I think the last and only time I heard the word “French” used as a non-adjective and non-language reference was something to do with Emily Ainsworth and Scott Simon allegedly “frenching” in the New Canaan movie theater in 8th grade. It was probably also used at one point or another in Grease, but when I first watched the movie version, I was too young to know what any of the Bad Teenage Kid words meant. Since February seems to be Use Perfectly Fine Words in Extremely Weird Ways Month, though, I guess this makes sense. From the New York City Opera website:
a fabulous evening of drinks, light fare, incredible entertainment, and
French connections. The Juilliard-trained opera singer and drag performer Shequida
serves as Mistress of Ceremonies, guaranteed to make you say “ooh la
la” as she shows off her five-octave range with opera selections and
pop hits.”
So first, kindly use the comments field provided below to tell me what “Learn to French” means. I’m all lame and innocent (UNLIKE that Emily, ahem), so I need to be educated. After that’s sorted out, let’s discuss what a “cultural gay” is. Wait – isn’t that redundant? I thought ALL gay men were cultural! Isn’t that what it Means to Be Gay? They love opera and pink and say “fabulous,” right? They know Christian was fierce but Rami was the better draper.
Seriously, though: Do we think NY City Opera’s “Boys Night” is completely offensive or just silly? Let’s not forget the “Jewish Singles Night” for Esther this fall. That copy included the gem “Flirt For Your Bashert!”
Now, what opera would be a good hook for gay Jewish singles?
First, as I tweeted, the photo used for “Boys Night” is the absolute, undeniable evidence of nature over nurture.
Second, I don’t really know gays like this but if I was one, this would probably be fun.
What you’ve hit on, I think (cha-ching! Hit on! get it? er…) is that “Learn to French” is a bridge too far. I’m a gay who is not a “culture gay” or an opera queen or whatever that means. But this is a perfectly campy and kind of silly way to connect with their core audience, which as far as I can tell is a venn diagram entirely made of jews and gays.
But what “Learn to French” does is makes the whole thing less flirty and silly and more sexualized, because … put one martini in a queen and he starts making out with anything. I kind of hate that, and it turns a pitch for a cute event into 90% fun opera thing and 10% circuit party. Perhaps a bump or two could really enhance Puccini, but I doubt it.
Jewish singles night is left entirely flirty (“Flirt For Your Bashert!”) and not sexualized, which seems more appropriate. Or perhaps they should have started that out with a “Savor some hamentashen!” zinger.
This screams of a marketing pow-wow where the question was, “How do we appeal to our more niche audiences?”
Why do gay men (or anyone) need a drag queen to get them to an opera? Because there’s a parallel between drag and opera? Like Hedda Lettuce and you’ll love Boheme?
And when did Shequida get a degree in drag from Juilliard?
My vote is ill-infomed. And, for real, why didn’t they get a partnership with a gay publication or organization to both legitimize this and help gather a crowd? Would have solved a million problems.
Then again, I realize that every single Facebook event invite I get is for some extremely graphic and/or innuendo-laden gay party. Today I’m invited to “The Petting Zoo” and tomorrow I’m invited to “Queers, Beers and Rears” so maybe gay people are just oversexed and gross, which makes this campaign tame and charming.
As a cultural gay who spends his life marketing gay cultural events, this is lame. If they want provocative, I say go big or go home. This is just cringe-worthy. And I really think RuPaul is better suited to the frivolity of Chabrier.
To your second question about cultural gays: a myth. No one has ever gone broke underestimating the taste of gay men.
Throw in Carol Channing and I’m there!
Seriously…this looks like something we would have made up to blow off some steam after a really long day in the McMarketing Department. I wonder how many high brow “cultural gays” they’ll be able to find who will still dig Shequida’s vocal stylings.
I read “cultural Gays” as an analogue of “cultural Jews.” The latter, of course, are people of Jewish heritage who are not religiously observant, but have something that could be called a Jewish ethnicity. (In other words, most white people in Manhattan, regardless of their particular heritage at birth.)
So, cultural Gays would be people who are not practicing homosexuals, but are connected to the ethnic aspects of Gay life, such as (to use Seinfeld’s analysis) being thin, single, neat, and able to get along with women. (In other words, fully half the men in Manhattan.)
To the party, boys…