucked gymbots with fabulous Armani and wasp waists the size of a man's handspan. Shockingly some of us ( gasp! ) are actually grungy, unshaven slobs who don't actually give a shit about dinner parties and window trimmings.

And most importantly ( especially to the conservative fundamentalists around ) that not all of us are genuine sex-crazed perverts who crouch around dark bushes behind public toilets in search of that next virile trick. Most of us are actually serious-minded average joes that you meet right on the street. Of course, I'm a lousy example of sensibility so don't go around judging gay men by degenerate old me :)

Such a change from the times when I first came out and didn't have a fucking clue how to go about it. With all the negative portrayals of gay men in the media and the neverending homophobic jibes in school, there were hardly any homosexual ideals that I could emulate ( apart from a ravishing transgender who sauntered back home in the early dawn behind the school - but I never looked good in heels dammit! ) and it was all my ISO and I could do to fumble through our hormonally-imbalanced adolescent years. Possibly the reason why we both turned out a little off-center :)

So with more positive images of homosexuality in the media nowadays ( well, relatively speaking! ), that's certainly good news indeed to the youthful ingenues who are just dicovering that the handsome old buddy changing in the stall next door is giving them minor palpitations and a dangerous rise. You're certainly not alone :)

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gays are also humans.

I'm not gay(lesbian) & I still enjoy reading your blog - it's definitely different and I can honestly say that your posts are much better than some bloggers who called themselves metrosexual.

Anyway, thanks very much for the kind comment you left on my blog.
I'm not strong, I'm just a survivor. ;)

quicksilverlining said...

hoo. must be great to be gay and happy. hee.

Anonymous said...

Well I started blogging since I got inspired while i was reading Bryanboy's blog.

Gay boy comes to London said...

If asked to describe a blog, I'd say: simply a window into other peoples lives. I asked a gay art lecturer to summarize blogging, he said with great flair and fasion: a cross between evesdropping and voyeurism!

Great post as usual.

Gay boy comes to London said...

If asked to describe a blog, I'd say: simply a window into other peoples lives. I asked a gay art lecturer to summarize blogging, he said with great flair and fasion: a cross between evesdropping and voyeurism!

Great post as usual.

William said...

Someone did comment that your blog template includes pictures of men in provocative poses in every post. I agree that it makes reading your blog in the office a challenge!

I jumped on the bloggng bandwagon for unknown resigns. I blog about fluff. I don't have your writing flair. :D

ENVY said...

We live, we learn, we blog, we eat, we sleep , we blog...YES blogging seems to be the next best thing nowadays, for me its like a secret garden where i post what i feel like posting without having to mold the truth to look better or feel more secure as im forced to do sometimes in my society. Yet sometimes i post a picture, a dish or a painting regardless of who's watching or as some of u call it sneak from the window. Being gay is certainly an imposrtant factor and then again sometimes we think differently then others around us and have different approaches towards things... yet they might be blogging to! I'm finding it intresting lately yes since im beggining to get to know more the bloggers i have links for on my blog-they havent been linked to get linked i do enjoy their blogs-and thats nice! Paul from Malaysia, Chigagy from Japan, Leonard etc... maybe one day we meet if some of us travel somewhere and maybe things better stay mysterious as they are cause we might loose the intrest of "SNEAKING". envy

thompsonboy said...

I only blog because I am too free now. God pls send me more work!!!!

Zemien said...

thompsonboy: I hate you.

Anonymous said...

i really like your blog. i have to say that it's one of the best written ones out there.

J.L. Atoz said...

My handwriting is so messy I should have studied medicine.

Kihu said...

ahah yah reading ppl's blogs especially gays one really give more insights to me about gay. Not just sex n lust!

nyonyapenang said...

ya, agree with jemima.
long, long time ago, my perception of gays were nothing pleasant and was based on hearsay only. damn it.
until, I met and spoke to a few when i was holidaying in frisco. it was enlightening. ;)

Anonymous said...

btw... you make me wanna be a better blogger. awww... shucks... and all that stuff.

Las montaƱas said...

Just enjoy life, cos it is short.

Just reminded me of a website done by someone from AU. He got a terminal illness and mentioned it on his website, saying that in the next 2 months, he would probably not have the chance again to carry on updates on it. Sad. Website still there by the service provider in his memory.

So blog today like there is no tomorrow.

sharon said...

you're such a eloquent writer! i bet you would make a wonderful lecturer or something. :)

stumbled onto your blog by chance.

i grew up having very little opinion about homosexuality because my favourite uncle's a gay, so it's nothing unusual... except that i thought he was the coolest uncle because he gave us (my sis and i) the nicest (and the most tasteful) presents compared to my straight uncles, and he dressed so well too! :)

keep blogging! :)

Just Me said...

Blogging is such a great outlet...until your real life friends find yoru blog...then you have to sensor your writting to make sure they don't start talking.

Annie said...

Heck, I read your blog Paul because you're a freakin' NUT! Your sense of humor is beyond human. You being gay doesn't define you; at least not to me. It's simply a part of you. 1/564th part of who you are and allows me to understand and appreciate your unique struggles that I will never experience. I hope blogging is a step forward to helping the people in this world understand and appreciate our differences.

Patrick said...

Reading blog gives courage for people like me who live closeted life throughout my life to take a better view about the sexuality issue. It's definitely a good approach to learn about oneself.

executorlouis said...

Speaking of blogging, drop by mine for a while. There's something you ought to see. ;)

Anonymous said...

Because of blogging, I've found you. :-)

savante said...

Thanks, jemima!

Glad you're gay and happy, quicksilver :)

Whoa, aren't you on holiday chas?

Eavesdropping and voyeurism... gotta use that one day, gay boy !

Have a difficlut time reading it myself at work, william :P

Yeah, and we do get to meet people aruond the world! That's certainly cool, envy.

Dammit, you are making me jealous thompsonboy! No wonder zemien hates you :)

Thanks, callen. Glad you think so!

True enough, jlatoz. But it's still not worth the sacrifice.

And a peek into someone else's life for once, famezgay.

Glad to have changed your perception of gay men, nyonya.

Yikes, terminal illness. Ouch. It certainly changes your outlook on life, las montanas.

Thanks, Sharon. Glad you stumbled by. Why are you doing medicine!

They have found mine, cr. Hard to censor!

A true nut learning from ya, annieneinei... :)

One step at a time, patrick.

Will do so soon, louis!

Wah, so romantic ah, calvin :)

Paul

Anonymous said...

Have been an avid reader of your blog for sometime now, actually you blog was the first blog i have ever read.
Just would like to thank you for making bashful closet people like me not feel so 'weird'after all.

lurv your work !

Annie said...

LOL! @ anonymous! Yeah, anybody standing next to psycho nutty Paul makes EVERYBODY feel more normal. :D Love Paul, he's my hero.

Will said...

October 1st will be my 6-year anniversary of blogging. It has really helped me to put my thoughts down in words, but I have also gotten comments from people who are just figuring out what it is like to be gay and they are happy to see more than the bad pictures that churches and others paint of us. I have also met some of these bloggers in real life, much as I hope to meet you one day, Paul.

RRP said...

great post, paul.

i know wot you mean by the bloggers' sense of community. ours here in melbourne are starting to grow. it's becoming quite the social thing, too, with one and few catching up in person.

always a fan of your work.

S said...

Those cliches are so wrong!

Who doesn't love getting their hair and nails done while wearing my Armani suits and talking about interior decorating?

It's so much fun!

Kidding.

Anonymous said...

Stumbled on your blog recently and have enjoyed reading it since. Great blog you have here.

Did you know that yours is among the top blogs on Google with keywords "malaysia doctor blog"?

Agree with you about most gays being your average joes. The stereotyped views are certainly not helping. What's needed is better understanding.

Anonymous said...

Dinner parties? Give me a backyard barbeque with pretzels and beer anytime!

savante said...

Thanks, anon! Glad you made a comment!

Always nutty, annienien..

Same over here. Have met quite a few here too, will.

Thanks for being here, ryan!

True enough! Doesn't everyone love Armani, steven?

OMG Overworked doc.. you sure?

pretzels and beer, brian?!

Paul