Monday, May 12, 2008

Gay in Hip Hop? So what?


So, I wrote about this book/mess before.
Hiding in Hip Hop:On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry--from Music to Hollywood is coming out tomorrow (I think) and all the Black secretly gay men should hide under their beds. But guess what, they may not have to.

I was informed that it's not completely a tell-all book. It starts off with Dean's life story—poverty, molestation, a heroin-addicted prostitute mother. He goes to college and moves to Los Angeles to break into the entertainment business. He mixes with a wide range of people from movies, television, and the random parts of the LA celebrity-industrial complex, as well as people from the music industry. And his sexual experiences are noted in the book, but the catch is: There are no names mentioned!

Yep, I knew it. This is a tabloid book of sorts. Just a bio with true or false experiences with DL men. Now, I knew it would be something like this. As a writer, I would want to get my book published too. However, I would not sell out others for my claim to stardom. This book was marketed to out the stars in Hip Hop and movie fame. Terrance Dean was suppose to...well, I don't know what he was planning to do with this book. What are his intentions? Does he think he's helping anyone?

Child Cheese, he selling us out! He's willing to hurt others for his gain. As a black gay man, I find this book to be destructive to everything we have done to leave the DL curse behind. What is the point of this book? If it was a fictional story, then I could understand. But it's not.

I feel that this book is counterproductive to SGL, gay men of color, and the overall gay community. Maybe I'm taking it too far, but I'm bothered by this. I feel this book could send a horrible message to men who are struggling with their sexuality. If anything we should help them, not put them out there on front street. Most of us know the pain of being closeted, if a guy decided to out me when I wasn't ready, for no apparent reason, I would be mortified. If I was writing a bio, I would try to help someone, or reach out to say that, I've been there and if you like, I can help. I feel that's the a good way to strengthen the LGBT community.

2 comments:

YvesPaul said...

I do love Cazwell, he's doing pretty well in the gay nyc scene. "All over your face" and "I bought my socks on 14th street" are both great and you can find them on YouTube.

Cheers.

Alex said...

I am so tired of these "tell-all" books...The worst thing about this one is that the whole idea of being "gay" is the joke. Once again we are treated as some kind of pathology that people have to expose, label, and treat.....So over it!

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Viktor is a small town southern boy living in Los Angeles. You can find him on Twitter, writing about pop culture, politics, and comics. He’s the creator of the graphic novel StrangeLore and currently getting back into screenwriting.