This week the hype-surrounding the "down low" phenom refuses to die. Terry Mcmillan outs her man, Luther dies and is outed from the grave, R Kelly is outing brothaz on the radio and this morning's Oprah jumps on the bandwagon. Like many other shows, hers is on summer hiatus ... but that didn't stop execs from re-running JL King's interview. If you never saw A Secret Sex World: Living on the "Down Low, here was yet another opportunity to watch JL's "how you doin'?" routine. "
JL: I don't go to gay bars to look for a man. Not my style.
Oprah: Where do you go?
JL: I'll go wherever you go!
Memo to JL King: Oprah really hasn't been anywhere looking for a man. But we get your drift.
We feared that the Terry McMillan-Jonathan Plummer debacle would compel many people to re-visit the supposed down low phenomenon. Perhaps it's already started; Star Jones' marriage to Al Reynolds is being re-examined. More rumors are flying about Al's supposed club-hopping after the BET awards. Not the best of news. We don't fault a brotha for clubbing. But the Santa Monica strip? What, no flava for Al?
It's a damn shame that people are falling for this debacle. Even with Keith Boykin pretty much outing JL King as a fraud, people seem to take him seriously. I think sometimes we (black people) are too wedded to our victim status. One can be a victim and not take up the mantle of victimhood (meaning one is defined soley as a victim and everythign else is funneled through that prism).
Is no one gonna talk about the opportunism of people like Star Jones and Al and Terry and JL to make themselves celebrities in all of this? It's disgusting.
Posted by: Tyler | 07 July 2005 at 15:00
Rod! Spill the gossip, lol I didn't know about R Kelly and the Luther thing. Point me in the right direction.
Posted by: pamela | 07 July 2005 at 15:33
Thank you for the link to the Al story. They were starting to talk about his "gay hopping" on the local radio here, but never came back to the story. I knew if I came here, I would find the info ;)
Posted by: Boogie | 07 July 2005 at 15:49
Hey Rod- Long time no talk. New site is FAB - can't wait to chat with you more! Monty
Posted by: Monty | 07 July 2005 at 18:31
I saw the clips for Oprah's show this morning and turned it immediately. I knew this was going to happen though.
Didn't hear about Luther being outted from the grave though. I'm going to have to check it out.
Posted by: Blogger031905 | 07 July 2005 at 20:17
He (JL King) is disgusting.
I thought the white woman in black got it about right...that he is in denial.
"It's not about orientation...it's about "gratification"...
Yeah, right! Denial!
What surprised me was that he was so "clockable"!
Posted by: Aaron Coleman | 08 July 2005 at 08:12
I'm with Pamela - what's this whole thing about Luther being outed from the grave? is that confirmed? and who is R. Kelly outing?
Posted by: jaded | 08 July 2005 at 11:13
Oprah's guest was so absolutely lost......so clouded by confusion.....so pathetic, I wanted to reach through the tele and shake him.
The saddest part of the show was when he said that he would have no problem with his daughter dating a man like himself. That really troubled me.....because no sensible loving father would EVER request that his daughter be okay with a man who's not only cheating on her, but putting her at risk of getting a deadly disease. No father would EVER ask that!
Whether the husband in question is giving head to dick or pussy is inconsequential!
It's troubling that he is allowed to offer his absolute confusion as some kind of revelation!
Posted by: kev | 08 July 2005 at 21:04
jesus christ i read the book (thought it was bullshit and was laughing as i read it) and i saw the interview. they are really trying to make the "on the dl" thing huge arent they? i remember when i used to live in atlanta the dl phenomenon was all i heard on the radio! i have a question though. how in the hell did his wife NOT know he got down? i would have clocked him from the get-go! anyways, whats the thing about r-kelly outing bruhs on the radio? and about luther being outed from the grave (i think thats sad)
Posted by: anthony | 09 July 2005 at 10:21