MTV’s The Real World takes a handful of twentysomethings and gives them a platform, and these kids believe what they have to say deserves to be heard by everybody. The latest example is Mike Manning, the resident gay/bi jock/eye-candy on air now in the show’s season 374, shot in D.C. Mike’s a tough guy who happens to “like guys”… and girls. Kinda. And he’s got plenty to say. One little genius piece of insight from Mike:
I really don’t cry. I just don’t see the point.
Huh? The point of crying? How about a very natural response to emotion? I can’t imagine Mike is saying that he doesn’t feel emotion, so I guess he’s saying he simply represses the expression of that emotion. Gotta keep up that big, macho jock image, especially since he likes guys.
Then there’s some deep self-analysis by Mike. He says the one thing that he is best-defined as a bunch of contradictions…
He likes his steak rare but his hamburger well-done.
He likes snowboarding but he wants to live on the beach one day.
He does keg stands but he has a high GPA.
He’s a problem solver but he has no problem fighting.
Ooooh, gosh. What contradictions! He’s smart but he likes to drink alcohol? Wow, I don’t know ANY smart people who like alcohol! He likes snow and the beach? Geez, that’s such a leap! I’ve never heard of a surfer who also snowboards. Get this guy a talk show!
Mike’s apparently returning to D.C. to pursue a career in politics. He also thinks he’s a college lecturer on issues of health, the environment and equal rights. Lol!
Ugh. Wake me up when the whole “gay community loves Real World 374″ has come and gone.
You can watch Mike take his shirt off and espouse his insights on the universe on MTV now.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 2:20 PM
I thought this was a sports blog and not some platform for those who just want to bitch about some lame reality show “star” for whatever his reasons.
To me it sounds more than a bit like cunty jealousy…..
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Lol…who is the self important one with the platform? I think the irony of the hypocracy is the best aspect of this article.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 3:08 PM
He’s still a kid! They’re all full of contradictions. He’s just naive enough to think that his contradictions are “real” contradictions.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 3:46 PM
Wish I’d known him 30 years ago. Maybe I could have helped him get over that “bi” fantasy.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 4:07 PM
What a coincidence that his last name is Manning. Gosh, can he be related to the famous brothers? LOL. MTV would like you to have that fantasy.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 4:12 PM
I didn’t get ‘jock’ out of him. I saw a young average guy typical of young guys I work with in a university setting. Over confident, no real life experiences, but nothing out of the ordinary. Not sure the real sports avenue here though. What I did like was he is just like many of the typical university guys I know and most likely accepted as just one of the guys, but that’s just my preference. Do I care exactly what he in particular has to say, no, but setting aside all the exaggerations in his personality, you do get a pretty good picture of what someone in his generation is thinking. 15 years ago It’d have been outright ground breaking to see a guy like him profess to liking guys in any form.
The reality is gays/bi guys come in all flavors just as the str8 guys. I frankly don’t like the Weir figure skating kid, but he can be who is and some adore him for it. This Mike kid will learn a lot in the next few years. He could turn out a great guy or a dick. Who knows.
Meh, maybe responding is pointless. Let him be who he is and keep in mind the audience MTV is producing the show for. Heck, I didn’t know people still watched MTV.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 4:31 PM
It’s a bit much to expect a twentysomething to be so inciteful as to pass muster with this author’s expectations. Jeezuz. Give him a break.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Give me a break. I love this site but one thing that has been irritating me more and more lately is its ridiculous bashing of masculinity in the gay community. Masculine gay men do exist and for whatever reason you seem to think they are all tools. I don’t know if it’s jealousy or what. I agree that the widely held macho-man image in sports contributes to homophobia, but that doesn’t mean that gay men cannot be masculine like this guy is. More guys like him coming out might even help break down some of the barriers between the gay community and the sports world. Maybe we should focus on that instead of building up barriers within our own community with rants like this one? Just something to think about.
As far as this guy, I was excited to watch him last night. He’s attractive and masculine, and I didn’t get the macho-dumb-jock vibe that you seemed to get. He’s probably not the sharpest tool in the shed but he’s somebody that viewers like myself can relate to. I am happy MTV finally put somebody like him on to show that there’s actually diversity in the gay community instead of the highly feminine men that they have casted in all but 3 or 4 of the 23 seasons. I have nothing against anybody, but they were perpetuating a stereotype that is not true of all gay men. As far as this guy being “bi”, that’s all something he’s going to have to come to terms with and figure out eventually. At least he’s recognizing something now, when he’s 22, when some don’t come to terms with it until their 50s and 60s. He’s young, he’s got a lot to figure out with his life, and you should probably watch him some more before you judge him like this.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 4:57 PM
I wasn’t too bright in my 20′s either. Not that I care if Mike is or not, but just saying we should watch it before we get too bitchy! He’s not as awesome as an anonymous pro jock with a blog who may or may not be real but lots of gay kids love the RW. Also, over the years, you could make the argument that the RW has contributed to the acceptance of gays and provided some decent role models and even broken a stereotype or 2. I can’t believe I’m defending the RW but its not all bad. I will admit its hard to watch when you leave the MTV demographic
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Well said Chris.
My own post should have simple said: Why all the venom there Cyd?
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 5:22 PM
I hear what you’re all saying. I get that. To be honest, I was in a mood because I’d been listening to Howard Stern and they were replaying some of the great Stern Show fights. When you’ve listened to Stuttering John and Gary and Ralph go after each other for an hour, the littlest thing can set you off. And then I saw this kid pontificating and I couldn’t help myself.
My post was more a rant against The Real World and MTV (have you seen “Jersey Shore”???) than this kid; He was just in the firing lane when I took the shots. Do we really need Season 374 of a half-dozen twentysomethings giving us their insights on life? That’s really where I was aiming with the post. I’m sure he’s a nice enough kid; I just don’t need to him to teach me life lessons. Maybe I’m reading too much into it all; That’s a distinct possibility.
“He’s young, he’s got a lot to figure out with his life, and you should probably watch him some more before you judge him like this.”
I reacted specifically to what I saw and commented on that. But you make my point: He’s young and has a lot to figure out, just like the 160 Real World cast members before him. I get MTV’s desperate plea for ratings, but I don’t have to like it.
As for the “jock” label, that’s what MTV’s site and many other sites say he is; Though I couldn’t find anywhere that said what sports he played in high school.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 6:12 PM
Anyone who willingly goes on one of these “reality” shows automatically deserves to have his/her intelligence called into question. In some cases they may go on a contest-style show (Survivor, Amazing Race) to try and win the money, and then they’re never heard from again. Most of the time they just want to be famous, so they appear on show after show after show. They’re fame whores. Seeing as how The “Real” World doesn’t have a cash prize at the end, clearly this Mike is the latter.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Another thing to consider is the editing of these shows. I’m not saying he’s more insightful than the next gay twenty-something but certainly the edited product could color our interpretation of him. Just sayin…
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 8:29 PM
Do we really “need” any show that’s on televison? Here’s the remote…*click*
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 1:51 PM
I thought it was interesting that he was very proud of the fact that he DIDN’T go to one of THOSE churches that are accepting of GLBT people. He goes to one that “doesn’t agree with him” and that hopes to change people (including him) through their Christian teachings. He sounds like an excellent candidate for Exodus. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he didn’t become an “ex-gay” poster boy some day.
I know he’s young and has a lot to figure out in life but it’s still annoying to see guys desperately trying to not be perceived as “too gay” and repeating the tired old meme that being athletic, or religious, or masculine or sane is so very rare among gay/bi people.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 3:02 PM
Cyd, you KNOW I have to applaud you for this article. I agree with you 100%. I’m sorry, but to me, this kid sounds like just another cookie-cutter clone, spoiled brat who doesn’t have anything unique to say about life but believes he does. Today’s young generation (a majority of, anyhow) believes the world revolves around them INDIVUDALLY and can’t seem to look beyond the tip of their nose as they walk with it up in the air.
I’m tired of these self-centered, macho jocks. THEY’RE PHONIES! I WANT THE NERDS! I want people with good hearts who don’t look down upon others and try and help those less fortunate than them. Whatever happened to guys like Chris from the Chicago season? Willie? Dan? Danny?
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 2:03 AM
Cyd, You have the right to your opinion, but i could not disagree with you more. I was so impressed with this guy. I found him to be honest, sincere and down to earth. He is gorgeous, masculine, intelligent and well spoken. I found the season premiere of the Washington DC Real World fascinating and in my opinion it is the best cast I have ever seen. I have enjoyed the show from the beginning and I continue to find it one of the most interesting and gay positive shows on TV. It is weird that of all the negative, hurtful things about gay people on TV you would focus your anger and criticism on it. Maybe you don’t relate to Mike but I certainly do and I have had to watch many, feminine, stereotypical gay guys that are nothing like me. Can’t you be happy that gay guys who may not be your “type” or to your liking also have someone brave enough to stand up and be proud of who they are. You mocking and bashing him for being masculine and a “tough guy” is just as wrong and upsetting as someone bashing guys for being feminine.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 2:53 AM
I don’t bash or mock him for BEING masculine, but for putting on an act. And after watching the first episode (which will also be the last one I watch), it’s clear to me I got it right the first time. He decided to tell people he liked girls well before he told them he liked guys. That was a conscious decision on his part: He played the straight guy for hours before mentioning he likes guys. Why? If he’s sooooo cool, why did he wait to tell people? Who’s he kidding?
Well-spoken? Hmmm. He tells Ty that Ty’s not allowed to say there isn’t a God, yet Mikey gets to talk about his God and wear a cross around his neck. Did you hear him bumbling through the religious conversation in the first episode? Ty was succinct and to the point, running circles around Mike. Yet Mike, the cute white one, is well-spoken? I don’t think so.
It has nothing to do with him being my “type” or not. It’s funny that some people on here assume he’s not my “type” or he’s totally unlike me because I comment on his nonsense. It tells me what I figured when I first heard him: If he was unattractive, 1) no one would care about him and 2) People here would be piling on. But because he’s cute, he gets away with it. That’s just the way our culture works, and in no culture does it work more predictably than with gay men.
Um, and in case you hadn’t figured it out, I’m a conservative from a small town who loves sports and comes from a religious background. I was Mike 14 years ago (though with half the muscles but more well-reasoned arguments). And just like me at 22, he does not need a national platform.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 4:27 AM
Cyd, you’re right. If this guy was unattractive, no one would care about what he has to say. He’s pretty much why I watched the first episode in the first place-gay men ARE predictable. He wouldn’t even be on the show if he wasn’t hot. MTV makes celebrities out of people like him and exploits them till no end. Oh well, at least he’ll get laid for life with all this national attention, though he didn’t really need it.
Now, I’m sure there are good intentions in there somewhere, but Mike’s self-indulgence is pretty obvious. I’m 22 and I realize that I have much to learn about life and myself, especially as a gay man. I’ll keep watching till he makes out with that blond guy from the promos to see the drama and have some giggles. There’s no better study break than mindless television.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 11:59 AM
I couldn’t disagree more with this article. While the seasons haven’t been great since probably around the Miami/Boston/Back to New York era (the last full season I watched was Philadelphia cuz its my hometown) I still watch and this is actually one of the more interesting casts lately. From the first episode, Ty, Emily, and Josh are the ones I like the most. Ty and Emily just seem to be very open minded and I just love their vibe. Josh is a PHILLY brother so I have to give him a shout out. He’s actually served up some cheesesteaks for me here and was always great interacting with customers. Reading his bio, I was dead on about him being half Puerto Rican and half Italian. My ex had that mixture and Josh reminded me of him whenever I saw him working at the cheesesteak place (minus the punk rock look).
I saw nothing wrong with what Mike said. Keep in mind he’s young and I know when I was 22 I was still evolving and forming the person I am today. I do feel that there is this issue in the gay community about guys who are bi or gay and who happen to be masculine and wear their masculinity on their sleeve. Why does it have to be an act? Why can’t a bi/gay guy So what he told the roomies he liked girls “way” before he told them he liked guys. You are moving into a house with 7 other strangers and need to feel them out. I would’ve done the same. He was no BS when the issue of how many people each one has slept with came up because he didn’t have to break it down by gender. I also totally understand his not wanting to be bi Mike instead of just Mike. That was my initial hesitation about coming out. I didn’t want people to think gay before anything else because my sexuality is not even in my top 3 for what defines me. He’s cool so far. But its early. The thing about being a dipshit is that its a trait that can’t be hidden for long.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 12:16 PM
OMG here’s what I want in 2010 for Outsports….AN EDIT OPTION FOR THESE POSTS THE SAME WAY WE CAN ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS!!!
Going back to my last post I started a sentence and then didn’t delete it all the way. So…starting in the second paragraph of Why can’t a bi/gay guy….just put an invisible line through it.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 12:29 PM
I admit, I haven’t watched the show in YEARS. Like a lot of you, I suspect that we long for the days of Pedro and other early seasons where the housemates got to know each other and actually interacted.
Sadly, the recent bouts of this show have been about narcissistic twenty-somethings who want to hang out in a big city and party all the time. Instead of looking for work like in older seasons, MTV hands them jobs which gives them more time to party. And that’s what the show is about. Yes, there may be some great moments where you go “wow”, but overall, the show is about eye candy and partying. That’s it.
This kid outside of the show may be totally representative of his generation. I make no judgments about his views on politics or religion (I share some, do not share others). And I can understand his hesitance to waltz into the house and announce “I’m bi, who wants to have sex?!?” right off the bat.
But let’s face it, at 38 years old, this show has very little to offer me. It’s just about a bunch of kids who want their 15 minutes of fame. This show jumped the shark ages ago and should have been pulled.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 2:39 PM
This is clearly an important issue among gay men. LOL.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 8:53 PM
>>>>Anyone who willingly goes on one of these “reality” shows automatically deserves to have his/her intelligence called into question.<<<<
Hmmmm…..didn’t Jim and Cyd do a reality show a few years back?
Just sayin’…..
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 4:22 PM
This seems to be a mean-spiritied attack and nothing else. Mike might be young but so what–he has handled himself well– he fessed up to his sexuality on the first night to his housemates and spent his time in DC working on issues like marriage equality. Take a look at his Facebook page and you will see he has many high school kids writing to him saying that they look up to him and ask him for advice. To be honest, he seems like one of the best RW characters in awhile. If you wanted to spend your time attacking RW characters, there are plenty to choose from but this kid seems OK to me.
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 10:37 PM
he seems like a real jerk to me…..he’s his own biggest fan! Maybe his only fan.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 1:32 AM
>>Hmmmm…..didn’t Jim and Cyd do a reality show a few years back?<<
Yeah, we did. Because if we didn’t, Outsports might not exist today. We didn’t apply for the show – the producers asked us to do it. And we didn’t do it for anything but to have the lawsuit go away.
So say all you want, Munson Man. But it was the only way we could be sure a homophobic asshole wouldn’t take Outsports away from us.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 9:39 AM
Wow seems like some one is extra sensative….its a pleeping t.v. show who gives a ****…
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 2:13 PM
MunsonMan: “Hmmmm…..didn’t Jim and Cyd do a reality show a few years back?”
They appeared on an episode of the series. They weren’t the stars of the show. To put it in “Real World” context. Jim and Cyd would be on par with some guys in a bar who either make out with or fight this Mike Manning person.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 10:09 PM
We were on an episode of an NBC reality show that had such low ratings that our particular episode was shown on Bravo on a Saturday afternoon during college football season.
on Jan 5th, 2010 at 12:53 AM
Ok… first off I agree with most here who say that he seems genuine. He definitely has a lot to learn. He is young. … I am 32 and confortable with my own sexuality (gay) but it took some time. 10 years ago I was kind of a mess. Now.. on to his contradictions… Today kids are told to describe themselves such as on their face book and myspace pages and if you flip through some you will find these decriptive paragraphs… where YES they contradict themselves… They like ice cream on Cold days because it makes them feel warm.. and such.. things that dont make sense but in the world of Facebook and Myspace it is the only way for someone to convey to others who they see them selves as.. In a way it is an artform (a stretch I know) and in some ways it is childish… but this is how things are when you want to be “clever” in 140 characters or less.
on Jan 6th, 2010 at 3:57 AM
you know, i’m getting really tired of all of this youth bashing.”oh, he’s a twentysomething.what does he know?he has no life experience.this generation doesn’t think about anyone but themselves.”you all sound just as empty headed and ignorent as you think he is.i’m no fan of mtv or the real world, but how dare you judge him and then condiscendingly generalize about my whole age group when you don’t even know shit about him or what experiences he’s had?young people are the ones out there on the streets protesting and fighting for our rights today.maybe you should remember that before talking down to us about how much you think we don’t know.
yes, they’re attention seeking personalities on a stupid show on a stupid channel, but the real world doesn’t represent all, or even most, young people.you all think you’re so much smarter, but don’t seem to have the wisdom to realize that.you just sound like a bunch of jealous, bitter, old douche bags.get over yourselves.
on Jan 6th, 2010 at 7:38 PM
i dont see any reason to complain about mike manning.
you dont have to watch it. that is my message to all the
— holes who write asnine messages.
on Jan 7th, 2010 at 12:50 AM
yeah, seriously. why the crap are you all ranting on here when if you hated it so much you wouldnt have finished it and/or wrote about it on a website which took more time than you needed to. LIARS and hypocrites is my natural judgment of your stupid comments. get over yourselves
on Jan 7th, 2010 at 3:39 AM
Ranting is being done about Mike Manning, because it is a great way to release the pent of irritation he causes. Does anyone really believe he is bi? The nonexistent contradictions he thinks he has can be blamed on his youth — I’m sure he thinks it makes him interesting, but the “bi” thing can only be blamed on the times — meaning, we still live in a time when gay men, jocks or not, still feel the need for the stepping stone of the “bi” label when coming out. This is nauseating.
Oh, and sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and irritating statements and behavior are just irritating statements and behavior, not jealousy. Why do people think that when someone has a legitimate beef, they must be jealous?
I don’t find Mike masculine (nor effeminate, either). Jocks are not all necessarily masculine. Just because he hides his emotions or talks about hot females does not make him masculine. It makes him robotic and irritating.
on Jan 7th, 2010 at 4:02 AM
Okay, for all of you diminishing Mike and talking bad about him, you all need to get over yourselves because the truth of the matter is that this is a reality show. It’s called THE REAL WORLD, and please tell me who lives in the real world? Gays, bi’s, blacks, whites, yellows, and even blues! Get over yourselves and accept that we are in the twenty first century! Being gay should not really be an issue anymore. Mike is actually a good asset to the show because he is braking that stereotype of gay men acting and being girly. Plus, the man is pursuing a career in something that could make him quite an influencial person and there is nothing you can say about him that makes him seem like the average gay male. Just because he has said some remarks that you believe could be childish, immature, or odd does not mean that he is not as intelectual as you might be. The show is based on bringing together however many people under one roof. They learn from eachother and learn about themselves. That is what the REAL WORLD is about, and if you have problems with it, then you need to stop watching TV, and go out into the world to witness everything it has to offer. I promise you that you will find another person like Mike, but you need to get over that and stop being so judgemental!
on Jan 7th, 2010 at 7:55 PM
In the real world, sexual orientation, unfortunately, is still a very big deal. To deny this fact is to live in the fantasy world.
Mike is breaking no stereotypes. This fake “bi” label he gives himself, the way he pretends to be turned on by two girls kissing in order (in his mind) to be more palatable to other people, and his non showing of emotion (which is a defense mechanism typical of gay men afraid of being labeled a sissy) — all fit hand in glove to the stereotype of a scared gay man struggling to come out.
To say to someone “don’t watch the show if it bothers you” is to completely miss the point. Mike in no way shape or form is unique. He represents a lot of people. The annoyance is not only with Mike, but the many, many people who have his same flaws. Mike is merely a convenient person to use as an example, because of his current 15 minutes of fame.
on Jan 8th, 2010 at 6:55 PM
Dear HERB,
You’re stupid! Point blank and simple! =]
on Jan 9th, 2010 at 9:46 PM
Yes, these 20 year olds do not bring any real life experience for people to heed their advise or views on life. But same can be said about every single artist, celebrity, and a “movie star” out there in the media today. Consumers still flock around these shows and follow their famous musician, performer or some reality star. But this is not the reason to start criticizing and attacking every gay/bi person that doesn’t fit into your ideal mold.
About masculinity, femininity and bisexuality that was commented on by some—A lot of older gay guys get militant about bisexuality or gay guys that don’t identify themselves with stereotypical gay image and attitude that the older generation of activists and Hollywood has created for us. The gays have been struggling with image and identity for so much that they are conditioned to accept labels and how a gay man should act or what to believe in. We went from a generation of men that promoted promiscuous party hard lifestyle and shunned the idea of marriage as a lifestyle just for straight people to relentless activism for gay marriage. We went from a preference of a hairy muscle jocks in porn, to twinks and “straight acting” gays and “gay for pay.”
Today, gay guys will give you endless lectures on sexuality as if they are scientists, but as soon as a guy tells them they are bisexual, they will start doubting and dismissing them as some insecure closet cases or hypocritical, delusional religious “fags.” Meanwhile, these guys have fantasies or believe that any straight guy can have homosexual feelings, but it can never be in reverse for them.
How crazy can one get to knit pick the fact that Mike didn’t say that he liked guys and girls, but said he likes “girls and guys.” Ohh yes, he must be insecure about himself?
Then we have this endless obsession and disdain for guys that don’t fit into Chris Crocker, Elton John, Boy George, Richard Simmons image or remotely dare to question this type of image. The feminine guys hate it when they are referred to as “fem acting” but they will call gay/bi like this Mike Manning as “straight ACTING,” and a fake. They are born this way, but noo, you are not born bi and masculine; you are just confused about your sexuality.
As much some of you might hate it, the more media exposure LGBT will get, the more you will notice an erosion of stereotypes of homosexuality/bisexuality. There are tons of guys like Mike who call themselves jocks, macho, and say that they don’t like to cry not because they try to fit into the straight image out of insecurity, but because it is who they are as males.
This fem v. masc stand off in LGBT world is also seen among lesbians. The younger ones don’t want to shave their heads like truck drivers and wear Timberland boots for the rest of their lives, but the older lesbians shun them and criticize them as fakes, insecure about their identity.
What I notice a lot on several message boards is how people are pissed with Mike’s religious identity and belief in God. To be gay and call yourself Christian today is like Socrates trying to spread his message in Greece. If you don’t fit into “Christianity and religion is stupid” crowd with in the gay world, then you will be labeled and looked down upon as some ignominious or a challenged person. Because the non religious crowd are so intellectually progressive and informed on life these days.
I don’t know what it will take for LGBT community to accept each other and stop criticizing because we are different, but if we can’t tolerate our differences whether in religion, political views, bi/gay, masc or fem, then don’t expect the rest of the world to tolerate us anytime soon.
on Jan 9th, 2010 at 11:05 PM
James Phan, you are an uneducated, ignorant douche bag — end of story.
on Jan 9th, 2010 at 11:19 PM
Tom Z., your stereotype of older generation gays and newer ones is as off-putting and incorrect as what you appear to be railing against.
Bisexuality among men simply does not exist. Bisexual acts happen, sure, but as far as sexual orientation — bisexuality does not exist. This has been shown in recent studies. Men always have an innate sexual preference of one sex over the other.
Your assessment of Christian gays is also incorrect. There are many gay and gay friendly Christian churches. What gay rights activists are against is bigotry in the name of god, not Christians nor even gay Christians.
As to the sanity of believing in magic, well, that’s for another discussion.
on Jan 10th, 2010 at 5:30 PM
>>>Yeah, we did. Because if we didn’t, Outsports might not exist today. We didn’t apply for the show – the producers asked us to do it. And we didn’t do it for anything but to have the lawsuit go away.
So say all you want, Munson Man. But it was the only way we could be sure a homophobic asshole wouldn’t take Outsports away from us.<<<
Cyd, please relax and take it down a notch. My post was tongue in cheek – hence my use of the
emoticon. Nobody was questioning your motives.
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:14 AM
Herb: You are an incompetent, inept, unskillful, brainless, unintelligent rogue, as your name suggests, who needs to stop being so critical about life. Stop visiting this sight if you are too “philosophical” and cannot bear the opinions of others. You need to go “get some,” before your sexual frustration gets the better of you!
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:47 AM
Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon said it best on ’30 Rock’:
“There’s no such thing as bisexual. It’s just something invented in the 90′s to sell hair products.”
on Jan 12th, 2010 at 5:09 AM
Wow.
He’s young at 22? I guess we in Europe have to mature a lot faster than you guys because we can have sex at 16….and drink at 18…
on Jan 14th, 2010 at 5:44 PM
Wow. It was a freakin’ article, guys. Not a debate on gay marriage. Lighten up…lol
on Jan 20th, 2010 at 9:21 PM
I think whoever wrote this article is ignorant. First of all, as someone who personally knows Mike, you’re wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Mike is a sincere and genuine guy. He’s loving and open to anyone.
As for mocking “contradictions,”… That’s exactly what they are, you’re just being over analytical and probably a bit jealous. Anyone can sit and judge someone on any show. But before you try to make it seem like first hand you KNOW he’s an idiot, think again. Because from where I’m sitting, you’re the idiot.
on Jan 20th, 2010 at 9:56 PM
So mike Hun i sorry to say. U are so
gay. I think he needs to just learn
to just be comfortable with who he is.
I hope that he becomes comfortable
with it. U know what mike so what if u
are gay.
on Jan 21st, 2010 at 1:45 AM
To start of, The Real World (like every other MTV show) is scripted and all the “arguments” like the one on religion are somewhat pre-planned, so to take this show seriously is probably not very smart. Having said that, I’ve seen 2 types of RR: the ones where they party and are drunk all the time and the ones where they actually talk about issues such as transexuality and PTSS on soldiers. It appears that this one is more of the issue one considering that so far they’ve talked about bisexuality, religion, expectations of women “ideal” size.
Now, it appears that alot of you don’t think bisexuals exist. Would you be so kind to show some of these actual studies for me Herb. Also explain to me how bisexuality is possible for women and not for men? Also, can you tell me how bisexual acts can happen, considering that for them to happen one has to feel some attraction for the sex that person doesn’t usually find attractive (excluding ofcourse, the time you have sex with the member of the opposit sex to realize you actually don’t feel attcracted to them). Here’s the thing, sexuality is a continum, like Kinsey said, and we all fall under one of those making bisexuality very possible in both male and females. Also (I’m not 100% sure about this) there have been studies where difference have been in the brain of strait men and gay men, bisexuals falling closer to the strait brain than the gay brain; however sexuality is a continum and people might fall somewhere between those 2 points and these study was kind of controversial.
Another thing I’m seening come up alot is that Mike is not the steriotypical gay/bi guy, so he must be faking it to be accepted by people. Again, gays don’t have to fall under the steriotype, and in fact, I would argue that the steriotype is hurting the LGBT cause because people see gay people as too femenine and promiscuous and deviants when in fact we are as normal as the person next door, but what the steriotypical gay guy is doing is perpetuating that steiotype. In this sense Mike is very helpful because it helps people see we are not different.
Personally, I can kind of relate to him because I’m 21 years from a very conservative area in the south, and just recently I came out to my parents. I don’t tell people that I’m bisexual (though, if they ask what my sexuality is I will tell them) because I don’t want people to think of me as gay or bisexual first(I write both because as you can see alot of people don’t believe in bisexuals) and then say “he’s a hard ass and not emotional to compensate for his sexuality”… i.e. that I’m acting like this but I’m really not. The fact is that I am not emotional at all (maybe even more so than Mike). I am also not proud of been bisexual, not because of the stigma attatched to it, but because it me is like saying I’m proud of having brown eyes; it just doesn’t make any sense to me.
Last thing is that I find it funny that a group of people that are being discriminating against by the larger community disciminate against less visible and minorities (bisexuals) within their own community. That is truely hypocratic.
on Jan 28th, 2010 at 2:30 PM
To be honest with yall im happy with my sexuallity. I mean yea people hate on me and judge me about it but i really dont give a care about what they say. Yeah mike is like soooooooooooooooo hot but still…………….
on Jan 28th, 2010 at 2:34 PM
You kno thats what i dont like about people. the one time they find out one thing about somone they judge that one thing 4 the rest of their lives i mean come on really. U have got to be kiddin me.
on Feb 8th, 2010 at 1:12 AM
Honestly, “The Real World” jumped the shark a long time ago. How many times can you do that format before the cast makeup becomes formulaic and boring?
They basically pick their cast from seven or eight people who fit at least one of the following roles: The gay person; the jock/frat boy; the slut; the naive person; the whiner; the alcoholic; the person with anger management issues; the religious nut; the person who’s job is to listen to everyone else talk about their problems, and the wallflower you sometimes forget is even on the show.
Did a miss a stereotype that they frequently cast?
on Feb 8th, 2010 at 1:16 AM
Ooops, that last line should say “Did I miss a stereotype …”
on Mar 24th, 2010 at 11:04 PM
Well for anyone who criticized Mike based on whatever opening statement he may have made at the beginning of the season, for anyone who criticized him and have been watching this season, you have seen that this article is a MASSIVE FAIL!!!
I have been touched by his development and acceptance of his sexuality and we basically were able to see his own coming out through the season. He is committed to his boyfriend and announced him in church. He joined HRC and participated in community outreach and he’s supporting his boyfriend who is dealing with his family basically cutting him off after revealing he was gay and in love with Mike. His maturity and growth has been great to see and he was my favorite character throughout the season. With all the other gay people fiction and non fiction, I think he did us damn proud!!
on Mar 25th, 2010 at 5:17 AM
I’m with Mdterp.
I managed to find Mike’s Facebook a while back, he uses a different surname for privacy, I guess, and we’ve talked. He’s a really nice guy and he laughs at some of the things said about him months ago, but realizes that no one is perfect, he isn’t, and that he’s also judged others without getting to know them before.
He does, however, and I quote “I guess being in DC made me appreciate what my life is really like. It isn’t something people talk about with all those stereotypes or the bad news you see on television…”
on Mar 25th, 2010 at 7:18 AM
Not that I watched the show, but Mike’s amazing “development” seems to have proven that either bisexuality is indeed just a stop on the gay highway or that this guy was a phony all along, in which case he’ll fit right in at the HRC…..
on Mar 25th, 2010 at 10:23 AM
DruggyBear, I think he was just scared of admitting it, he was under pressure because of his home life, friends back home, and his future. Come on, think about it, he could be bisexual and possibly marry a woman in the future, and society wouldn’t look at him any different than a heterosexual person. I think it just took him some time to get acquainted with himself.
Sexuality is fluid, there is no black and white. You could say there’s no such thing as straight, gay or bisexual. It varies from person to person, and I’d go further to say it affects someone’s sexual outlook and their acceptance of others.
So I’m going to say he wasn’t a phony or that bisexual is a pit stop before the gay highway.
Good to see you, DB, haven’t seen you around since we emailed.