Review: Stock Bar Free Pre - click - Pre - click - Pre - click - Preview

Sigh - High, high hopes for the Stock Bar Free Preview were dashed on Friday night as the server was so overwhelmed the site was forced to deliver intermittent 2 to 3 second video clips for most of the evening.

Let's just say that when you've got a living room full of drunk gay boys planning to ooogle your television, you begin to curse the man who invented the Internet, and the techies running the website for their inability to predict a massive influx in viewership. While the website improved as the evening went on, my guests missed seeing "Nick the Brick", and a mud wrestling/make out session/shower sequence between hunky David and twinky Franky (pictured above). Someone in gay heaven was mocking us last night.

All this strikes me as horrible planning on someone's part. Considering the club was handing out cards advertising the free night during Divers/Cite the weekend before, they should have been much more prepared.

I took atonement by watching the recap of the show's highlights online this morning.

Gay Pride Sponsors: No Capital Lovin'

For two years now I've noticed a very disturbing trend when it comes to the almighty pink dollar sponsorship. Attending Pride in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal there are several companies that go all out with their sponsorships; elaborate displays; and distribution of free crap for the gays to enjoy (thank you for the free handheld fan TD)!

But NONE of these companies show up in Ottawa. You know, the CAPITAL of your country, and arguably the city with a festival that needs the help much more than other, more commercial tributes to sexuality like Toronto Pride. Where are the Air Canada inflatable planes? The TD Boys in Green Speedos? The Trojan Hunks with free Condoms? The Parasuco kids with, well, rock hard abs and free cellphone accessories?

I have no idea what to make of this mess. Should I blame the corporations for being nothing more than sellouts who shoot their wad only in front of an audience size they deem appropriate rather than truly sponsoring gay events that need the help? Should I blame the Pride Committee for failing to attract these businesses and their precious dollars?

I know we have a large number of Ottawa gays who insist on keeping the event corporate free. Good luck with that - there's a reason the festival is over $100,000 in debt. The reality is that with City Hall slashing funding, and cheap gays and lesbians refusing to top up the fund, the festival will have no choice but to make that income up somewhere else.

I say the committee should sell out. Become corporate whores. The money is needed too poorly, and I think most of our gay community is educated enough to realize it's all B.S. for these companies to be at our parade. Besides, I want my free razors and wristbands.

New HBO Series: Thomas Jane is HUNG!

Thomas Jane, AKA "The Punisher," the sexiest male lead of any superhero movie this decade (that's right, I said Lead, leaving lots of wiggle room for Vancouver's own Daniel Cudmore - Colossus from X-Men 2) has been tapped for the title role in HBO's new comedy Hung.

Essentially Hung will be the story of a very, very well endowed high school gym teacher who decides to use his junk to make ends meet. If ever there was a comment on the current state of education in America, this is clearly it!

Look for the pilot to start filming soon. Here's hoping the still photos of Thomas Jane will make us gay boys swoon.

Review: Divers/Cite - Train to Snoozeville

Well, that sucked. Last weekend was Divers/Cite in Montreal, and other than the fact that the Ottawa boys out numbered the Montreal "citoyen" 4:1 nobody could tell anything special was even happening in the city. No shout outs from DJs, no special costumes being worn by twinks, no strippers hanging out in the streets in their underwear... In short, as a good friend of mine would say, "That party would have been a waste of an E."

In fact, it was very reminiscent of Canada Day here in the Capital - droves of people walking back and forth across the same stretch of cordoned off streets, no particular activities or events driving them. There were however parties at Stereo that cost $70 at the door to attend.

Divers/Cite had two main stages which put on various shows and dances. That's great - but none of them started on time, in fact the Tea Dance on Sunday started 2 hours late, and was scarcely populated at best.

There's a major, major problem with Divers/Cite. So much so the locals we chatted with had taken to referring to the festival as the "fake pride." Divers/Cite cut the parade two years ago (which has been resurrected, thank god, by a rival Pride Society), canned any information booths, dismissed any community lobbyists, and in general kept the festival far, far away from the gay village businesses: obviously an attempt to punish business owners for not supporting the project. Where were the events for guys that didn't want to club? Where were the family oriented parties? Where were the lesbians?

All of this should sound eerily familiar to Ottawa fags. This is EXACTLY what happened to the Ottawa Pride Society when their leadership decided they knew what was best for the community, rejected any constructive criticism, and then demonized the traditional corporate sponsors of the event. It has been 3 years now and our parade is still lacking - the committee itself estimates it will take up to 10 years to rebuild itself to its former glory.

In its effort to broaden its base and become a "celebration of diversity" rather than a GLBT parade Divers/Cite has abandoned its core. It's hard to stand for something when you're too busy standing for everything - you quickly lose all credibility. As former Prime Minister Paul Martin would attest: when everything is a priority, nothing is.

Raise a Little Hell: Bank St BIA Cans Village Proposal

In the "Who'se Actually Surprised" file, the Bank Street Business Improvement Association, the overlords of Bank St as it were, have officially canned and punted any plans to establish a Gay Village in Ottawa.

While I've had my fair share of concerns about the logistics of an Ottawa Village, I have always been 110% behind the idea, and fully supported the efforts of Glenn Crawford who has lobbied tirelessly for the initiative.

So what can be done about it? Well my friends, now is the time - more than ever - to give a damn and fight. Glenn is suggesting members, friends, and supporters of the gay community in Ottawa do one of two things: 1) Contact to your Local City Counsellor and express your frustrations; and 2) Contact the Bank Street BIA at 613.232.6255 to ask why you should continue to support shops and services that don't support us.

Several people are floating the idea of a large scale protest, which may be difficult with the construction going on. Stay tuned: developments posted as they happen!