G.I. Jonny

A while ago I posted about "G.I. Jonny", the hero of a series of educational videos by the BBC intended to raise awareness about the risks of having unprotected sex.

Well, it looks like G.I Jonny has been shortlisted the 12th Annual Webby Awards (also known as the ‘Oscars of the Internet’) and was nominated in the Interactive Advertising category. The campaign was recognised out of nearly 10,000 entries from over 60 countries worldwide!

G.I. Jonny is also eligible to win the People’s Choice Award, which the public votes for. If you are interested in more information or to vote for G.I. Jonny, please log on to http://pv.webbyawards.com. Voting is open till 1st May 2008.

There are lots of different categories on the site, so if you wanted to vote for G. I. Jonny, here are 5 easy steps to do so.

1. Go to the http://pv.webbyawards com website
2. Register your details (it’s free and takes less than 1 minute)
3. Click on “Interactive Advertising” (look for the light bulb icon)
4. Scroll down to the category “Rich Media Single: Non-Profit / Educational”
5. Vote for G.I. Jonny!

Men's bikinis

I'll the photos do the talking:

Black is back!

At first there was white y-fronts, worn by yours truly for most of his early and mid teens. M&S was mummy's brand of choice, ensuring her little prince(ss) was always feeling comfy "down there" (my words, not hers).

Then there was the "designer" phase or, more appropriately, the cK phase. Gone are the boring y-fronts with plain waistband to be replaced by trunks in black or various shades of grey with Calvin Klein/cK all over the waistband. The black ones (black being considered quite sexy) were my "pulling" pants, i.e. the underwear I was hoping to be wearing should I ever manage to pull! I hate to admit it but this phase lasted for a while, well, until I noticed my friendly neighbourhood supermarket selling them for half the price.

The reasons for the next stage of my underwear life are hard to pinpoint. "Thrifty" could be one way of describing it. It involves buying packs of 3-4 pairs of trunks on sale from Next. This phase is characterised by figure-hugging pants (especially after they'd been washed a few times) that really showed of my rear end (if I say so myself). If I remember correctly most of them were solid grey, stripy grey and dark blue. I wonder if at the time I was as depressed as my choice of underwear may suggest.


The start of a new relationship signalled the start of my "playful" phase. Playful in the sense of being willing to experiment a little bit more with who I am, accepting the fact that I'm gay and being camp in my own subtle way. It was around this time that I first came across aussieBum and Ginch Gonch. The result? A collection of red, pink, yellow, blue and lime green underwear decorated with anything from cartoon characters, "cheesy" hearts, etc. In addition to colours and patterns I experimented with different styles of underwear: briefs, boxer shorts, long trunks, medium-length trunks, etc. I blame aussieBum for this for bringing back the old-fashioned briefs but making them sexy by introducing different colours and having fit and well-endowed models showing them off.


I find writing this quite liberating and enlightening at the same time. I can see how my choice of underwear can be used to highlight how I was feeling at that part of my life:
* cK phase: Trying to be cool and trendy. Trying to highlight my individuality and the acceptance of my peers.
* Thrifty phase: Wearing grey/dark underwear that covered a lot of skin. A time of confusion, about relationships, what I want out of life, etc.
* Playful phase: Experimentation and versatility. "I don't have to wear identical underwear all that time". Confidence in who I am. Not being afraid to get undressed in changing rooms.

So what happens next? Well, I think "Black is back!". I've noticed a couple of new pairs of sexy pants on the aussieBum website that make me salivate (not literally) and they're both black. The new Bamboo Hipster features the new aussieBum waistband design and looks almost conservative but with a hint of glam.


Confession time! I am a grower not a show-er. Which is why I love my current pair of Wonderjock underwear! They give me a great side "profile" and make my suit trousers look particularly, compared to the usual flat front. The new wonderjock briefs look really sexy.


Am I getting rid of my "playful" pants? Of course not! I've had (and still having) a lot of fun in them.

What do your pants say about you?

Great loves

From an episode of Sex & the City I watched the other night:

[Charlotte has just told the girls about a magazine article she read which said that a woman only gets two "great loves" in her lifetime]
Charlotte: So far I've only had one great love - Trey.
[to Miranda]
Charlotte: How many great loves have you had?
Miranda: Zero.
Carrie: Really? What about Steve?
Miranda: Steve's a friend, not a core-shaker.
Samantha: Well, I'm done with great love. I'm back to great lovers.
Miranda: [to Carrie] You?
Carrie: I refuse to define love in those limited terms
Miranda: [laughing] I had to!
Charlotte: Oh, come on Carrie! Aidan and Big!
[Charlotte pauses as she realizes what she just said. Carrie looks up at her]
Carrie: One, two. And according to you, I'm done!
Charlotte: No, no, it was a stupid article. It was at the dentist!
Carrie: No, no, no, no, too late now. You said it, it's over for me. "Here lies Carrie. She had two loves and lots o' shoes"

I think this is an "interesting" conversation. "Great love" is very difficult to define, to a certain extend, but if I look at my past experience I think I know who would fall in that category and, like Carrie, I've had my two great loves. Clearly the magazine article was targeted at women, hence the assertion that "a woman only gets two "great loves" in her lifetime" but I will assume that the same applies to men.

I also think that this is all complete bullsh*t because (a) every person is different and coming up with averages like that is just utter nonsense and (b) I cannot have just two great loves in my lifetime! I mean, I am glad I have had the opportunity to experience such emotions and I still love my two "great loves" (but in a different way now) but still, I hope that my next great love is just around the corner (how soppy does that sound?!).

(You will notice that at this point I've made a "seamless" transition from "great love" to "falling in love". This is part of the definition of "great love" I mentioned above. This is only part of my interpretation of what great love is. Please feel free to add yours by submitting a comment.).

Now, they do say that some people never fall in love. Is that true and if so, why? Are they incapable of it? Are they not interested in it? Have they not had the opportunity to do so? Or even if they did have the opportunity maybe they didn't recognise it as such at the time? I am in no position to scientifically answer any of those questions but this is my blog, so I am allowed to express my opinion on a couple of them, right? ;-)

Well, I'd like to think that most sane people are capable of loving and falling in love but choosing to do so (assuming the opportunity arises) is another matter. I can see why one wouldn't want to fall in love. I had a really hard time getting over my exes once things turn sour, it was a very painful time for me and not one I would like to repeat any time soon. Having said that, time is a great healer and several years on, I mostly remember the joyous times we had together and I miss the closeness and intimacy of such a strong relationship. But I am sure that even if Mr Right did show up shortly after the end of a relationship the chances are that I wouldn't have noticed or would be too scared to get involved in something that would cause the same amount of pain.

So, I am no Einstein but I guess that means that most people who've never been in love can blame it on luck (or lack thereof). I mean, how do you find a "great love"? I wish I knew the answer to that one :-( One thing I know is that the older/more experienced I get the less receptive I become to opportunities to meet someone for who fulfils my criteria of a potentially successful relationship. "Criteria", that's where the problem lies. As I grow up I learn from my experiences/relationships/dating, unfortunately, some of these lessons lead to an ever expanding list of must have/would be nice to have/shouldn't have characteristics and behaviours that Mr Right must demonstrate. Wishing I was younger/less experienced/more naive again is no solution as part of the "list" is intended for self preservation and protection. Like everything, I think it's all about finding the right balance.

BBC Awareness campaign

"The viral video for the BBC's GI Jonny Campaign, to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in people between the ages of 16- 34, is now available at www.gijonny.co.uk/video.shtml The site has some more info and stats and facts...

The viral follows the adventures of 'GI Jonny' - it is light hearted but has a serious underlying message, educating viewers to the risks of unprotected sex."

Love the curtain!

I really like the curtain in this MTV advert. Does that make me gay? :-P I think it would go well with my blogspot template ;-)




The pattern looks very similar to these aussieBums (Collector Seventies Hipster) which I also like:

GBD wishes to apologise for the lack of any recent meaningful posts. GBD has been too busy dating. GBD has been unlucky in his dating efforts as his dating buddies have been either not suitable or they didn't like GBD enough. GBD is considering giving up dating for a while. Watch this space ...

"And it's goodnight from her"

I was reading an article in the Evening Standard on Thursday which among others dealt with dating. One part caught my attention, particularly since I felt that part of it related to my post of the same day!

Excerpt:
And it's goodnight from her
Laura Topham's dating trail of celebrity parties and unsuitable men is over - why, she's even buying a flat.

[...] Yet excessive dating does damage - experiencing such choice has forever defined me as a critic.

Holding onto single life for too long is like holding onto virginity; status becomes stigma and waiting for the right man means no man coming at all. The more I date, the less able I am to commit - I'm compelled to keep gambling in case I'm dealt the man of my dreams. [...]

What do you think dear readers? Is dating a bit like buying ice cream? If you're only offered the options of chocolate or vanilla flavours, choosing is much easier than if you had to pick one out 10, 20, 30 flavours? In reality, most people would not get the option of so many guys/dates at the same time (unless taking part in an orgy!) but the option to wait a little bit longer for someone better does exist.

Depending on how long one has been single or, indeed, how old one might be, there might be a lot of pressure, from friends, family, etc. to compromise and engage in a relationship that initially may not be fulfilling for the parties involved. It's widely accepted that arranged marriages take place in this day and age.

Anyway, I'm digressing. In my recent dating experience, bad dates do not usually change the criteria I use to "approve" someone for further dates, however, they do increase the possible reasons I might reject a date offer in the future. Does that make me a critic? Or is my attitude too negative and should have a more positive outlook. Granted, one way of looking at bad dates is as a "learning experience".

Serial monogamy

It's funny how sometimes my "love life" can be really quiet and then
all of a sudden i get asked out by three different people. I always
thought that going on dates was a means to an end, a way to meet a
potential boyfriend. As such, i used to feel guilty accepting more
than one such invitations. Somehow the thought of arranging to meet
someone without yet knowing if the date for the night before would
work out made me feel selfish at best, or even deceiptful.

My attitude regarding dating has changed since then. This partly due
to experience. I have spend many a days preparing for a date with
someone i really enjoyed chatting to online, only to discover that we
were so incompatible trying to make conversation for 30 mins was
almost physically painful. This resulted in regrets when it involved
"putting all my eggs in one basket" (rejecting other offers).

Part of it was also due to how i view dates (I call it "the Sex & the
City effect"). Dating is not just about meeting mr right, it's a way
to have a good time and meet new people. The million dollar question
is: when does it become immoral to date more than one person at the
same time? Well, everyone's moral values are different. For me, i'd
like to think that i would cancel any future dates should i get on
well with someone and feel like there's potential for more. A kiss
would also have to take place just to be sure i was not misreading any
signals ;-)

Still, it's interesting to see how several months can go by without a
single date and then suddenly i get 3 offers!

Ejaculation

Sometimes I wonder if I really am gay! Let's talk semen for a bit, call it spunk, cum, sperm, the good stuff, baby custard (I love this one!), man milk (not so fond of this) or whatever else you like! I can't stand the stuff! I don't want it in my mouth. I avoid having it on me. I can't really stand the smell, taste, slimy texture of it, be it runny or thick.

Funny thing is that I like the thought of it. When I watch, ahem, "educational videos" on xtube it's nice to see the goods being delivered in the end. There is also the thought of being very close to someone, very accepting almost.

Thankfully this has never affected my past relationships, partly because the finale is only a small part of the whole process. I did have a one night stand a while ago that was a bit awkward, mainly because the other party decided to deliver the goods without any warning leading to a few nerve-racking seconds of wondering whether to "reject" the load or "appreciate" it, if you know what I mean. It is generally understood that spitting is rude but having said that, I think that not giving any warning is worse. Needless to say what option I took! ;-) Believe me, it wasn't done very elegantly but being sick wouldn't have been pretty either :-(

Why can it not taste/smell/look like chocolate, real custard, strawberries and cream, champagne!

Teasing or cruising?

Having finished work late on Tuesday, I got the underground to go home. There were only 2 people on the carriage I got on and as luck would happen I sat diagonally across a really good looking guy. He was very well dressed and groomed and I couldn't figure out whether he was gay or just metrosexual. He was reading the Sports section of the newspaper and looked pretty straight acting so I thought he might be the latter.

Anyway, he finished reading the paper and put it down and looked at me. Being too shy for my own good, I looked away and then looked back when he wasn't looking. This happened a couple of times within a very short period so I thought he might be at least a little bit interested in me (or maybe I had ketchup on my face!).

What happens next, I don't know how to interpret. He put his hand in his trousers and rearranged himself! ok, so some guys do this a lot, I noticed someone do it when I went to the GUM clinic for my tests but I thought he may have crabs or something! lol! Anyway, so he did that and me being afraid of getting into trouble, I looked away. You know, he could have spotted me watching him, called me a faggot and punched the sh*t out of me.

After that, we exchanged a few more looks and the he did it again! Put his hand in his pants and rearranged himself. I looked away, as before. For the record, I did check him out and it looked like he filled his pants very well but there didn't seem to be any signs of an erection.

Unfortunately, he then got off the train looking at me and he even looked back. It's also worth mentioning that at no point did he smile or do anything like that.

So, what do you think dear readers? Place your bets now:
(a) Metrosexual, crabs.
(b) Metrosexual, flirting.
(c) Gay/Bi, crabs.
(d) Gay/Bi, flirting.
(e) You stupid GBD! he fancied your pants off and you didn't make a move.
(f) Other.