Mocha Lounge video blog (Ep. 2): "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom", "Paris is Burning", and much more

What a welcomed addition to AE. Thanks for all the hard work I know you guys put in to this so that we Black Men of Color can be entertained and informed. Just discovered you this week so I'll answer both questions: I don't know whether it is nature or nurture but I do know that it is definitely not a choice to be gay.  Sick of hearing about HIV/AIDS...No....I just turned 50, so being in my "party" years when the disease was first discovered I know first hand the devastation it caused, having lost forever mourned dear friends.  Saw Paris Is Burning when it first came out on VHS, God I'm old. Thanks again, I look forward to many more vlogs.

So glad to see Darryll Stephens on the cover of Instinct. So sad to hear about that Korean model. I'm reminded of the late great Leslie Cheung who began his career as a teenager and went on as an adult to star in such classics as Farewell My Concubine and Happy Together. It looked like the whole world was his. But it wasn't. He threw himself off a building. All sorts of LBGT people have all sorts of problems. All we can do is try to love one another as best we can.

 

I couldn't agree more about straight dudes on gay magazine covers. With james Franco you have the excuse of Milk. But outside of that, PLEASE! It was a shock to see Neal Patrick Harris on the cover of Out, cause he;s an actual out gay star. More of that, please.

 

So pleased you brought up the immortal Paris is Burning, which was directed by a white lesbian named Jenny Livingston. Such cross-gender/cross-sexuality insight is rare and terribly precious as you well know.

 

Now for the Q. I'm tired of hearing about HIV cause I'm exhausted by AIDS. I'm 61 years old and 3/4 of my dearest friends are dead. Yes we've got treatments now, but they're not "the cure." And I weep for those of us who still take stupid chances with their  health -- which is to say Our health.

NO... let me put it a little more clearly, HELL NO.

HIV/AIDS is still are serious issue in America, the GLBT community, and ESPECIALLY GLBT men of color.  Once we start to get complacent about the risks of HIV is when we allow it to once again become an epidemic and destroy the lives of thousands.

Of course I do not think HIV needs to dominate "gay" life/culture/media but honestly I don't think it is really even on the radar nowadays.

Sort of a chilling thought when I hear friends talk about barebacking and not even caring about how ridiculously stupid that is.  They just don't know.  There is no sense or urgency or danger anymore and I hope that comes back until it is too late for them. 

We need to be pressing the government to also improve treatments and look for a cure.  Outside of America the world is being crippiled by AIDS.  I found the WMD in Africa, it's AIDS, and the continent is in peril.

It's true at the Jumping The Broom showing, people literally laughed their asses off. There were asses all over the floor--the maintenance people spent days just mopping up asses.

Just kidding, great job guys.

http://www.nypress.com/21/43/film/ArmondWhite.cfm

Thanks to everyone for watching, and please tell all your friends about the show! We're trying to do something different and to diversify the images portrayed in the gay community. Thanks again, and you can visit us at myspace.com/mochaloungevb or www.mochalounge.blogspot.com

Double R, Hola' Papi Chulos.......

                                                 Once again you guys didn't disappoint with this installment of my favorite place to come.  It seems you brought even more joy into my life, this was all due to the shout-out you gave me, which was the cherry on top of my new and improved sundae.  It seems that just vibing with your column gave me a new attitude all-around and I'm dating someone that I had a crush on for awhile and if your wondering he is a man of color and just as fine as he wants to be.  You guys truly inspire me not only in my personal life but in my professional life as well because just by seeing you guys doing the damn thing, it so inspires me to strive and press on.  I can't lie but I felt all-kind-of-important, when I heard both of you say my name, it was an online-orgasm.  Thanks again........

 

It seems that you talked about everything that was on my mind from Noah's Arc and the new movie, which I haven't seen but I know this weekend I'm taken a little road trip to either New York or Philly to see where I can catch up with Noah and The Gang.  I live in Reading, PA and not too many places in a close radius that I could even imagine a gay film, let alone an all-black and Latino cast of gay and ultra-fabulous men in.  I was one of the biggest Noah Arc fans to date and I have to say that Patrick Ian Polk, is innovative like the two of you.  It seems Mr. Polk like the two of you saw a need in the gay community for visibility for the other gay brothers, that are sometimes overlooked.  Noah's Arc wasn't just ground-breaking but it was one of those shows that I honestly started to really care about the characters and looked for the similar aspects of my live, through their lives.  I realized that I have a bit of every character in me because not only do men of color come in every shade but we are such a diverse group.  I pray the movie does well.........to be continued.......I have to take my brother to vote.........I will be back with more about how I felt about the other topics you covered..........love you guys.........Double R forever  

It seems you guys talked about the Legendary documentary 'Paris Is Burning', which is one of the films that gave me chills.  It seems I saw the film when I was a younger man and I got goosebumps, just watching it.  It seems like Rob, I was taken back a bit, with the two tiny papi chulos, that were way-too-young-to-be-out and outside, it seems that just them being themselves and not being afraid was exactly what I needed.  It was clear that they found a family and home within the walls of the gay community at the time and I was still struggling with my identity, as well as finding people that I felt that understood where I was coming from.  Just that closing seen with them alone was the enough but the entire film was an EXTRAVAGANZA.  Double R, your observation of the film was on point because it was grimy and a bit dirty but it made a little gay boy from Reading, PA, who felt like such an outerspace alien, feel a bit at ease and more comfortable in my very own skin.  After seeing this film, I desperately wanted to go to New York and be with other people, who felt and looked a little like me.  From the FIERCE scenes at The LEGENDARY Balls, to the P.O.V shots and interviews of the cast of characters and I have to mention that this film shun light on the Transgender community, when no one else was talking about 'TRANNIES'.  It was delightful and informative and I was a big fan of this film and I would rent it at least 20 times from the time it came out.  Everytime it's on cable, I stop what I'm doing and I watch it, like it's the first time I have ever seen it.  It became a bit of a bible for me, in my quest to be a better black, gay man.  There was another standout scene for me and it was with this young, sexy black man, that was ironing a costume and talking about the 'LEGENDARY CHILDREN' and how he wasn't ready for that kind of status but the heartbreaking part of his interview was him talking about having someone in your corner.  I don't remember if he was ironing his own costume or one for his boyfriend but he had this infectious smile and a Cameo box haircut.  I just saw myself through this guy because I was hanging around FAMILY that were always FIERCE and always throwing a bit of SHADE and I was just this guy who wanted to be fabulous but didn't have that kind of confidence, just yet.  I knew my time was coming and it seems that time might be now because I have never felt more FABULOUS than I do now because now I'm surrounding myself around positive and FABULOUS people (present company included, that means you sexy chocolate brothers 'DOUBLE R').

You talked about Daryl Stephens, who is the Tre' Fabulous 'Noah' and the coverboy for Instinct Magazine but it seems that he is our Black and Gay version of David Beckman because the man is just downright beautiful and his insane Oh-So Sexy body is ridiculous.  Looking at him makes you want to go to the gym and find a plastic surgeon, all in the same day.  Double R, you guys were on the money when you touch on the topic of gay visibility in the media and especially with black gay men because it seems this is a landmark cover for Daryl and for us as men of color.  I haven't got the issue but I'm sure going to cop a few issues. 

You touched on the suicide of an Asian and out actor, which sadden me a bit.  It seems since I have become a big fan of the Logo channel, which now I have access to documentaries about the oversea gay scene as well as their struggles, I have noticed that gay life is so similar no matter where you live, the true reality is it seems that the younger gay men and women have it the hardest.  Suicide doesn't seems like the answer but I can't lie and say that it hasn't been something that has crossed my mind from time to time, especially when I was younger but I think that my spirituality came to my rescue and even having the limited but there access to other gay people, made it a bit more bearable for me.  We have to craddle the younger gay folks and give them positive images of us being successful at no matter what we do but mainly happy and comfortable in our very own skin. 

The Q question about being sick of HIV/AIDS talk, is a tough one because it gets a bit sad and depressing but we need to hear about the lastest advancements in treatment, as well as the new cases.  It seems that we have turned a deaf-ear on any kind of HIV/AIDS talk because it makes us a bit frightened but it seems especially in the black and latino communities because it seems that our case numbers are growing and the ages are getting younger and younger.  We can't say that no one never talks about HIV/AIDS because it seems that most people, that is all they talk about.  However it seems that many people have lossed so many love ones and friends, that all they have is the memories before HIV/AIDS became so prevalant and this mainstay in our communities. 

Once again, I can't thank you again for being so fabulous and so informative.  I promise that I will be your #1 fan for life.  You guys make coming to AfterElton, so worth the trip, it was so cool before but now I can't wait to see what you have in store.  Thanks again, God Bless and stay true, stay strong......Love you guys, Curtis