Hilarity overheard at the urinal in the bathroom at Celebrities Thursday night:

“Did you see Joel?”

“Ryan has pecs and abs, Joel just has pecks.”

“Well it’ll be one or the other, for sure.”

And I’ll admit that I was sitting on the same fence as these two fellows.  I arrived to the party thinking that the competition would clearly come down to Ryan and Joel.  Perhaps my distance from the judging process had me at a disadvantage.  Possibly I was looking more at the faces and bodies of the competitors and less at the character behind them, or maybe I misunderstood the power of popularity.

So as per usual, maybe I’m just late to the party.

I mean, I had every intention of writing something sooner about the finale for Vancouver’s Next Gay Top Model, but something just didn’t click.  In a room full of ex-boyfriends, maybe it was the alcohol that took over, or the fact that my favorite sweater got lost amongst the countless homosexual knees and feet, and the floor.  Hands down, I was somewhat astounded by the results of the evening.  Not simply because I thought that Ryan and Joel had nicer arms and abs than some of the other contestants, but more because of the overwhelming influence that knowing the right people has.

Every year when The Best of Vancouver in the Georgia Straight is released, it proves for an entertaining read.  And I’m not alone, many have agreed that the survey very poorly represents what is actually the best in the city.  The winner of Vancouver’s Next Top Model was decided by a process that involved 50% judge decided and 50% audience decided votes.  I don’t mean to imply that Calan didn’t deserve the top spot, this little ginger really rocked it out the whole time.  He was just the underdog that I didn’t see rising to the top of the competition.

I suppose it’s always a surprise ending that takes the audience in the fiercest way possible.  And I suppose that endings are always anti-climatic.

For the performer, an ending can be an uplifting experience.  Finishing shows in high school I was always relieved that the rehearsals were over and I could finally go back to drinking coffee and bitching about the world every night.  But to the audience, and ending can leave you wanting more, or feeling a little dissatisfied.

In my case I felt a little bit of both.

So, although the competition is over and I have written much less that I first anticipated and written it much later than I should have, I am contentedly leaving this competition behind me.  Vancouver’s Next Gay Top Model has shown me everything from the glory of well-funded camp to the importance of knowing a lot of people with cell-phones that can show up and vote for you.  It has also taught me a lot about what it means to be on display, to be a part of a community with big opinions.

Most importantly, it has reinforced the integral opportunity that self-marketing yourself can have.  Stepping out on a limb with confidence can be the most important thing that any of us can do for ourselves.  In a competitive world, it sometimes seems impossible to believe that we have the potential to do anything beyond the limited scope of our worlds.

In this increasingly competitive world of ours, some of us manage to rise to the very top, even if just for a moment…

Vancouver’s Next Gay Top Model

I have to admit I’ve had a really great time experiencing Vancouver’s Next Gay Top Model.

What started as an experiment and a learning experience about the going-ons in the gay community, has translated itself into a genuinely-healthy writing exercise.

And more than that, I’m actually a complete daze to the outcome.  I genuinely have no idea how the whole evening will pan out on Thursday, and I’m really excited to experience what chalked up to be an apparent circus of chaotic fun last year.

Will it be Stephen? Who at 6’6″ actually towers above me, something at 6’4″ I don’t often experience,

The witty Adam, that seems to have a whole “load” of stories left to tell us.

Or, Micheil, whose unique look, and experience in the industry could set him apart from the others when it finally gets down to it?

What about Morgan, the techie whose undergone the most drastic transformation of the bunch (thank god!)??  Could Morgan, who’s gone from question marks to exclamation points take the prize?

Will it be Reese, the merchandiser whose merchandised his way into the audience’s hearts more than once?

Or perhaps the only ginger of the bunch, Calan? I must say those gingers intrigue me and make me feel a little funny.  I’ve convinced myself that gingers are the key to some unknown eventuality of planet earth.  More than once I’ve found myself daydreaming about leagues of gingers marching through the streets.  Beware, the allusive ginger!  Especially the ones that are good in front of the camera.

And let’s not forget Ryan, the industrialist.  This race car driver and construction-savvy fella is taking the gay stereotype under the welder and completely transforming it.

Let’s flip-flop to Joel, the resident gymnast, whose more than once grabbed the attention of the audience with his broad shoulders.  Will those muscles of his be enough to grab the attention of the audience on Thursday night?

And last, but very not least, there’s Billy.  He’s been the brunt of most of the criticism and jests that I’ve thrown at the competitors, and I must admit that this hairy-legged Carmen Miranda has taken everyone of them with a smile and a laugh.  Joking aside, Billy has taken a firm grip of his place in the competition, and will be holding on to his chili peppers till the very end of the competition if he has anything to say about it.

So for now we’ll have to continue the drudgery for another day, and await the camp, chaos, and cacaphony of tomoorow evening.

Be there!

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 -

@ Celebrities Nightclub. 9pm doors; 10pm show. $25 advance tickets now on sale at Little Sisters Bookstore.

Check it out:

Vancouver’s Next Gay Top Model

Up Your Alley

Friends for Life