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2014 Menswear Trends FOR SPRING
By Anita Taylor
New York, Paris, Miami, Naples, my children I have been logging more air-miles than ever before, all in the effort to keep up on fashion trends. After a whirlwind trip to the fashion homes of the world, I have pared it down to the bare essentials. Here’s what you need to know to be fashion-forward this Spring.
Patterns
While head-to-toe white is always popular at Spring shows, the dominant motif of the season was floral; oversized or miniscule, flowers could be found in every designer’s collection. Also hot this season; big stripes. Many designers featured horizontal patterns, and a variation on the strip motif, ombré, long popular in women’s wear, is showing up in menswear as well.
Cut
The skinny suit seems to be on the way out. While there were a few close-cropped jackets and slim, fitted pants, the majority of the looks featured fluid lines and softer fabrics. Designers flirted with longer jackets and looser pants by way of Asia. Tunics and kimonos played up the Asian influences in many collections.
Trends
Mid-century modern influences continue to be strong, there was a lot of casual wear in, what I like to call, “Don Draper at the country club.” There were also some nods to the ‘40s with fuller, high-waisted pants with thin belts.
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Fabrics
Lots of flowy cotton, some summerweight silks, linen, of course and, surprisingly, extensive use of snakeskin and leather. These summer-weight hides are cut thinner than usual and shown without linings, showing up, not only in trousers, but also in loosely structured T-shirts.
Accessories
Espadrilles were everywhere. The humble beach shoe was given a makeover by Christian Louboutin, Richard James, E. Tautz and Gieves & Hawkes, among others. Man bags have expanded from document holder and briefcase alternative leather accessories to softer (dare I say feminine?) forms. Burberry, Jil Sander, and J.W. Anderson all showed off soft leather and fabric clutch bags for men which were crumpled or rolled and carried under the arm. The long summer coat in bright colors, a lighter version of the classic trench, was seen on many runways.
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Designing Men
By Anita Taylor
The big fashion shows may be in New York, Paris and Milan but that doesn’t mean that’s the only places to find haute couture or fashionably designed menswear. Chicago has quite a good reputation for nurturing talented designers and the menswear field is no exception. Quite a few “designing men” call the Windy City home. Jack Cave spent his early childhood in the rural community of Fulton, Missouri, where he learned the value of revitalizing old, discarded materials and the sense of satisfaction that comes from creating something of worth with one’s own hands. After graduating from the Kansas City Institute of the Arts, he was Creative Director of Zak Designs, moving the company’s product line, away from mass market appeal to upscale specialty outlets such as Crate & Barrel and Selfridges of London. After Zak Designs, Jack began to pursue his life’s true passion; designing and hand-crafting unique and functional products from salvaged materials. Best known for his work in recycled leather, he creates fashion, accessories and home decor that celebrate his independent style. At Fashion Focus Chicago 2013, Jack Cave highlighted his (re+BORN) collection, which utilizes second-hand materials as essential constructive elements. In the fall of 2014, Jack Cave will be launching a limited edition collection of men’s and women’s scarves that will be featured on Kickstarter.com. To see more and preview the collection, visit https://www.facebook.com/JackCaveDesign
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Daniel Bernardo started Glass House Shirtmakers a little over 3 years ago to fill a menswear void by marrying his passions: shirts and sustainability. Previously he was an artist, a holistic nutritionist, and worked in the sustainable development industry. He started his company because he couldn't find a simple, well-made shirt to fit his slim physique. Bernardo’s passion for all things "green", meant that he believed it was necessary to use sustainably relevant and technologically sound fabrics, local manufacturing and U.S.-based vendors, suppliers and distributors. The shirts, which do not have names or style numbers, are differentiated simply by the contents and colors of the shirts. Priced at $178, some are marked down to $135. Products can be purchased at Dovetail Boutique and Meyvn in Chicago and Olive Fine Organic Living in Milwaukee. For more information, e-mail them at info@glasshouseshirtmakers.com or call 773.270.1711. Richard Dayhoff is a graduate of the International Academy of Design. His designs have been sold for the past 20 years in more than 300 retail establishments nationwide, including Nordstrom, Takashimaya and Saks Fifth Avenue. Known for his sculptural approach to design and attention to detail, Dayhoff has achieved success in women’s ready-to-wear and men’s sportswear, a signature fragrance for men and women and recently introduced a men’s underwear collection, available in Chicago at Zeglio. Dayhoff has earned the AIBI Designer of Tomorrow Award, the New York More Fashion Award, and a nomination for the Gold Coast Fashion Award. Dayhoff has dressed Oprah Winfrey and appeared on her show, reported on fashion for CBS, been on the cover of W.W.D. seven times as well as featured in Harper’s Bazaar, W, Elle, Glamour and Men’s Style. Richard is a member of the Mayor’s Fashion Council. For more information you can contact Richard on facebook, www.facebook.com/richarddayhoff Anita Taylor is a celebrity stylist, fashion writer, personal shopper and hash house waitress. She attended Parsons New School, Radcliff and Mr. Lance’s College of Cosmetology.
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Motor Mouth neutral zone
By Parker Carr
The Geneva International Motor Show at the Palexpo is a gearhead’s wet dream come true. First held in 1905, it has hosted almost all major models in the history of the automobile. Prototypes, new equipment and technical breakthroughs announced at the exhibition are the norm. The show is regarded as a level playing field for the world's automakers, since Switzerland lacks an auto industry of its own, it is a neutral country in this aspect as well. Even if we never see these cars on American roads, there were a number of exciting debuts and previews. The Audi S1 A1, is about three inches longer than a Ford Fiesta ST but nearly identical in every other dimension. It features a 231-hp turbo four, 231 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, the S1's EA888 2.0-liter turbo four is less powerful than the A1 Quattro’s EA113, but it produces more torque. According to Audi, the S1 can sprint from standstill to 62 m.p.h. in less than six seconds, and still achieve 34 m.p.g. The look can be enhanced with an exterior design package that adds special “Quattro” graphics, a large rear wing, and blacked-out trim on the hatch. Giugiaro, an Italian subsidiary of Volkswagen, debuted an electrified peoplemover concept car at the show. Called the Clipper, it is a vision of what the
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minivan/SUV might morph into. The fully electric Clipper utilizes VW’s MQB platform features six seats divided into three rows, the middle and rear rows fold down to form a two cubic-foot cargo area. The company estimates a range of 335 miles per charge. The styling is nothing spectacular, until you open the doors. Support pillars are integrated into the rear doors. The front pair open in a butterfly arrangement, and rear doors in a gull wing design, making a large opening for easier egress, perhaps making it the best car for those needing wheelchairs. It features extensive use of touch screens and digital displays. It claims a top speed of 127 m.p.h. The New Citroën C4 Cactus delivers a futuristic blend of form, function economy and believe it or not, is actually in production. (The vehicle pictured is a concept version, but not that far removed from the in-production model.) The C4 Cactus is comfortable, practical and stylish. It’s not a particularly large car, but manages to feature fairly spacious back and front seats, because it is taller than comparable cars, yet weighs in at just over 2,100 pounds. A CO2 blend allows it to get an amazing 91.1 m.p.g. If ever a French car was ripe for the American market, this is it.
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HELPING GLBTQ YOUTH IN CHIC AGO
Kim Hunt, executive director of Affinity Community Services, announced that a summit on LGBTQ youth in the Chicago region, "Owning Our Lives: Dream It. Speak It. Do It!", will be held on May 2-5. The purpose of the summit is to assess the current issues impacting homeless youth and examine new solutions to these complex issues.
service providers, academic researchers and individuals working on these issues. Registration is $45 for adults, free for youth. On Monday, May 5 at The Museum of Broadcast Communications, a report to government agencies, politicians, foundations, academics, and donors will be presented. Registration is free. The website for registration, donations and full information is http://chicagosummit.lgbthomelessness.com.
The summit has several goals, including, looking at the complex causes of homelessness, shining a light on existing work being done, reporting on the gaps and needs, listing short-term and long-term strategies and steps toward creating action. The first two days of the summit will be broken down into general plenary sessions and facilitated workshops focused on areas including: housing issues (shelters, DCFS, HUD, etc.), public policy (city, county, state, federal), legal issues (emancipation, public safety), education and job training, healthcare access, mental health and substance abuse.
State Rep. Greg Harris issued a statement about the Summit: "As an appropriation chairman overseeing the State budget, every day I see how education, sports, arts, healthcare, substance abuse counseling, physical and behavioral health, child care, parenting, affordable housing and a myriad of other issues overlap, and how challenging it is for many youth, particularly homeless youth, to access and use services. Everything we do to collaborate, coordinate and help youth access and navigate across institutions, geography, services and organizations are tasks we owe to thousands of young people who are struggling to achieve their full potential."
The Friday, May 2 session, at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, is open to people 25 and under who have been impacted by homelessness, registration for this section is free. Saturday, May 3, at The University of Illinois at Chicago (Behavioral Sciences Bldg.) is open to youth, nonprofits, government agencies, politicians, foundations, activists,
"Addressing LGBT youth homelessness requires a team effort. This summit presents an opportunity for everyone-from policy makers and faith leaders to advocates and activists-to come together and find new ways to address an ongoing challenge," said Commissioner Bechara Choucair, M.D., Chicago Department of Public Health.
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By: Victor Barreiro
Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez is what you’d find her listed as on her birth certificate, but music lovers around the globe know her as Ivy Queen. This multi Latin Grammy nominee is responsible for such chart-topping songs as “Quiero Bailar, Te He Querido”, “Te He Llorado” and “La Vida Es Asi” and those are just to name a few. Ivy will soon grace the stage as she travels across the United States for her first ever gay tour. The Queen of Reggaeton tells us about the upcoming tour and what the gay community really means to her. What can we expect when you kick off your gay club tour? This is something that I’ve been wanting to do for so long. I want to do something for the gay community. They always support me. All of my best friends are gay. This is a tribute for the love that they have shown me. I am going to make sure that the guys have fun and that they sing along with me. I am trying to incorporate different drag queens from the U.S. I am a huge fan of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and basically I want to have a drag queen at every city that I will be visiting. You’ve performed at Gay Pride in Los Angeles and Long beach. What is it about the gay community that strikes a chord with you? They feel free…that freedom that allows you to say what you feel, even though if it hurts somebody, you’re telling the truth. Another thing is that they are so brilliant. They are so talented. I know a lot of make-up artists, painters, stylists that are so creative. I have friends that do clothing. They are happy and are celebrating life. That is what I love about them. That is what I love about them, the freedom of being who you are. That is why I love them so much. What would you like to say to your gay fans? Thank you for all of the love that they have shown me through Facebook, Twitter everywhere they send me love. They congratulated me about my daughter’s birth. Of course, I want them to be there with me in every city and in every club that I’ll be visiting. So, basically I just want them to be
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iMUSIC
T he s oul o f s p r ing
By Gregg Shapiro
It’s not unreasonable to say that all of Beyoncé’s solo work has led to her mature, intriguing, varied and very adult new self-titled two-disc set album. You can hear echoes of the groundwork she laid on her four previous discs throughout, and Beyoncé takes the road she paved in new and exciting directions. Increasingly personal and revealing, the songs on the “audio” CD strike a balance between being a strong and sensible woman of the world and being one in the boudoir. Statement songs such as “Pretty Hurts” and “***Flawless” (containing a portion of a TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) show Beyoncé evolving into a feminist ambassador. But she’s also not afraid to talk dirty, as she does on “Drunk In Love,” “Rocket,” “Partition,” “Blow” and “No Angel.” The accompanying “visual” DVD, featuring 17 videos, gives you something to look at while you listen. Pharrell Williams may not have won the Oscar for the giddy “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 (it was honor just to be nominated, right?), but that shouldn’t spoil his mood. The stylish multi-hyphenate cleaned up at the Grammy’s, taking home statues for Producer of the Year and for his ground-breaking work with EDM act Daft Punk. The highs continue on G I R L. Synthesizing essential influences including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Prince, into his hot hybrid, Williams makes it count on his second solo album. Equally adept at making music for adults (“Gush”) and kids (“Happy”), Williams puts his celebrated production skills to use on cuts such as “Hunter,” “Come Get It Bae” and “Lost Queen.” Separately, Toni Braxton and Babyface (aka Kenny Edmonds) were two of the most popular R&B acts of the early 1990s. But the years that followed were not kind to either and each became a kind of footnote, occasionally resurfacing, but never significantly enough to qualify as an official
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come-back. Joining forces on Love, Marriage & Divorce (Motown), the pair must have thought there’d be safety in numbers. They both sound good, Braxton in particular on “I Wish” and “I’d Rather Be Broke,” and Babyface on “Sweat” and “The D Word.” “Heart Attack” is a fun, if dated, dance track, and therein lies the problem. There’s nothing on this whole album that sounds as fresh and new as anything on Pharrell or Beyoncé’s albums. Aloe Blacc had his work cut out for him when it came to following up his well-received 2010 second album Good Things. Add to that Blacc’s vocals on the massive Avicii hit single “Wake Me Up,” and things could go either way on his major-label debut. Thankfully, Blacc doesn’t disappoint on Lift Your Spirit. Like Pharrell, Blacc looks to the soul music of the past for the inspiration, coming across as a 21st century Bill Withers. “The Man,” with its interpolation of Elton John’s “Your Song,” gets things started on the right note and songs such as “Here Today,” “Chasing,” “The Hand Is Quicker” and “Ticking Bomb,” are all excellent. The acoustic version of “Wake Me Up” is also a welcome addition. As one-fifth of the 5th Dimension, Marilyn McCoo was a member of one of the most successful pop groups of the 1960s and 1970s. When she and husband Billy Davis Jr. departed for a career as a duo, they had a couple of hits, including “You Don’t Have
To Be A Star” in 1976 and the disco single “Shine On Silver Moon.” McCoo (finally) went solo in 1983 at the same time that she was hosting the hokey TV musical variety show Solid Gold, hence the title of her album Solid Gold, debuting on CD with the bonus unreleased track “Relationship,” written by Dave Davies. McCoo sings the title song in all of its gold-plated glory. She also tries her hand at covers of pop tunes of the day, including The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” Culture Club’s “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya,” Hall & Oates’ “One On One,” and the David Bowie/Men Without Hats medley “Let’s Dance”/”The Safety Dance” (no, really). Just as McCoo’s star began to fade in the 1980s, Sade’s was starting to burn brightly. With early hits such as “Smooth Operator,” “Hang On To Your Love,” “Never As Good As The First Time” and “No Ordinary Love,” through later ones including “By Your Side” and “Soldier of Love,” Sade established herself as a fierce diva, who could hold her own in jazz, pop and soul. Essentially a repackaging of the expanded
2011 double disc anthology The Ultimate Collection, the renamed The Essential Sade lives up to its name. Valerie June comes from another tradition altogether, with the emphasis on tradition. In the same way that Pharrell Williams and Aloe Blacc incorporate the influences of retro soul, June’s musical roots go a little deeper, taking inspiration from blues and folk, in addition to soul. Back to back tunes such as “Somebody To Love” and “The Hour,” on Pushing Against A Stone expertly illustrate that point. “Wanna Be On Your Mind,” “Tennessee Time,” “You Can’t Be Told” and “Trials, Troubles, Tribulations,” are also standout numbers. Initially one half of UK hip-hop/soul duo Floetry (along with Marsha Ambrosius), The Floacist (aka Natalie Stewart) has been keeping the rhymes flowing solo since 2010. Her latest album, Rise of the Phoenix Mermaid features a song titled “Womyn.” Discuss.
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,
Rick Karlin s
Easter Dining in Chicago Easter is one of the busiest days for restaurants. Whether you plan on brunch or dinner, you best is to get your reservations in early. Among some of the dining options available are: Brunch at Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House in Naperville will include a carving station, an omelet station, a shellfish bar, a buffet with brunch classics and a kid's table. A mimosa and bloody Mary bar will be available for adults. Troquet in River North will feature a $25 three-course prix fixe brunch. Bottomless mimosas can be added for $15. If you’ve got little ones in tow, the “Bunny Brunch” at Lambs Farm's Magnolia Cafe & Bakery in Libertyville is a tradition. It’s reasonably priced at $16.95; $7.95 for kids ages 2-12. Or try Ed Debevic's where the kids can take photos with the Easter bunny as you graze on a brunch buffet. It’s $20; $10 for kids ages 5-12. For those without little ones in tow, Minibar has Easter "Brunch Gone Wild.” It’s $25 for a food and champagne package (which includes one bottle of champagne) and $10 for a carafe of Bloody Mary. Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club celebrates with pink champagne and a special, four-course prix fixe menu for $34.95. The fierce and fabulous Diva Madam X will entertain and all martinis will be half-priced. My grandfather said that all Jewish holidays could be summed up with, “They tried to kill us, we survived. Let’s eat!” The eight-day festival of Passover is no exception. It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Seders, a ritualistic meal, are held on the first
two nights. A number of places around town are offering Seder dinners on Mon., Apr. 14 and or Tuesday, Apr. 15, call individual restaurants for more information. Many Lettuce Entertain You eateries, such as, L. Woods, Mon Ami Gabi, Joe’s Stone Crab, OsteriaVia Stato, Frankie’s Scaloppine, Mity Nice and most Wildfire locations are offering a traditional family-style Passover Seder (available for groups of six or more.) $39.95; $16.95 for children 12 and under, contact individual restaurants for reservations. Tuscany in Wheeling serves up a three course, prix fixe Seder dinner for $32; $16 for children under 10.
Not in the mood to prepare a Seder dinner? Max's Delicatessen in Highland Park will prepare a professionally cooked one for you that includes chopped liver, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, chicken, brisket, kugel and more for you. $28; $13 for children 10 and under. Saranello's in Wheeling will prepare a traditional Passover Seder including matzoh ball soup, chopped liver, gefilte fish, brisket, chicken, whitefish, potato pancakes, dessert and more for $39.95; $20 for kids and $29.95 for carry-out. boiMAG 25
THEATER SCENE By Rick Karlin
Chicago Gay Men's Chorus celebrates the best of last decade of Broadway with "Bouncing Off the Walls: Broadway Our Way," remanding favorite modern day musicals of Broadway from the last 10 years. Memorable Broadway shows revisited include "Wicked," "The Book of Mormon," "Kinky Boots" and "Newsies" among others. Performances are being held at various sites; Ticket prices range from $20-$50 depending on the venue. For more information, go to www.cgmc. org or call 773.296.0541.
“The Way West,” at Steppenwolf, opens Apr. 13 and runs through June 8, 2014 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theatre. Light Opera Works will present “Damn Yankees,” June 7-15 at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston. A Red Orchid Theatre presents the Chicago premiere of “Mud Blue Sky,” running through May 25. Black Ensemble Theater will stage the world premiere musical “One Hit Wonders” May 9, running through June 29. Hell in a Handbag’s new show, “Caged Dames!” is a “gritty film noir women in prison musical homage” running June 5 through July 13 at Theater Wit. "Happy Endings,” Second Thought Theatre Company’s inaugural production, examines a tenyear friendship between a young heterosexual woman and a young gay man, through May 4 at Stage 773. Teatro Vista begins its 2014 spring season with an all Latino cast performing Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge” playing at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, from Apr. 15 through May 18.
Northlight Theatre has announced an extension of the world premiere of “Chapatti” developed through Northlight’s Interplay program. The play, which features John Mahoney, will run through Apr. 19.
Lookingglass Theatre opens its 20142015 season will open with “Death Tax,” then continues with “Lookingglass Alice,” “Title and Deed and the world premiere of an adaptation of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.”
Promoting New Works
Victory Gardens announced a call for submissions of new, challenging, and innovative plays to be a part of the 2014 Ignition Festival of New Plays, which will take place July 21-27. The deadline for submission is Thursday, May 15. Submissions can be mailed to: Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60614 or to ignition@ victorygardens.org... Black Ensemble Theater will run its Black Playwright’s Festival April 8-13, as part of the company’s Black Playwright’s Initiative... The Side Project and Tympanic Theatre Company have teamed up to produce a world-premiere western, “Sandalwood” running through Apr. 20 at The Side Project's theater on Jarvis.
Follow the Bouncing Balls
In Other News…
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Chicago's
in the know By Sue Deaunym
April Fool, NOT!
Among the projects being considered for the "Northalsted 2020 Development Plan” is having lights shooting up from the rainbow pylons that change colors depending on the event. Not a bad idea but hey, why not go totally Disney and have people dressed as historical gay figures walking the streets and interacting with the drunks stumbling out of bars? Imagine Oscar Wilde helping you hail a cab, or Eleanor Roosevelt holding back your hair while you vomit… Tuesdays are not dollar drink nights at ProgressBar as I reported in the last issue.. Wish I could say it was an early April Fool’s joke, but it was just a mistake. I hope we didn’t inconvenience any broke drunks.
Bean Queens
There’ll be no shortage of gas at Sidetrack on Saturday, Apr. 12 when it hosts the 15th annual Jack Daniel’s chili cook off! It’s only $10 for all the chili you can eat!... Saturday Apr. 19 the otters come out to play at SoFo Tap.… It’s not too late to see the big packages CGMC will have on display at its “Big Package Auction” at Sidetrack on Apr. 5… On Saturday, Apr. 5, Center on Halsted will offer “Steel Closets: Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Steelworkers” (now that’s a specific sub-group. I hope both of them are free!) … On May 24 Bear Pride will sponsor a Boystown Bar Crawl.
Laugh OUT Loud
“Don't Tell My Mother” on Monday, Apr. 7, at Laugh Factory featuring Jen Kober (The Mindy Project) and Fawzia Mirza (Chicago Fire), and The Joans, among others, is a benefit for IMPACT…
... ON THE GO! The GLAAD Hatter Brunch on Saturday, Apr. 19 will be held at Taverna 750. Special guest, Omar Sharif, Jr. faced a barrage of condemnation, criticism and threats of violence in the Arab world after he came out in 2012. Tickets are $75.
Sing OUT Loud
On Tuesday, Apr. 8, Charlie's will host one of the preliminaries for the contest to sing the national anthem at Out at Wrigley on July 12… If Sunday, Monday and Friday show tunes at Sidetrack aren’t enough for you, head over to The Call on Wednesdays for its show tunes night, or perhaps hit Hamburger Mary’s for Mary-Oke with Velicity Metropolis (and Sundays, too), or join Honey West for “You're The Star” karaoke, at Roscoe's.
Ch-ch-ch-anges
Reeling, The Chicago LGBT International Film Festival has finally moved from Nov. and now will be held Sept. 18-25... AIDS Legal Council of Chicago announced that attorney Thomas D. Yates is the organization's new executive director... TPAN recently announced the appointment of Nancy Abbate as interim CEO… Republicans have nominated Susanne Atanus, (she blames gays for autism, dementia and tornados) for the 9th congressional house seat. Please tell me why there are gay Republicans?
Passages
Vernita Gray, a long time activist in the GLBT community died after a battle with cancer. The next day, hate-monger Fred Phelps died, I’d like to believe that she was at St. Peter’s Gates waiting to kick his ass back to hell. We'll miss you Vernita. boiMAG 29
ASK ACE
by Ace Magyar
Filled With Rage on Damen
The other day a friend and I were in a store and a man that is always in there (I believe that he's a friend of the owner) started spewing anti-Semitic remarks out of the blue. I told the man (quite loudly) that he was a hateful bigot and that he should be ashamed of himself. The owner of the store apologized, but said he couldn’t control what his customers say. I didn’t want to argue about whether this man was a customer or the owner’s friend, so we left. On the way out, I just couldn’t control myself I was so filled with rage that I spit on the man. My husband says I was wrong. Was I?
Dear FWRD,
You were in the right, up until the moment when you spit on the man. I understand your rage and anger, and you were within your rights to speak up and call him on it. Your anger, however justified, does not allow you the right to commit battery, and once you spit on him, that’s what you did. Your best course of action is to stop frequenting that store and encourage others to do the same.
Hell Toupee
An acquaintance of mine wears a toupee. He’s not fooling anybody with it, as it looks so bad. I can’t believe that he doesn’t see it. I want to say something to him, but don’t know how to bring it up. What should I say?
Dear HT,
Nothing. It is not your place to say anything. If he were a good friend and if he asked your opinion, then perhaps you could offer him some advice on either replacing the toupee with a better one or going without it. But until that happens, as my mother used to say M.Y.O.B.
Pissed on Palmer
I have a friend who is a singer-songwriter. She recently put out an album on a small indie label. I arranged a gig for her at a place with a great reputation and asked her to send me her bio, picture and other images so that I could put together a press release about the event. She never followed though, so I called her label and asked them to send me the info. They did, along with copies of the CD to sell. Am I wrong for thinking that my friend should have been more cooperative and appreciative of the work I’ve done for her?
Dear POP,
You are making the assumption that because she didn’t follow through on your requests that she isn’t grateful, and that may not be true. She may not have followed through for a variety of reasons. You don’t mention if she has a “day” job in addition to her career as a singer-songwriter. If so, work obligations may have gotten in the way, or she may be overwhelmed with requests right now, or she may just be disorganized. Should she have done more? Ideally, yes. But as you know, we don’t live in an ideal world. You have two options; tell her that you are disappointed that she didn’t do more, or let it go. It's easy to criticize, but you may want to offer to help. In any case, you need to decide whether you want to do this for her again, should the occasion arise
Ace Magyar has a BA in communications, a MA in sex therapy and a PHD in zoology. He is a registered couple’s counselor specializing in the GLBT community. Send your questions to ASK ACE at boieditorial@aol.com
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