ed. Steve Harris, A BEAR'S LIFE #10 (WINTER 2007) and #11(SPRING 2008) (A BEAR'S LIFE, 56 Lafayette Ave., Suite 362, White Plains, NY, 10603, (914) 684-6936, [email protected])
Though I am pro-porn as a political position, I generally find visual porn to be boring, funny or depressing. Since many past Bear magazines have been just that (which, to expand on a theme in my review of BEAR TRACKS 4, is not that surprising, since oppression can result in attempts to represent one's reality for oneself, and the Victorian era demonstrates that the suppression of sexuality resulted and results in an explosion of transgressive expressions), it is refreshing that this magazine is so much more, and while, yes, it is a glossy four-colour affair, it is not aiming for the sort of "People for queers" that rags like The Advocate or Out devolved into. Instead, it tries to express a variety of views and subjects for its target audience - da Bears.
This far into the magazine, it occurs to me I've not defined Bear. Good... But, if you must have a signpost, Bears are big furry queer guys (and, I would argue, in some cases, big and possibly furry girls), said to be typified by a friendly and cuddly demeanour (don't get me started). In other words, the ultimate nightmare of certain macho men - cocksuckers who look and act like them (except, for the most part, in bed).
The Winter issue, speaking of certain macho men's nightmares, has an interview with Kevin Smith, cute and cuddly film director, along with his gay Canadian buddy/fellow filmmaker Malcolm Ingram. It's nice to see that Kevin has learned a bit more about Bears since the infamous Youtube clip (search, oh, "Kevin Smith on Bears") where he got cubs and twinks confused. It's also nice, if bordering on cockteasing, that Kevin is still going on somewhat ironically about fellatio in re male friends. Would someone just blow this man already (other than his wife)!?
Since I've never had any problem with straight folks on the cover of gay magazines (anyone who thinks the job of gay liberation can only be the work of homosexuals themselves, as The Advocate once paraphrased Trotsky, is both not living in the real world and has not been around a group of gay men trying to organize ANYTHING), I thought it was a refreshing and informative piece. To continue the Youtube plugging, you might want to try and find his appearance on Letterman where he educates the gap-toothed one on Bears, to David's evident bemusement.
This issue also has breezy and informative articles on interfaith Christmas celebrations, Daddy-Son couples, interior decorating (yes, deal with it), Bears of colour, winter sports, cologne (okay, so not my idea of attractive), Switzerland, Bear Runs, theatre (again, check yourself) and so much more, along with music and film reviews and, yes, even a horoscope column. Snappy, clever and fun...
The Spring 2008 issue has Bruce Vilanch featured (a beautiful man when he has a beard, and so, though I don't want to play Face Fur Fascist, please grow it back!), as well as articles on woodworking, Broadway makeup (will you get over your macho nonsense, hun? You know you spit out chiffon every time you speak...), comic artist Jean-Luc Berthin, cooking, ventriloquism, HIV, living wills and a plethora of other topics. Since this is the Renaissance Issue, it features a number of artists and musicians, such as Kendall and Freddy Freeman from the latter category and Kevin Chamberlin (actor) and Raymond Luczak (deaf writer) from the former, just to pick a few. Informative, as I had not heard of some of these folks, and I've been checking them out (their work, gutterbrains - mostly...).
I hope this magazine continues, as it lacks the anti-intellectual feeling of many queer magazines, while still being both fun and varied.
ed. Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom, BUTT MAGAZINE #19 (SPRING 2007) and #20 (SUMMER 2007) (BUTT MAGAZINE, Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen, 1017 RP Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Tricky as this magazine is to get in my part of the world (there is a book published by Taschen that collects #1-17), it is well worth the effort, since there are not too many magazines that seem comfortable with both Bearish and twinky lads, while managing to be both sleazy and sophisticated in the same publication and sometimes within the same article.
This Dutch publication has interviewed both erudite and slightly stuffy author Gore Vidal and porn actor Tommy DeLuca, to give an idea of the range involved.
In #19, along with photo essays of various dicks and intertwined skinny boys, infamous porn director Joe Gage (who specialized in rougher-looking guys and situations in his films) is interviewed, as is a man named Dirty Danny, who has not bathed in 30 years (it was a fascinating interview, if occasionally bordering on the distasteful - but what would you expect, really?), not to mention female-to-male porn actor Buck Angel (who is one handsome musclebear, I must say). One of the magazine's more democratic qualities is that it actually interviews relative nobodies too, epitomizing the Warholian ideal of fifteen minutes for us all.
#20 is the Gore Vidal interview, in which we learn that the man would rather say 'culo' than 'ass'. The feature on Perez Hilton didn't really improve my image of him, but it was interesting to hear him outside the context of gossip TV and to watch him hang himself (not literally). Jeppe from Danish duo Junior Senior was good to read about and nice to look at, as were Javier Peres (art dealer) and Marco Flores (housecleaner).
As to finding Butt - I hesitate to recommend them, but, if there is an American Apparel where you live, they may carry it. A Bear-friendly magazine there...irony...
ed. Marilyn Wann, FAT!SO? (Ten Speed Press, PO Box 7123, Berkeley, CA, 94707, 1998)
I must confess I found this in a dollar bin, but a perusal of Amazon confirms it is still in print and available, so I feel justified in reviewing this wonderful find, even so late in its history.
I was familiar with the website, but somehow missed hearing about the book, which is a sad comment on my powers of observation, since the front page shills for it!
The introduction sets the tone and themes of the book, and the quiz inside confirmed that, yes, I am a Fat!So? (though I'm not sure I would ACTUALLY go back to a clothing store full of XS garments, carrying a flamethrower, I can understand the sentiment, particularly after having a clerk in a store once tell me they only carried NORMAL sizes - so I'm a freak, huh? The scary part is, at the time, I was a size 36 or so...which is not exactly into the territory of Shamu The Whale, really...).
The travelogue piece about"Little Lost Pound of Fat Sees The World" was hysterical, given all those irritating sugar-rushes people post of their teddy bear having a cheap holiday in other people's misery. From an academic point of view, the deconstructions and critiques of conventional medical statements (I hesitate to say 'wisdom') were both informative and useful (funny how most of the skinny people I know can't walk a mile or two without wheezing, and are sick all through the winter). The parallels between left-handedness and fatness were entertaining, especially since I AM left-handed.
The book as a whole is full of both sass and facts, trying to help empower fat people to at least not feel like crap every time they interact with the world, which, no matter what you think about fat in terms of aesthetics or health or what have you, should be a laudable goal to which people should aspire. To quote a sticker that came with a record I have: 'Does treating other people like shit make your life so much better?' If you can answer that question honestly with a 'yes', you've got a lot more issues than can be exemplifed in the statement: 'I eat and I eat and I can't gain a pound' (oh, poor baby, have some of mine).
