stop touching me
Does Anyone Else Hate Going to Nightclubs?
After watching Howie Mandel last week on 20/20 reveal his near-crippling level of obsessive compulsive disorder (to promote his new book Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me), where his fear of germs keeps him from handling dollar bills or touching anyone’s hands (including his own kids’), no fear of interacting physically with other people sounds too extreme. Even Paul (aka GayComicGeek) here, who dreads hitting clubs for any number of reasons, including the fact that people are going to touch him. Which is, of course, what happens when you go to bars, gay or straight, and sometimes it’s a welcome grab, though usually it’s an unsolicited — and unwanted — feel. And we can understand Paul’s anxiety, because some guys are diiiirty.
No.
Clubs are great in moderation. Ie. once every few months with a grp of friends.
Nope. You are on your own there.
Ugh. He’s a DC fan…I don’t like clubbing for those reasons either. Some of you out there really stink and are disgusting in your drug induced dance haze.
Like Aaron said, clubbing in moderation is fun. If I can find a club with great dancing, then it can be a great end to a long week. Generally I’d rather be in a place where I can hear people talk, though.
However, clubbing in West Hollywood is extremely lame, unless you just want to people-watch, which I find totally boring.
Also, I find it totally cute that Paul would rather “stay home and read comic books.”
Whatever happened to coffee shops, the beach, parks, and bookstores? You know… OTHER PLACES WHERE GAY PEOPLE CAN BE OPEN AND SOCIAL!
come to Berlin and you will change your mind!!!!!!!!!!!! Best city and clubs in the world!
Just once in my life I would like to be grabbed in a gay bar/club by someone I think is cute. I have been grabbed many times over the years, but my experience has been that the cute guys don’t do any of the grabbing. It’s always the drunk, desperate and dirty dudes.
AJ: been to Berlin, and I think you may be right. Still lots of enthusiasm there, not so obsessed with being “cool” like the joints in LA and NY.
That’s the problem, guys. The clubs are what you make them. Don’t go just to look for a hook up, though of course that’s going to be on the agenda. Who knows, the fact that you’re all smiley and happy, but not too goofy, might make you seem more approachable and more, dare I say it, desirable? If I want a museum, I go to the Getty. LOL
Not noticing a major hygiene problem out here in LA. Guess it’s one of the benefits of being superficial. LOL
the local club here is an utter dive. Utterly seedy full of gross guys, buy oyu know what? as someone said, it is what you make it, and me and my friends make it a hell of a good time.
Even when the beats are crap that night or whatever, we make it awesome, regardless of whether or not we’re stuck in a ‘drug induced haze’ as someone mentioned.
Its not for every weekend, but sometimes you just have to get down :)
If you don’t enjoy clubs, don’t go to them. Rather simple…
I hate going to bars. Too loud, smokey, and if you aren’t there with friends it’s tough to meet anyone. I chose to live in a metropolitan area where I have my choice of other gay activities: chorus, folk and ballroom dancing, bowling, sports, hiking, board games, card games, etc. You meet a better class of people who have similar interests.
I like inhabit the daytime when the happy, well-balanced sort mill about. Nightclubs are for suburbanites, really, unless something is happening there. As a regular destination, it’s crass.
I agree with comment #1 ….also, the older you get – the less you go out…at least for me..maybe 2-3x yr
These bloggy self-absorbed vanity video thingy’s just bore me to tears. It all seems very forced and drab.
@no14
I know what you mean. The blog from the living room is of the moment. The drab mchousehold with dark corners, kitsch and self righteousness. I keep waiting for the boogeyman to appear from behind these dudes. Some are entertaining and informative while most make me suffer terrible bouts of vicarious embarrassment. I’m trying to be nice these days, so I wont really comment on howdy up here and his nightclub act, but he’s below average. Especially since he started off by talking about his BF (barf).
This video is as boring and narcissistic as many of the bars and clubs. BUT… he does make a point fellas. We need more coffe houses, social events, book stores and other places where we can actually meet, strike conversations and make a human connection…
It is odd that NYC does not have more outlets for gay men other than clubs. I have asked this question before: Where is a gay geek to go for social outlets here in NYC? Normally, what I hear after I ask the question is the sound of crickets.
Scott has the right idea, but going to a bar/club is better than sitting at home, cruising (and commenting!) on the Internet or parked in front of a TV, which is where most people would otherwise be.
As for all the hand-wringing about how there aren’t more choices than bars, I have to laugh. Do you think straight people or anyone else has so many options? There’s a reason why Brits call bars “pubs”: They’re public houses, where people go to be sociable.
If you’re afraid of being touched, or noise, or attitude, or smoke, or dirt or whatever, stay home. We won’t miss you. but you’ll miss us.
“Do you think straight people or anyone else has so many options? ”
If you think about your question longer than the time it takes you to read this sentence, I think you will realize how silly your post reads. Nearly all social outlets are set up for heterosexuals. By definition of being the majority by about 90 percent, there will be more outlets for them to meet each other than for gay people. Nearly every coffee store, book store, etc offers far more opportunities for straight people to meet other straight people. Think of this practically- you are gay, and one in ten are gay, that means, you have a 1 in 10 shot of meeting someone who is gay in a crowd. They have a 9 in 10 shot of meeting someone who is straight. Get it yet?
I didn’t watch the vid because that guy looks kind of whiney, but there’s plenty of alternatives to the clubs here in LA. Santa Monica Blvd. from Fairfax to Robertson there’s one cafe, restaurant,coffee house, legit bookstore, shops, you name it, one after the other. Silverlake on Hyperion or the area around Sunset Junction is a little more down to earth and somewhat less Hollywood with some great coffee houses and cafes.
There’s other areas as well; LA is big. The point is that ATTITUDE is everything. I like people and find that usually everybody has an interesting story to tell. And I like talking to just about anybody if they want to talk to me. I have gay friends of all ages, sizes and persuasions.
In other words, don’t make fuckability your only criterion for social interaction. Even if you’re hot, you’re still going to find yourself pretty isolated with that attitude. We can all say the gay scene is this and the gay scene is that, and I know lots of people in the life walking around with their butts on their shoulders about it, but my question is what are YOU bringing to the table?
Wow- one or two places out of thousands. And you think that’s a lot. Truly you people are house slaves without even recognizing it. Heteros have THOUSANDS of places in Los Angeles. You got a hand ful. You are DELUDED.
@ #21: We go to all the straight places, too. AND I said there were plenty of others. You’re an idiot NDS.
Us going to straight places is not the same as having a gay hang out. Don’t be a douche by trying to pretend they are equivalent. The feel is just different, and you know it. Be adult enough to admit they are different and that this grows out of the heterosexuals being in the majority.
You’re not the only one. The music is loud and it feels like the only way you can have fun is to get hammered. But there are still instances that clubbing is fun, especially when you go with a lot of your friends.