The trappings of modern gay existence can be challenging to navigate, and here to offer a crash course in questionable decisions that affect one’s physical and psychological health is a new music video from Natti Vogel starring Matt Wilkas.
It’s not any one factor in the video for “Brown Rice” that is singled out as the character’s fatal flaw — though the chem sex is tough to see as anything but a huge problem — but more the overall combination of elements, coupled with the empty gaze Wilkas projects during everyday life scenes like walking down the street listening to music or socializing in a bar, that indicates serious trouble underneath his well-maintained facade.
Related: Meet the guy who watches Gus Kenworthy and Matt Wilkas make out all the time
The song itself matches the conflict in the storyline, creating a haunting portrait of someone unable to fill his own emotional void, and slowly consuming himself while trying. Fun!
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Watch below:
Thoughts?
whatsaywhat
Depressing
Ryan Field
It’s very good.
robert_moore
It is quite good, but rightfully, there is no pleasure given by the song or the video. Somber is the brightest note struck.
SGJR2018
It’s going to leave a lot of people stunned, when they gaze into this mirror and see themselves…
seaguy
I guess this is an attempt by some unknowns to make a name for themselves with a little controversy.
Jack Meoff
Crap song and a depressing video that highlights all the most negative and narcissistic traits that plague the gay community. Happy to say this song.video on no way represents my existence as a gay man.
JAWIWA
You left out the “Hmmph!”
dwes09
Clearly you are not able to tell the difference between indicting and “highlighting.” In no way is the character’s descent presented in a positive way.
Great song and video if you have the intellect to tolerate anything besides pap.
Heywood Jablowme
ummmmm… well, after all that build-up I was expecting something really shocking.
Ten years from now, he will look 25 years older. But not because of the drugs. Because of the cigarettes.
LABrad
Yeah, the cigarettes.
But what about when he walked outside with no sunscreen?
Brian
I started smoking at 15, I’m now 49 and people still think I’m 5+ years younger than I am. More, if I shave the grey off of my face. I know plenty of other smokers whose faces haven’t been ravaged by years of smoking too.
Heywood Jablowme
@LABrad: LOL – but there’s a very quick scene in the video where he’s applying moisturizer – or perhaps sunscreen? – to his face. (If you blink you may miss it.) Anyway he’s on it!
CastleSF
What this video depicts is a mad and miserable existence. Why is it that some gays keep putting themselves in these disturbing situations? It doesn’t matter how you look on the outside, the hard drugs and the depraved lifestyle will eat you alive from the inside.
DHT
I don’t care if you self dose or not…it is predatory drugging. chem sex = date rape.
DHT
If your partner dies during chem sex you should be charged with murder.
Brian
No, that would be really dumb.
Bubbleandsqueal
All downhill from “Gayby.”
Jimmy T
Very cool song and video. My life in the 70’s when I lived in West Hollywood. And now I’m in my 70’s and don’t do that no more. It was a fun time!
ChrisK
Jimmy T. I understand where you’re coming from. Looking back it must seem so weird, wonderful and even a bit sad because you only get those experiences once in life. The only problem today is the drugs that are portrayed here ie the Chemsex drugs (meth, ghb, extacy) are nothing like they were in the good old days of say the seventies (acid, LSD, shrooms) which were far better.
Wolfie
Chem-sex was just called “getting fucked up, cruising for sex, and getting laid” in the late 70’s. It’s not a new thing.
ChrisK
No it wasn’t. Chem sex refers to stuff like Meth, ecstasy, GHB. Definitely not the 70s drugs.
dwes09
You think people weren’t doing meth and other amphetamines in the 70’s!? Not to mention Quaaludes and other dangerous downers…and Cocaine.
It was very much chem-sex, though the name was not used.
I’d pretty much given all that stuff up by the early 80’s even the mushrooms and other psychedelics.
ShowMeGuy
I was done with the song at the 25 second mark…..I stuck around to see just how huge a pile of steaming crap the song and video really were……and I wasn’t disappointed.
surreal33
It is sad that the consistent narrative of gay men as depraved, drug addicted, sex zombies.
joeboyle49
VERY DEPRESSING VERY DEPRESSING!
SPEEDOSWIMMER
Made my cooter moist…
dwes09
Great to see gay singer/songwriters writing out of the mainstream, emulating people like Rufus Wainwright (though his vocals are nowhere near as good)rather than the various pop icons.
Well constructed video indictment of the descent into hell caused by drugs and cultivated superficiality. Very sad and poignant.
What is most interesting to me is the observation from the comments that the further one leans towards regressive, the less likely one is to notice both artistic intent and irony. This is not a celebration of “the lifestyle” kids, grow up and learn to look with your eyes and not your assumptions!