Eat Deep Dirt, Poseurs

FROM March 22, 2004

Thanks to links from such places as planetout.com and outsports.com, Cowboyz 'n' has had a lot of web traffic for the Boycott Ride Snowboards entry (wherein we berated Ride Snowboards for their ad that said, "The worst part about riding a Burton is telling your friend you're gay.")

As a result, I've been receiving an el camino-load of comments like the one below:

"IP Address: 63.80.47.237
Name: stand
Email Address: stand1112000@yahoo.com
Comments:

I'm not a fan of Ride but that's funny as hell! and you all need to stop crying about it - Let's face it - If it read "telling a friend your lame" do you think all the people with leg disabilities would be bitching? I doubt it - "Gay" (like lame) has become embedded in our generations vocabulary to describe something uncool and that's not going to change - I wouldn't care if some homosexual run company had an add like that saying something about straight people if it was witty and funny like the Ride add - So take your "gay dollar" and replace the cock in your ass with it! - S"

Aside from unfortunate grammar/spelling errors, most everyone opting for the iffy "reclamation of language" stance on the word "gay" ends their comment in a homophobic statement (see above). Sorry, fellas; your "argument" doesn't work in this context, as the word "gay" is clearly employed to connote something "bad," not to mention snow/skate culture's (magazines') long history of hostility towards women and queers. So if you wanna talk empowerment via taking back the words, then let's discuss. But don't assume I'm whining just because I'm not down with a company--one that reaches huge amounts of impressionable kids--that perpetuates the notion that being queer is something to be ashamed of.

Also, the next person who calls me "P.C." gets a yard rake in the eye.