Seeing Stars, Furry Stars
Jul. 16th, 2007 11:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eggwardsA few weeks ago I railed a bit about a newspaper feature piece about bears that seemed to be trying to find celebrities in the bear community in order to define what a bear is. It was my contention that the two people chosen by the author, writer Andrew Sullivan and former football athlete Esara Tualo may have bearish qualities, but they don't identify as bears, at least not consistently.
It was my opinion that the bear community is mostly made up of regular joes, not celebrities, and certainly to the outside world, most wouldn't know the names below. There's something about the community that seems to eschew the idea that there would be celebrities. Most times when we try to define "bear" to someone outside, we have to point out a bear-ish, but straight man to define the type, and even then, it's hard to say what is a bear.
But what makes a bear celebrity? There are many talented people in out community, from photographers like Chris Glass![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chrisglass to writers like Dave White djmrswhite. We have actors like Neil Badders mrdreamjeans and musicians like Kendallkendallrants. Just a few among many.
We have people in new media like podcasting and website design and others who are comedians and broadcasters. And yes, there are porn stars. Perhaps there should be more porn stars on the list below, but how many are really "names"? Even bear porn seems to be more democratic, with many unpayed guys and less based on a group of well known players.
I don't want to explain it too much, you either know the name, or you don't.
The list below is definitely short a few people, and I left a spot to nominate another person or two. Sadly, LJ made me split the list into two, but it was in an attempt to put in as many as possible. I did include Andrew Sullivan, but not Esara, and I included Armistead Mauipn who many might not think of as a bear, but in his new book seems to acknowledge bear culture. It's your decision of who's a bear and who isn't.
[Poll #1022829]
Please pardon me for any misspellings of names, OK? this is also not to pit people against each other, just to see what people think, and who's known around these parts. Lord knows the list is a little heavy on LJ'ers, for one thing!
It was my opinion that the bear community is mostly made up of regular joes, not celebrities, and certainly to the outside world, most wouldn't know the names below. There's something about the community that seems to eschew the idea that there would be celebrities. Most times when we try to define "bear" to someone outside, we have to point out a bear-ish, but straight man to define the type, and even then, it's hard to say what is a bear.
But what makes a bear celebrity? There are many talented people in out community, from photographers like Chris Glass
chrisglass to writers like Dave White djmrswhite. We have actors like Neil Badders mrdreamjeans and musicians like Kendallkendallrants. Just a few among many. We have people in new media like podcasting and website design and others who are comedians and broadcasters. And yes, there are porn stars. Perhaps there should be more porn stars on the list below, but how many are really "names"? Even bear porn seems to be more democratic, with many unpayed guys and less based on a group of well known players.
I don't want to explain it too much, you either know the name, or you don't.
The list below is definitely short a few people, and I left a spot to nominate another person or two. Sadly, LJ made me split the list into two, but it was in an attempt to put in as many as possible. I did include Andrew Sullivan, but not Esara, and I included Armistead Mauipn who many might not think of as a bear, but in his new book seems to acknowledge bear culture. It's your decision of who's a bear and who isn't.
[Poll #1022829]
Please pardon me for any misspellings of names, OK? this is also not to pit people against each other, just to see what people think, and who's known around these parts. Lord knows the list is a little heavy on LJ'ers, for one thing!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 05:14 am (UTC)Most of the people (or personas) on the list are unknown to me. A couple of the ones I am acquainted with have dedicated their lives to increasing their visibility to feed their vanity. That's not a stereotypically bear-like motivation.
Groups, like the bear community, are so hard to define anyway.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 05:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 05:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 05:38 am (UTC)*takes cover from the ensuing "What is a Bear" thread thats bound to start up here*
no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 06:05 am (UTC)I should admit, Jack Radcliffe made me gay.
ALSO I THINK I DESERVE TO WIN THIS POLL
Date: 2007-07-17 06:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 06:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 06:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 06:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 06:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 10:06 am (UTC)OMG! You've finally quantified the A-List BearsTM from the B-List Bears.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 11:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 11:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 11:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 12:06 pm (UTC)Does Armistead Maupin identify as a bear? Do others consider him a bear? Or is he included because he is a famous author that many bears like?
Urso is a celebrity of sorts within World's Fair fandom.
Nayland is a celebrity in the art world.
Randy could be considered a celebrity among up-and-coming playwrites.
Bobaloo and William (
Alonso Duralde, Dave White and Larry Flick are celebrity gay journalists.
But, as several people have commented, many people have no idea who they are.
Celebrity is in the mind of the beholder.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 12:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 12:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 12:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 12:15 pm (UTC)I guess I also could have added Seumas
no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 12:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 01:17 pm (UTC)Re: ALSO I THINK I DESERVE TO WIN THIS POLL
Date: 2007-07-17 05:12 pm (UTC)You'd be more of a star if your face wasn't littered with unfortunate pockmarks....you know, like Cameron Diaz and Lindsey Lohan.
And besides, if you win this poll, then I'm going to US Weekly and perezhilton.com with a tell all about your wild party girl lifestyle.
SO EAT THAT GAYLORD.
Re: ALSO I THINK I DESERVE TO WIN THIS POLL
Date: 2007-07-17 05:13 pm (UTC)eat my fuck! i'm winning the fame-battle!
Re: ALSO I THINK I DESERVE TO WIN THIS POLL
Date: 2007-07-17 05:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-17 08:24 pm (UTC)