I just read an article entitled "Who Says all Gay Men are Stylish" in the June/July 07 issue of Details magazine. It is about gay men and fashion. I have to admit; it hit the nail on the head. Sure, there are many gay men whom are very fashionable fashionistas if you will. But, images in popular culture would have you believe that gay men are all florid icons of fashion. Think Carson Kreesley of "Queer Eye For the Straight Guy" a show devoted to helping straight men realize their inner metro-sexual. The author quotes fashion designer Issac Mizrahi who says fashion experts like most authorities on various topics are schooled and trained. Style is a personal thing and it's very subjective; so asking your best gay friend for fashion tips may not always be a winning combination. If you are a gay man maybe you can relate; or if you a straight man or woman, I bet you think know a gay man with "great" fashion sense. This article helps debunk that myth. That's right folks, myth. You know myths, those generalizations we tend to associate with certain groups, simply because we know people who often really fit the stereotype. You know cultural myths such as all Black people can dance, or all Asian students are smart. I am sure that everyone out there is aware of these myths and you don't buy into them. Of course, at some point we are all guilty of thinking it. How can we help it; our pop culture has its roots in sustaining and perpetuating myths about certain groups of people. For example take recent popular movies such as "Bring it On," "Stomp the Yard," or "The Rink," all depict young urban Black teenagers engaged in some type of dancing activity. Yes, some Black folks have tons of rhythm, but a lot don't. When I am going to see the movie about the Black kid with two left feet? Okay, I slightly digress, but my point is that these myths/stereotypes we see in popular culture seem to serve only one purpose-maintaining very flawed representations.
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