I find myself really smitten with the Vice network's latest enterprise, their new television channel Viceland.
If you haven't seen it, check it out.
The programming is exactly what you have come to expect from Vice: journalism with a sharp edge and a sharp eye. Also, helpin' heapfuls of young people doing dangerous, photogenic things. And, of course, lots of open talk about the gamut of human sexuality. Oh yes. It is Vice transposed to a new medium.
Oh and about that "sharp eye": the photography on these shows is gorgeous. Again, that's something you'd expect if you're familiar with Vice magazine and its commitment to breaking some of the best contemporary photographers.
I'm already a big fan of Thomas Morton and his show Balls Deep. You can actually see most (all?) of the episodes of Season 1 here.
The first episode I watched was the one on orgasmic meditation and I sort of had a negative vibe off Mr. Morton in that one. He admitted up front he was approaching this New Age, West Coast, quasi-religion that has sprung up around clitoris-worship with a healthy dose of East Coast skepticism. I felt he was being a little smart-alecky even as he was (at least) superficially giving himself over fully to an unusual experience in an attempt to learn about one of the sometimes drastically different ways of life of others in American culture, which is the premise of the show. I think the idea is that Morton is going to go "balls deep" into each subculture or cultural phenomenon he investigates. I guess I should give him points for doing things that might not be exactly easy for him. I don't think he ever hurt anyone's feelings in the process of making the documentary and he did respectfully worship a stranger's clitoris (without the emolument of sex). So there's that. He claims to have reached a sort of spiritual enlightenment about women by the end of filming. I wasn't sure how sincere this eleventh hour epiphany really was, since there were so many little snaps and not-so-subtle digs he got off throughout the show in his exchanges with others who belong or subscribe to this movement.
I give him bigger ups for going to Bear Week in Provincetown and hanging with the furriest gays and not snapping on anyone once. But then you don't really want to start a snapping contest around gay men, do you? It wasn't that type of deal though. Morton gave himself fully to the experience and was usually seen around P-Town riding on the bitch seat of gay bear rapper Big Dipper's bike. And I do mean bike, as in bicycle with a cute little bell you can ring. It was priceless. He really did go balls deep into Bear Week and even ventured under "Dick Dock" in the heat of the night when it was in full swing with a bunch of men acting out the gay Kama Sutra (the video camera was left at a safe distance). He interviewed Mr. A. Maupin, went to a gay party, learned about the "Truvada (barebacking) movement" (don't get me started) and got gay-ducated in all other sorts of ways. He came away with a real respect for gay culture and its ability to embrace and elevate elements of physicality that other segments of culture might vilify. Oh, he even got naked with some guys in a body affirmation ceremony that involved a gay man handling and praising his junk. And then he returned the favor. He did the same for a very large gay bear. Viceland, this straight man has earned his paycheck! Give the guy a raise already!
I've come to the conclusion that Thomas Morton is indeed worthy of being called adorable and a very good investigative journalist who makes investigative journalism seem like a hell of a lot of fun. Check him out. I think this is just a starting place for this guy. Expect to see him on a major network soon.
If you haven't seen it, check it out.
The programming is exactly what you have come to expect from Vice: journalism with a sharp edge and a sharp eye. Also, helpin' heapfuls of young people doing dangerous, photogenic things. And, of course, lots of open talk about the gamut of human sexuality. Oh yes. It is Vice transposed to a new medium.
Oh and about that "sharp eye": the photography on these shows is gorgeous. Again, that's something you'd expect if you're familiar with Vice magazine and its commitment to breaking some of the best contemporary photographers.
I'm already a big fan of Thomas Morton and his show Balls Deep. You can actually see most (all?) of the episodes of Season 1 here.
The first episode I watched was the one on orgasmic meditation and I sort of had a negative vibe off Mr. Morton in that one. He admitted up front he was approaching this New Age, West Coast, quasi-religion that has sprung up around clitoris-worship with a healthy dose of East Coast skepticism. I felt he was being a little smart-alecky even as he was (at least) superficially giving himself over fully to an unusual experience in an attempt to learn about one of the sometimes drastically different ways of life of others in American culture, which is the premise of the show. I think the idea is that Morton is going to go "balls deep" into each subculture or cultural phenomenon he investigates. I guess I should give him points for doing things that might not be exactly easy for him. I don't think he ever hurt anyone's feelings in the process of making the documentary and he did respectfully worship a stranger's clitoris (without the emolument of sex). So there's that. He claims to have reached a sort of spiritual enlightenment about women by the end of filming. I wasn't sure how sincere this eleventh hour epiphany really was, since there were so many little snaps and not-so-subtle digs he got off throughout the show in his exchanges with others who belong or subscribe to this movement.
I give him bigger ups for going to Bear Week in Provincetown and hanging with the furriest gays and not snapping on anyone once. But then you don't really want to start a snapping contest around gay men, do you? It wasn't that type of deal though. Morton gave himself fully to the experience and was usually seen around P-Town riding on the bitch seat of gay bear rapper Big Dipper's bike. And I do mean bike, as in bicycle with a cute little bell you can ring. It was priceless. He really did go balls deep into Bear Week and even ventured under "Dick Dock" in the heat of the night when it was in full swing with a bunch of men acting out the gay Kama Sutra (the video camera was left at a safe distance). He interviewed Mr. A. Maupin, went to a gay party, learned about the "Truvada (barebacking) movement" (don't get me started) and got gay-ducated in all other sorts of ways. He came away with a real respect for gay culture and its ability to embrace and elevate elements of physicality that other segments of culture might vilify. Oh, he even got naked with some guys in a body affirmation ceremony that involved a gay man handling and praising his junk. And then he returned the favor. He did the same for a very large gay bear. Viceland, this straight man has earned his paycheck! Give the guy a raise already!
I've come to the conclusion that Thomas Morton is indeed worthy of being called adorable and a very good investigative journalist who makes investigative journalism seem like a hell of a lot of fun. Check him out. I think this is just a starting place for this guy. Expect to see him on a major network soon.
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