Jim seriously gets hotter and hotter each and every time he comes on your show (pun intended) and I’m not even into younger men! Well, that being said, I love it when you guys have him over… next time I expect an invite for the sleepover though. Fausto, get on that. So, the picture in question, obviously Photoshopped, but a nice fantasy for the chickens out there. Love You all!!!

-XOXO- Christopher of the Middle States (Former NYC Bitch!)

Having managed a music store and having been privy to some of the inner workings of the music industry, I would like to offer a couple of comments:

1. The statement “gay artist with mainstream appeal” is corporate double-speak for “We are seeking an artist who is gay, but who doesn’t SING about being gay, the kind of person who can safely be put on Clear Channel in the most redneck area with a minimum amount of protest. Oh, and did we mention the MTV video will NOT have gay themes?”

2. In my less-than-humble opinion, Jim is making a HUGE mistake courting the major labels like Sony-BMG, Universal, Warner/Electra/Atlantic, and EMI.

At one time, the music industry was about discovering real talent, supporting the artist’s growth, producing a top-quality product, and then sitting back and enjoying the results, which was the “music” aspect of the company. Now, it is all about the “business” aspect.

The music industry is polluted with people who have their finger on the pulse of the stock ticker and give the obligatory glance at the Billboard charts. Some of the biggest “movers and shakers” in the industry are also some of the biggest contributors to the Republican party. Need I say more?

The major labels spend more time issuing press releases about which company is merging with which other company than they give to news about which exciting, new, and fresh artists are about to make their debuts on the radio. Individual artists and groups are seen as “products,” every aspect of which is tightly controlled. From the music they play to the band’s look to the marketing done, there is practically no originality. Then, when a “new and fresh” sound is actually found, the market is flooded with about half a dozen other “new and fresh” artists who sound pretty much the same as each other. Millions of dollars are spent promoting these artists, and if the company doesn’t see a significant return on its initial investment, then the artists are dropped, and the company is on to the next “new and fresh” sound. Innovation and creativity are not valued, and in fact, they are typically discouraged as not being “good for business.”

I think that Jim would better serve himself by courting an independent label. Indie labels tend to be in the business for the artist, and they are used to marketing that goes outside of the tiny box that the majors tend to allow. The indies tend to let the artist do the creative work, and they lend their expertise for the marketing and distribution of the recordings. One such example that comes to mind is Koch Records, which is the label that signed William Hung. Koch’s business-to-business marketing campaign once used the theme of “Increase the size of your Koch,” which should give you an idea of their corporate mindset.

Disclaimer: I do not have any financial interest in any recording, distribution, or broadcasting company. I speak only for myself.

Ok, I got a little tied up in my rant and forgot to make my point clear: Jim is an original. He is not like anybody else on the radio. Because of this, the major labels are not going to have a clue how to market him, and he is better going with an indie label that will be capable of thinking outside of its corporate box when it comes to promotion and distribution.

I do wish him well in his quest for a contract.

This show was fabulous.

Still, I always get all antsy when people start talking about generalized sexualities and try to validate or even describe large swaths of trends between gay and straight people and what’s popular and what gays do to straights and vice versa. Sexuality is so personal. So trying to associate trends with what a person happens to feel (and how they act on it) at a given microsecond starts to get silly.

My favorite quote comes from Gore Vidal: “The reason no one has yet been able to come up with a good word to describe the homosexualist (sometimes known as gay, fag, queer, etc.) is because he does not exist. The human race is divided into male and female. Many human beings enjoy sexual relations with their own sex, many don’t; many respond to both. This plurality is the fact of our nature and not worth fretting about.”

I identify as a partnered gay male. That identification could change at any given moment given a really bad fight or a really good friendship, Needless to say, I am feeling many many societal pressures pushing me in different directions anyways.

Maia, you won the tickets!

What’s up with this guy? Wow. I didn’t know who he was until I saw his photo on the site. Now I remember seeing him on American Idol. Didn’t he give the judges all kinds of grief before leaving? Anyway, he made for a great show. I’m not sure I buy into any of what he was saying, but it was entertaining all the same.

I always look forward to when Jim is on the show. Always entirely too entertaining. Jim keep up the good work, best of luck in all your future endevours, and if you ever in Milwaukee…look a Fool up!

Yay for more Jim!!!

While the invterview with Ian was funny, I was bummed that it took 10 minutes away from time with a real musician/talent…Jim.

I love that you consider insulting a guy about being British and asking for his visa and he makes well over 100 million a year to be anti-immigrant.

Amanda Steinstein found the Feast of Fools through an ad that was placed on craigslist.org. The ad read: “Rejected by American Idol? Humiliated by your peers? The Feast of Fools wants YOU. Bring us your geeks, your misfits, your outcasts, your oddballs. We want big chested, bold women to sing, crack jokes, collaborate and dance in our musical variety shows.”

Oh, yeah, as far as the “interview” with Ian, that will go to the top my list of “Least Favorite Moments” on the show. Right up there with the pretentious “Astrologer to the Stars” interview.

BRING BACK GABOR!!!

The first time I saw and heard him from your show. I was and still am instantly hooked in him. He’s so cute and yummy, I just wish I could have a beau who sounded and look like him. Ehehehe!

It’s a bad thing that here in DR (Dominican Republic) there’s not much English FM radio nor a healthy and savvy gay lifestyle (sorry but most of them are still in the closet). Anyways, a big shout out to all you there guys, keep the goodies coming…….

I assumed the whole Ian thing was a fake, and I LOVED it!

(was it actually for real??)

the insurance companies don\’t want you to know…

Information on the life insurance industry…