Ad Watch: It's OK To Be a Cat Guy

Gay Guy,

The Much Love Animal Rescue team in southern California has launched the "It's OK To Be a Cat Guy" campaign, which emphasizes that cats are not just for lonely ladies. They are also for tough guys -- with or without social skills.

Other versions (biker, bartender) are also on our gayads/straightads Tumblr.

I have to admit, I've known many single straight guys with dogs. I've only ever known one who had a cat. And, yes, he communicated with the animal in "baby talk." Nice guy. But that was a little unsettling.

I like this campaign. But maybe it raises the question: Is there a gay/straight divide on dog/cat preferences?

Readers?

--Straight Guy

P.S. For the record, I am a dog guy. But that's just a preference, not a judgment. Kittens, especially, get me right in the soft spot.

And the Oscar Goes to . . ..

Straight Guy,

In honor of the Academy Awards (unofficial gay holiday), Metro Weekly, a Washington pub, updated their "25 Gay Films Everyone Should See." Call it, "The Sequel." The list is up to 50 films. I've seen half. Some of them I've never heard of.

I didn't get around to seeing The Kids Are All Right, nominated for best film tonight, but that's why there's Netflix.

--Gay Guy

We Need a (Gay) Hero

Straight Guy,

I was saddened to open the newspaper this morning and read that Perry Moore died last week. Read a New York Times online obit from last week.

Moore produced the Chronicles of Narnia movies, and, much more important to me, wrote Hero, a novel for young adults. Hero is the story of Thom Creed, a teenager suffering through high school, discovering his homosexuality, and, not the least, dealing with being a super hero.

Hero came out in 2007. I found a copy of it a few summers ago at a vacation house. After a few pages, I was hooked. I love young adult fiction --the genre was important to me growing up--plus it is perfect for the beach.

The super hero/gay teen allusion is pretty straight forward: Who am I? Will I accept and learn to appreciate and love who I am born to be? It's a classic coming of age tale.

Moore said that he wrote Hero because he wanted to see more gay heroes, thriving and winning, in books and films.

SG, you and I have talked about super heroes. Can I tempt you to share who is your favorite?

--Gay Guy

Britney = Gay Icon?

Straight Guy,

Britney Spears voted "ultimate gay icon"? For real?

The Orange County (California) Equality Project voted Britney the ULTIMATE gay icon. As in gayest icon of all time. I cannot capitalize or bold the word ultimate enough.

Huh?

The news alert torpedoed my afternoon's productivity.

To review: icon=image, representation, sacred personage.

She's not gay, she has no street cred, no real gay following that I know of. Am I running with an aging uncool crowd. (Okay, yes, I am.)

Huh?

--Gay Guy

Street Life: Crunch, Don't Crunch

Gay Guy,

I stumbled (almost literally) across this gentleman yesterday. Don't worry, he's fine. Just doing a set of ab crunches on a busy corner of our fair metropolis.

There are no residences on this block, so he got a pretty good workout just dragging his machine to this site. There is also a nice park just nearby, so I have to wonder what motivation he gets from the aesthetic of the underpass.

He got a few honks, and I assume that was probably the point. I guess someone didn't get enough attention when he was growing up. "Look what I can do, Mommy... I mean, everyone!"

I'm not a very religious person. But I know that diligence is a virtue while pride is a sin. This guy obviously has both out the wazoo. So I'm not sure what to make of him.

I could have stopped and talked to him, rather than pass judgment from a distance. But I was on my way to pick up some donuts. We all have our priorities.

--Straight Guy

Product Watch: Levi's Ex-Girlfriend Jeans

Gay Guy,

I'll admit that there's something sexy about a woman wearing a man's shirt. That's an iconic image that tells a risque story and has worked for Marilyn Monroe and countless other women. But apparently Levi's now thinks that the tables can be turned, and that guys look hot wearing lady pants.

Ummm. No. What would that backstory be?

Here's the sales pitch from the Levi's website: "Remember the girlfriend with the great style? Here's a tribute to her -- a fit that's super-snug allover, an update of the five-pocket classic that's as skinny as it gets. Made with plenty of stretch."

Yes, I know there are many guys already wearing skinny pants like this. A select few are lead singers in rock bands, where bending gender rules might add to their credibility. The rest are just misguided -- and being taken at $70 a pop. Do they not know that they have been wearing lady pants all along? At least we can now thank Levi's for the confirmation that this style most rightfully belongs to your ex-girlfriend. Guys, if you have a pair, it's time to give them back.

Yeah, I checked anyway, and they don't even come in my size. Maximum inseam = 32 inches. Tall dudes need not apply. Levi's is still my brand of choice, but I only pay thirty bucks at Sears for a hell of a lot more fabric than this. These days it's a straighter cut than the baggy ones I wore in the 90s, but still nowhere near "super snug."

Someone get the smelling salts for GG, I just mentioned clothes shopping at Sears.

--Straight Guy

P.S. Miller Lite's "Man Up" campaign, which features hot female bartenders publicly emasculating male patrons for any effeminate fashion choices (skinny jeans, man purses, etc.) is included on our GayAds/StraightAds Tumblr. I think that approach is a little harsh, just for the record.

Manly-cure?

Straight Guy,

I was in New York this past weekend, having a great time visiting friends.

The friend with whom I stayed has a Saturday manicure routine. No rain, no snow, no dark of night could keep her from that appointment.

Can you guess where this post is going?

Heck yeah, I got a mani, too. What was I supposed to do to kill the time, read Cosmopolitan?

I kept the manicure simple. Just a clean up--no buff, no clear polish. Still, this level of personal attention feels like something straight guys don't do.

Is there any 'man' in a manicure?

SG, guy readers: Ever get a manicure? For gays only? Female readers: where do manicures land for you. Gratifying? Give it the finger? Leave a comment and let us know.

--Gay Guy

Capt. Camel Toe to the Rescue

Straight Guy,

What can I say? I'm a Margaret Cho fan. She's vulgar and bad, but she makes me laugh. I've laughed with her all the way back to her The One I Want tour.

So I had to watch her new vid.

I am particularly enamored of the "Destroy/Vibrate" option.

--Gay Guy