|
Intimate Interaction
Review by Michael Malone, School of Journalism, Indiana University
|
After being encompassed by Stevie Jay tonight, I feel compelled to write about the experience. As I am riding the dreadful bus back to my apartment with a bunch of strangers, where the person next to me does not even say hello, it dawns on me that what Stevie Jay was talking about was completely right. It doesn't matter who you are, or who you have sex with—be it a man or a woman—what matters is what we make of our lives while we are here.
Stevie Jay's "90 Minutes of Me in a Really Good Mood" completely twists society's beliefs about a number of controversial topics and leaves you feeling at peace with your soul after the curtains close.
Yes, Stevie Jay is a wonderful comedian with some hilarious jokes and outrageous language at times, but even deeper than that—he touches each audience member with a sense of vibrancy and honesty. We all have our inner thoughts and deep secrets we do not share with people, and Stevie Jay expresses his deepest secrets in a way none of us can. |
|
 On the subject of sexual labeling, Stevie makes a wonderful point in his show that I can almost guarantee had every audience member's head nodding 'yes.' He says, "I just don't understand the question: 'Are you gay, straight, or bi?' Based on what? ...I'm not HAVING sex at this moment—so how am I supposed to label myself? Based on my fantasies? Oh, God! Can you imagine if we went around making definitive statements about who we are, based on our fantasies? We'd all be in jail!"
Why does it matter who we sleep with? Why do you want to know? Yes, I'm in love with a girl, but I have also been hit on by a handful of men. Here is my question to all you guys out there, who, like myself, have always been into women exclusively: Isn't being hit on by a man the same as being hit on by a woman you are not attracted to? Same virtual feeling, I would have to say. So what do you say to this person who comes on to you? You're not attracted to this individual, so why does it matter whether they're male or female? It should not matter. Personally, I am going to have the same response whether the question comes from a man or a woman. "Sorry, I'm already taken," or "I'm really not interested right now."
|
|  In a phone conversation a few days after the show, Stevie told me that college-aged people often come up to him and tell him that they'd recently had their first sexual experience, wondering what the hell just happened and "what it all means" in terms of their identity, and that after seeing his show, they feel much more at ease; they aren't beating themselves up, wondering who they are, or feeling like they are required to define themselves based on sexual desire or sexual experiences.
Another point in Stevie's show is the fact that in our American culture today, a man cannot say "I love you" to another man without ending the phrase with "dog" or "man." I wonder how many guys reading this actually say "I love you" to their fathers. I hate to admit this, but it can feel awkward saying 'I love you' to my father. This makes me cringe. I love my father to death, but saying it out loud has not been easy at all. I see now that it doesn't have to be that way anymore, and should never have been that way in the first place.
Stevie Jay's unbelievable way of expressing his own experiences hits the nail right on the head: It's all about human relations. In a world where cell phones and computers dominate, where is the face to face intimate interaction? Stevie Jay takes this question into his own hands and creates intimate interaction with every audience member, captivating their minds with laughter. |
|
