The Stage Light Effect

"Napuntahan ko na ang gay bar na may pinakamaraming guwapong macho dancer na nakita ko (I have been to the gay bar with the most handsome macho dancers)," I keep telling my friends over the past few weeks. 

I've been to that gay bar once previously, but was not really impressed with the selection of men they had that time, which were few and a bit on the oldie side. However, when I visited the bar again, together with my MD friend, two weeks ago, I was surprised to see a great bunch of guys that fit in my concept of male beauty. 

When I returned to that gay bar after my first visit a year ago, I sat down non-chalantly and expecting nothing new would surprise me.  The one dancing when I arrived was just so-so (I can't even remember who he is or how he looked like). But then those who followed him made me re-think my view of the bar. 

I even remember texting my friend at that time, "Ngayon lang ako nakakita na sunud-sunod na guwapo ang umakyat sa stage (This is the only time I've seen handsome guys going up the stage one after the other)."

The Macho Dancer's Pole

Think of strippers and strip bars. What's the usual image one imagines? Naked bodies, fine. And bills tucked to their bikinis. But because I mentioned "pole" already in the title of this post, pole-dancing also comes to mind.

Every strip joint, especially girlie bars, has a pole. One can find it on the stage, either at the dead-center, or at one corner of the bar. American movies show this long, slender rounded piece of steel at the far end of the stage or a runway, near the customer tables. As I said, just mention "pole-dancing" to anyone, and the first thing that comes to their mind is the girlie strip bar, with strippers turning around a tall slender steel bar.

But a pole used by a macho dancer inside a macho dancing gay bar?

Continue reading:

Songs in a Gay Bar: The R&B Slow Song

Want to feel in-love? Want to feel sexy? Want to feel being seduced by a handsome muscular charmer, half-naked and sweating, dancing to a slow, sensual love song?

Whew, the idea is making me hot, and want to go to the nearest gay bar.

I've written about the Power Ballads as danced by macho dancers in a gay bar -- strong, heavy, full of emotions. Yet, another type of music that's also often danced along in these bars are the R&B ballads and slow songs.

When a macho dancer chooses a slow love song for him to dance along to, his repertoire is often limited to the songs they hear on the radio. And when it comes to love songs especially in the mid-90s to 2000s, the most popular ones are those from R&B singers in these decades. Of course, the choice songs are sung by male R&B stars, as opposed to female ones, as not to appear too feminine.

And I think that these R&B love songs are a good choice at that. Its slow beat and melody can evoke sensuality, and can even be quite sexy even as background music for romantic foreplay. Its lyrics, especially if sung by a smooth male voice, can make one swoon over and melt. And when danced along by a hunky guy, I feel this type of music is a perfect choice to emulate passion, love and sex, all rolled into one song.

So here are some R&B slow songs that I've heard played inside gay bars across Metro Manila. You will probably have heard some of them, and might make you remember a particular dancer. So for other non-gay bar goers, listen to these tracks, and imagine a macho dancer sensually moving his half-naked body to these songs:

Area

When talking about gay bars of Manila, most of the written articles and chit-chats revolve around macho dancers, particularly about their poverty-stricken origins, their unique form of dance, and heck, even their dick sizes. Ask any gay bar goer, typically a gay guy or matrona or Koreana, for why they went to a gay bar in the first place, and you get various reasons like “to satisfy my curiosity”, “to see a live dick”, “to have someone to talk to”, “to fall in love.” Of course, macho dancers become top of mind when the topic is about gay bars.

However, little is mentioned about those others performing in the gay bar, those with the same night-shift work schedules, who share the same stage and entertain the same audience, as the macho dancers.

“Sino yang mga yan? (Who are they?)” might be asked by puzzled first time gay bar goers, who went to that bar to see some naked muscular men. After sets of erect dicks on stage, these customers would be seeing fully-clothed effeminates doing drag or fully-clothed boys doing hiphop.

They’re employed by the bar, along with the macho men, and they're there to entertain. As "commercial breaks", they give sort of a breather to the continuous flow of half-naked men dancing routinely under the spotlight.



Those who go "area": (1) All-the-way men who don't get tabled often,
(2) Drag queen impersonators, (3) Hiphop dance groups



On-stage, the tranny impersonators might do a burlesque show or lip-synching divas concert. The hiphop group dancers might do a medley of latest radio hits. And right after a one-song performance onstage, they would go down the stage with the second song as their cue. This is the so-called bar term "area" (or “ehr-ya”, as how the gay bar employees pronounce it).

It's a term commonly used in gay bars: "Ayan, mag-a-area na ang mga impersonator (The impersonators will now go on 'area')" or "Ang lakas nila humingi ng pera kapag nag-area (Those dancers ask for too much money when they 'area')".

When they "area" (yes, a noun used as a verb), each of the group’s members would be assigned “areas” inside the gay bar with a little bag or cap in their hands. They approach a customer's group, like yours for instance, either with a smile or a little plea, and hope that you give them some tip or change. The drag queens might seduce with a brief dance in front of you. A member of the dance crew might use their boyish charms. And after your generous action (or inaction), they move on to the next table and to the next, until they’ve gone through all the customers before their song would end.

Collecting tips from customers via doing “area” is a way for these in the periphery to augment their daily income, which they split evenly among themselves. Sure, the bar pays these impersonators and group dancers for their performances, but the top of the pay roll would always be the macho dancers. But unlike the macho dancers, they don't collect commission from the drinks from the customers, nor get the much higher tips. Heck, they don't even get extravagant gifts from crazy-in-love guests outside the bar. What do these impersonators or group dancers, and to some extent, the not-so-handsome all-the-way tigas boys get from the customers? Much smaller than the MDs, if not, none.

For them, the tips they collect reflect the generosity of the customers. They know how the gay bar’s patrons are always loaded, just by how the MD drinks are priced. “Nagtatapon naman sila ng pera, bakit hindi rin makakuha? (They’re throwing away money, so why not get some of those)” as remarked by one. They also seem drawn to foreigners, as much larger tips are given by caucasian foreigners who seem to be easily entertained. For some customers, these acts of begging may seem like little ways of extorting money from them. Of course, there are the choosy customers who’d select who to give and how much, if ever they’d decide to be generous. A simple "no" or slight wave of the customer's hands automatically signals these dancers to leave.

The tips also give an indication of the bar’s financial situation. No customers for weeks, no tips.

“Nagkaroon ng time, halos walang customer na nagpupunta. Yung P100 na tip nung isa, pinaghahatian pa namin. Mas maliit pa yung tip kaysa sa biyahe. (There was a time, the bar was empty without any customers. We had to share the P100 given to us. What we got was smaller than the fare going to the bar),” as the tranny impersonator shared. This was at the height of the rainy season, when people would rather stay home than go out, and at the same months before the holiday season, when people would save their money for the following months’ spending. This was also the time when our group found another gay bar, with other men to spend our money at.

In a place where money seemed to be flowing freely night after night, there are those who don't benefit that much -- the drag queen impersonators, the dance groups, the all-the-way boys. The maximum P100 tips each group gets per customer (which they still split among them) are way smaller than the minimum P500 each macho dancer gets from their guests. Sex does sell, it seems.

Sure, they entertain the audiences, just as the macho men do. But it's a fact they accept that they are not the main reasons why patrons go to these macho dancing gay bars. Their performances are simply "commercial breaks" to the repetitive, routine live acts, and similarly, do we pay attention to the breaks on TV?

Why not? They may be more entertaining than the main show.

Photocredits:

http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/1569R-100011

http://playshop.playevent.no/dcv/manila%20luzon%20drag%20queen%20real%20name.html

http://www.our-random-lives.blogspot.com/

---

GB Goer

Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila

http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/

email: char.affairs@gmail.com

---

The Unexpected Peep Show

On our last skemper at the gay bar Home Base, my friend “Mary” wondered about a performance that I’ve seen countless times already. It was a set of five young boys macho-dancing on-stage, not in the normal bikini briefs, but stripped fully naked, except for a piece of cloth they held to cover their peepees.



Model Jesus Luz as the best representation for how the macho dancers hold the cloth over their crotches



“No, they’re not the all-the-way (ATW) guys,” I told her. “That set already finished earlier.”

She had a strange look on her face as if it was the first time for her to see non-ATW boys almost fully naked on-stage.

“We’ve seen this before! Remember ‘B’ with just a white polo shirt. ‘K’ in a sarong-like cloth when we even instructed him to approach us for a tip when Ringo didn’t join us.”

She still couldn’t remember.

We were in a gay bar, and in an establishment like this, everyone would expect flesh exposure of some kind. It would either be the younger macho dancers in their bikinis, or the more mature macho dancers doing full-frontal nudity. But what stunned her perhaps was this was a set of young junjunin boys in their very early 20s almost doing an all-the-way performance.



The unexpected peep show, right after the jump:

Songs in a Gay Bar: Power Ballads

A power ballad is typically defined as a slow tempo song of a rock artist often used to convey an emotional or "profound message to their audience."*

When it comes to macho dancer bars, since the 80s or 90s, the anthem of these gay bars has always been the power ballad. As depicted in local movies both mainstream and indie, as parodied in local comedy tv shows, as performed in front of friends during private parties, the music played when a man stripteases is always the power ballad (and the gasgas "Careless Whisper" by Wham / George Michael of Hayden Kho infamy, of course, as an exception to this genre).

No surprises for Pinoys. And gay-bar-going Pinoys and Pinays.

What surprised me and my friend, Mary, though is how these songs get stuck into our brains long after we've left the gay bar. Often, when we go karaoke singing, some of these songs worm their way into our playlist. And when the song gets played, we glance at each other, chuckle, and try to recall the name of the dancer who danced to this song. Sometimes, just for the fun and heck of it, I imitate how these dancers move while my friends are singing these ballads.

These songs, with their deep lyrics accompanied with heavy drums and electric guitars, do evoke certain strong emotions. And when coupled with a tall hunky man dancing on stage, what one sees is a man expressing his deep feelings to the woman he loves, but in a strong, masculine way, without beeing too soft or mushy. The combination of sight and sound can ideally turn on matrons or gay patrons -- seeing the macho dancer become more manly but showing their softer side as well.

I'll share here the typical power ballads I keep hearing when going the rounds of gay bars in Manila. These are not necessarily the top 5, but at least, the top of my mind. They are connected some way to certain dancers I know or certain bars or certain experiences I had.

1. "Blaze of Glory" and "Bed of Roses" by Bon Jovi
- the songs of choice by the top dancers in Home Base

2. "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner (remade by Mariah Carey)

3. "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf (but since it's a very loooong song, DJs just cut it out in the end)

4. "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith
- Macho dancers admit liking to dance to this song. And I have to admit, when this song is played, my full attention is on stage. This song puts the "power" in a power ballad for a gay bar, especially when the macho dancer knows how to fully harness the song's crescendos (and Steven Tyler's screams) in a routine.

5. And the Forever Favorite of macho dancers (for whatever reason, maybe because it was remade recently by the winner of a reality show singer) as a song to both dance to and sing along to ("im forever yours... Pait-puly!"). Yes, you'll here that line sung in the entire bar.

"Faithfully" by Journey

Take note though that not all songs played in gay bars are just power ballads. There are also other genres played, like the contemporary love song, the recent R&B dance hit, the OPM ballad, and the korean pop song. I'll post another entry about those.

GB Goer
Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila
http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/
email: char.affairs@gmail.com; Follow at twitter: @gbgoer

---

*From Wikipedia: Ballad, quoted from Aaron, Charles (2002), "Don't Fight the Power".

Mirror, Mirror

You sit in the middle of the gay bar. The DJ introduces the next macho dancer. He comes to the stage, in a sando and short shorts. He looks center, then starts to dance slowly to the sappy power ballad. He moves to the right of the stage, while removing his sando. He looks to your area, touches his chest, his abdomen. He flexes his arms to the air. Midway, he goes to the pole and removes his short shorts. It reveals a black underwear. You notice some sweat trickling down from his navel to his undergarment. He walks back to to the center. He kneels, then humps the floor, stands up. He returns centerstage, standing there, gyrating. Both of his hands are on his head. He turns his torso sideways slowly, leaving his head facing your area again. More slithering. Music ends. Exits.

And all that time, while you, and everyone else in the bar, were looking at the dancer's eyes, his lean neck, his well-defined chest, his dark erect nipples, his tight abdomen, his nether regions covered by an opaque black cloth, did you even notice where he was looking at?

At you, you say?

Where were you seated? At the middle of the bar. That's why you're so sure that he was looking at you the whole time.

Turn your head to the back. Right now. What do you see?

A mirror.

Surprise.

What you see behind you was placed there for many reasons.

One, it helps dancers see their own form while dancing. As all eyes are on them, these dancers need to constantly check themselves out for the right posture and movement: Are my arms in an awkward position? Is my head tilted wrong? Is my stare seductive enough? Did the week's bench press improve my arms? Is my foundation too thick? Does my beer belly already show? Did the roll of tissue help my dick seem 6 inches bigger?

Second, it helps them concentrate on their dance. One dancer told me that if he removes his eyesight from the mirror, and glances at the audience, he instantly gets distracted and feels self-conscious. Before going on-stage, they have a semi-set routine already in their heads, so once their concentration is disrupted, they might forget what their next move would be.

Lastly, it gives them something to stare at, making them feel less awkward on stage, especially if they don't know where to look at while dancing. Do they look at the faces in the crowd, directly into their eyes? A shy, embarrassed newbie dancer will feel very awkward at the thought. So why not make them stare at their half-naked bodies instead? That's less awkward than dozens of giggling girls and horny gays stare at them while they're in their tighty whities. Right?

Out of the six or so gay bars I've been to, only about 4 have mirrors at the back wall facing the stage. Two of these don't have full-length mirrors per se, but simply the windows of the VIP Rooms, which act like one-way mirrors (you can find them at "Lord Gay Bar" in QC and "Kingdom Come" in Pasay). One bar in QC has its mirror overhead on the second floor facing the stage, and looks hidden from the audience. Another defunct gay bar (Mr Valentine) has its mirrors hidden behind exit-stage-left, that's why dancers always stay at the back drop and constantly look to that side (Dancers enter the stage from "stage right." Sorry, I dont know the exact terminologies of a theater's stage. I am not a stage mother. Charot!)

In "Home Base", there are no mirrors. That may be a reason why I am more engaged when watching these boys on-stage in this bar. They look at the audience. They search for familiar faces. They acknowledge or smile when they see you. When their regular guests are not present, they entice and seduce the group of bridesmades seated near the stage or the lonely bading in the dark, and hope they table them that night. Without them focusing on themselves, they focus on you.

So when they're on stage, and you see them looking at your vicinity while they're gyrating, think again before assuming he was focusing on seducing you. He might just have been seducing himself.

And you, love-struck you, might just feel you were already the ____ (insert "girl", "boy", "bakla", "tomboy") of his dreams.

GB Goer
Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila
http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/
email: char.affairs@gmail.com; Follow at twitter: @gbgoer

---

photocredits: http://weheartit.com/entry/3101315 

The V.I.P. Room (Part 3 of 3)

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The V.I.P. Room (Part 2 of 3)

So what's inside the VIP Rooms of gay bars?

Intimate was the best word to describe one of the VIP rooms of "Lord", one of Metro Manila's top gay bars. It's less than half the size of a typical shopping mall's rest room (I-compare ba ang VIP Room sa CR?). Ours had two couches forming an L against the walls, and a low table for our drinks. The room was dimly lit by a single bulb that's enough for you to do something private, but still see a boy's physical features without his obvious flaws. One of the walls also had a supposed one-way mirror -- for you to see what's happening outside without them seeing the happenings inside.

What enticed my friend Ringo and I to get a VIP room was really its privacy. We thought that the hourly price offered by the manager was reasonable enough for three solo dances from the boy and an hour's private moments with him. "Kayo na bahala" was her reply when I asked what else we could expect.

I inquired about this "bahala" with "Jeriko," Ringo's tabled boy. I was just curious, since I already had an idea what "that" might be, but never implying that "that" was the sole thing we wanted. (Hindi naman kasi sex habol namin... Love. Char! Love na may sex. Charing!!!)

His answer: Kung anu-ano. (Literal translation: If what-what. Seriously, it means "whatever").

He then proceeded to tell about his experience with a married couple inside the VIP Room. The husband instructed Jeriko to f*ck his wife while he watched. Of course, that made Jeriko uncomfortable, but it seemed he pushed through with the deed nonetheless. For me that felt like a tall tale. But giving him the benefit of the doubt, I thought it was an exception inside the VIP room rather than the rule.

Like Lord, Home Base also has a VIP room. The only story I've heard about this room was whenever this certain popular gay celebrity and his entourage arrived, they were ushered in to the private room discreetly (from the back room, i mean, back door entrance perhaps). One of his friends would then request for a show up of boys, and select from them. I knew about this because my ex boasted how once he was almost selected as one of the "lucky" boys. But a mix-up occurred among them, so he never knew what deeds or deals happened in that room thereafter.

Before "Lord," my closest experience to a VIP room was in the hosto bar, "Neighborhood."  Unlike macho dancing bars, the rooms here were not designed for intimacy. They were spacious rooms, brightly lit, with huge glass windows and KTV sets. Renting the room wasn't expensive either; my friends would just split the P2000 price, good for four hours stay. The most exciting thing we did and could do in those rooms was just to sing. Very wholesome. (And not that kind of "singing", ala gay language).

My gay friends (without me this time) have already experienced being in a VIP room in "Kingdom Come", the macho dancing bar. I think they got the KTV room for privacy, but they didn't do anything extraordinary except to sing. I guess I didn't miss much. Though I heard that while macho dancer "Tull" was singing during his turn, my friend "Ramon Jr"'s fingers were suspiciously busy underneath the pillow that Tull was holding on his crotch. Kaya pala pumipiyok daw si Tull nung kumakanta. Buti pa si Ramon Jr, naka-chancing na sa macho dancer... yun nga lang, hindi naka-table kay Ramon Jr si Tull, kundi kay Ringo. Agawan ba ng et-et? Buti walang sampalan at sabunutan na nangyari.

Apparently, not all dancers of Kingdom Come were "open" to the shenanigans (whatever they are) inside the VIP room. Tull was just one of the select few who would gamely play along with customer's wants or requests. Our gay manager even pointed out who among the other dancers were "game na game" inside the VIP room.

So technically, my first real gay bar VIP room experience was in Lord, last weekend. I was never shy with our tabled boys about this. After an hour chatting inside the private room, I was still hoping though to get the promised three private dances.

(to be concluded)

GB Goer
Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila
http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/
email: char.affairs@gmail.com; Follow at twitter: @gbgoer

---

photocredit: http://www.newskanpol.pl/

The V.I.P. Room (Part 1 of 3)

I remember being a newbie customer in the macho dancer world, seated in one of the regular couches inside Home Base. On that "initiation" night, I scanned the entire bar, with my eyes wandering from the stage at the center to the other empty tables to the showroom at the far end, and up to the dark second floor. I asked the gay manager seated beside us what was up there.

"It's the VIP room," she said, as she further explained what's inside it and how much to rent it.

"Sarap siguro maging VIP sa bar na ito," (It may be good to be a VIP here in this bar) I thought to myself. I imagined rich gays from the fashion or entertainment world, chatting around, drinking their wine, getting lap danced by the boy of their choice, privately. They'd get the best boys of the bunch, maybe the most handsome, the most macho, or the most well-endowed, and then tipping them with thousand peso bills tucked in their bikinis (I wonder how Jose Abad Santos would feel if his portrait was facing a boy's crotch. I bet Madamme Girl Scout Josefa Llanes Escoda would not mind being in that position).

At that time, I wished I was earning enough to be one of this bar's VIP. But with P2000 in my wallet, I just settled with being an ordinary customer seated on one of the bar's ordinary couches.

Ten months after, last weekend, my friend Ringo and I decided to try out the supposed "Lord" of Manila's gay bars. The place was massive, filled with groups of on-lookers from "Tanauan, Batangas" (Tanauan = Tanawan = Tanaw = ayaw mag-table, gusto sight from afar lang ng hubaderos).

At first, we sat on the ordinary couches at the dark area of the bar. But the place was too massive, too noise. We wanted some privacy with our tabled boys. So we told the manager that we'd get one of their VIP Rooms.

Wow, I thought to myself. I never imagined being inside a VIP Room inside Manila's top gay bar. And it was just our first time there.

(to be continued)

GB Goer
Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila
http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/
email: char.affairs@gmail.com; Follow at twitter: @gbgoer

---

Photocredits: www.yelp.com

First Time Niyo?

Tuwing pumapasok kami ng gay pals ko sa isang gay bar (o macho dancer bar), medyo naiirita ako kapag tinatanong kami ng mga receptionist ng -- "First time niyo?"

Sa loob-loob ko, "Di niyo kami kilala? Kami ang mga diyosang regular customers ng bar na ito!"

Syempre, hindi na nagmamaganda ang mga vakels at babaeng vakels, at sumasagot na lang ng "hindi, nakapunta na kami dati."

Kung first time kasi ng customer sa isang gay bar, may maliit na seremonyas pang sandaling mangyayari bago makapasok:

1. Itatanong kung may camera o camera phone sa bag. Dapat kasing i-surrender muna ang mga ito sa reception bago makapasok.
    > Syempre, baka kasi may hidden cam na kukuha ng mga videos at ipapalabas sa mga expose at investigative shows. Worse, baka sa youtube pa lumabas. Nangyayari lang ata ito sa isang bar, ngunit hindi ko alam kung may ganitong policy rin sa ibang bar sa QC.

2. Mag-a-assign ang receptionist ng isang bading na floor manager sa grupo ninyo (kadalasang mga tranny sila).
   > Ang floor manager kumbaga ang magiging "mamasan" ninyo sa bar. Siya rin ang kakausapin niyo kung mayroon kayong gustong i-table na lalake. Siya rin ang mangungulit sa iyo buong gabi na kumuha ng isang lalaki.
   > Tip: Alalahanin ang pangalan ng bading na manager. Siya ang "password" mo (o pangalan na iyong i-name drop) sa susunod na punta niyo sa bar.

Siguro, ginagawa itong maliit na seremonyas na ito para sa proteksyon na rin ng mga bar at mga nagtatrabaho rito. Malay mo nga naman, maaaring yung bagong customer na dumating ay grupo pala ng mga pulis na naka in-disguise na nag-ba-bading-badingan, upang makahuli kung may hubarang mangyayari bago sila mag-raid. Pero, dont worry! Sa dalas ng punta namin sa gay bar, wala pang ni-isang raid ang nagaganap. So maliit lang din ang posibilidad na ma-raid ang bar kung pupunta kayo. May mga dahilan kung bakit, pero hindi iyon ang paksa natin ngayon.

So kahit na tinatanong pa rin kami minsan kung first time namin sa bar, buti na lang pala, hindi pa nila kami gaanong namumukaan kahit ilang beses na kaming umikot sa gay bar circuit. Proteksyon na rin sa akin, para sa isang hindi pa gaanong "out" tulad ko (charing, ang patron ng gay bar, hindi pa raw out?).


GB Goer
Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila
http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/
email: char.affairs@gmail.com; Follow at twitter: @gbgoer

Gay Bar Advice: Selecting a Boy, Show-up

When I was a first-timer in macho dancing bars, I knew I wanted to experience getting a boy to table with me. But with all the coaxing of "Janice" the tranny floor manager for me to get a boy, choosing "the one" became very nerve-wracking:

How would I choose? Which boy would I choose? How much to table a guy? Do I have enough money? Would I like the boy? Would the boy abuse and keep on drinking MD drinks? What if someone I knew went into the bar and saw me with a boy in tow? Will I say "Hi Tita, I was just dragged by my friend who's getting married (at 40?), and this is her ka-table named Junjun"?

Then, with a quickened pulse, I decided to get one. Janice then invited me to go across the bar to view the showroom. All the way there? Where everyone can see me? With the lights of the showroom too bright? Won't the boys see me from this supposed one-way mirror? Embarrassed, I just told her I would select from the boys dancing on stage. In hindsight, that decision already limited my choices.

Good thing, there's what bars call "show up." The manager will gather the un-tabled, available boys, and make them stand in front of you all at once (or in groups of 4-5), in a military line-up, for you to choose. Just like going to the showroom, this can also get a bit embarrassing because all eyes will be on you -- the boys, the manager, the waiters, and the other curious customers.



Crude representation of a show-up: Imagine a line of boys in their underwear in front of you

More experienced than my first visit, I've already requested for "show-up"s from various bars already. I guess I've gotten over the embarrassment (or shame) connected with choosing and table-ing a boy.

What's so interesting about show-up's is the range of looks and expressions of these boys. A few boys give blank stares, not caring if they will be picked. Some will be beaming proud, over-confident that they will be the chosen one, possibly because they know they are the most good-looking or most popular in the bunch (note: "Ruiz"). There will be a few who will be smiling to death, or raising their eyebrows, trying with all their energy to charm the customer. One or two will just be at the back of the group, either shy-types or newbies or those who feel that for the nth time this week, they won't be picked. Once a boy is chosen, the rest will simply walk back to their original places -- on unoccupied seats/couches, in their dressing room, or in the showroom.

I got to experience though a slight variation of these show-ups last month (eight months after my first visit). The manager simply introduced two boys at a time, with a name, proper greeting and handshake. I felt it was more respectful to the boys, more discreet for the customer, and less embarrassing to the un-chosen boys. I also felt being in some scene from "The Bachelor(ette)", being wooed by guys one at a time.

Oddly enough, in spite of the managers pushing or the boys' efforts to stand-out or blend in during show-ups, I would already know which macho dancer or hosto to choose. I would've seen the boy earlier that night, either dancing on stage, walking around, or seated from the other end of the bar. With a show-up of the whole set of available men, I just wanted to make sure I've chosen the right one (and confirm that no one else in the bar was better).

GB Goer
Learn more: Lessons from Gay Bars in Manila
http://machosandhostos.blogspot.com/
email: char.affairs@gmail.com; Follow at twitter: @gbgoer