Vanity Fair Targets Gay Car Enthusiasts

by Frank Williams

July 29th, 2008 12:25 PM

Vanity Fair's "Society and Style" blog has introduced " StickShift: The Gay Car Blog." Note: it's not a "Car Blog for Gays." It's a "Gay Car Blog." So what constitutes a "gay car?" According to blogger Brett Berk, "a car's gayness is based in its inhabiting the margins of conventionality. A Gay Car is quirkier, more enigmatic, or more fiercely accessorized than the average vehicle. (It also likes to sleep with other Gay Cars)." If that weren't stereotypical enough, and we think it is, Berk says he "won't go after low-hanging fruit like Saturns or Subarus." Instead he'll look at "cars that emit the subtle semiotic signals that register on my GayCarDar." Not to mention answering burning questions like "How Do Gay Guys Keep Their Cars So Clean?" Berk concludes by saying "So gas up, fasten your seatbelt, and get ready to suck some tailpipe." Needless to say, the folks over at Gaywheels aren't particularly amused.

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4 of 38 comments

Joeaverage on Jul 30, 2008
gaycorvette: Acura = very gay. Mini = ultra gay. Golf cabriolet = coronal mass ejection gay Well I drive a white '97 VW Cabrio. It's got two kid seats in the back and you can often see me and the family riding around town in it. By the way - I'm straight, beared, white, father of two, etc. Let's not waste too much on the stereotypes here okay? Lots of fun cars that get put aside b/c of stereotypes. Lots of folks worrying they might get lumped into some negative stereotype. You should have seen my coworker who just about wouldn't ride in my Cabrio in case of what somebody might think... I think I just figured out why GM doesn't make clever, stylish, small cars - too many GM folks who worry about not being "cool" or "manly", etc. Get over it America. FWIW our two lesbian friends drive GM products - one is an SUV and the other a minivan for when the whole family goes out somewhere. Prior to that they had a Eurovan, the big Saturn sedan from the late 90s and an V-10 Excursion.

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TR3GUY on Jul 30, 2008

This was one of the funniest blogs in a long time. I searched the net there are so many sites that ID "gay cars." It is pretty funny. With the news, the blog has been a nice distraction. One last sterotype story. When I was in college 5 of us took mom's car (a Ford Fairmont 4 banger) to Florida for Spring break. My buds made me promise if we met "chicks" to say it was a rental.

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Stevestr on Jul 30, 2008

As a GWM here I guess I am just missing how any Acura can be seen as "stereotypically gay." Can someone please explain that to me? I tend to buy cars because I like them, not based on what I should stereotypically be buying.

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Gaycorvette on Aug 01, 2008

To Busbodger: When you say you are "beared", well, I suppose that means you hang out at bear bars? In which case, it kind of undermines the rest of your argument. Or did you mean "bearded"? Surely you can't be thinking that a beard is something only straight men have? The beard is in fact quite popular among gay men. So you might want to consider shaving. Or stop being "beared". To all the guys who cite wives/child units as evidence of not being gay: Most gay men are married with kids. There's this thing called "the closet". Perhaps some of you are in it? Acura is stereotypically gay because, for some reason, gays love to buy their cars. Especially the TL. Lastly, for all those gay posters whining about stereotypes: Just think how often, and how much, gay men stereotype straight men (stupid, p***y whipped, violent, tasteless, etc.). Turn about is fair play.

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