I contemplated on doing a review for the reality show The Prancing Elites Project. My struggles were not because Cypher Ave is a masculine leaning website but because my biases towards reality television and the predictable direction of the shows. The Prancing Elites Project was no exception.
The Prancing Elites Project follows a group of J-Setters from Mobile, Alabama. Adrian Clemons, Kentrell Collins, Kareem Davis, Jerel Maddox, and Timothy Smith must overcome anti-gay and transgender rejections to showcase their talents. The Prancing Elites simply want to dance. This show is perfect for highlighting how to be true to one’s self regardless of what stones society is throwing your way.
As I watched, I could only think how inspirational certain moments of this show is for effeminate leaning gay, non-gender conforming boys, men and transgenders. I truly feel the Prancing Elites are very brave as it relates to some of the circumstances that happened on camera. I can only imagine the hateful experiences they may have endured when the cameras were not rolling.
Being screamed at by total strangers and told they are going to hell, or being booed and frankly told “you don’t belong here” all because they’re different. Cast member Jerel Maddox, even had to endure his home being set on fire and his belongings burned. At the end of the day, all they want to is be themselves and dance.
Because of who they are, they stand out. Yes they are effeminate and flamboyant, as many gay and non-gender conforming men are; however they are seeking attention and the spot light so they can gain more recognition and therefore be hired to perform…so I get it.
So what’s my problem? Once I got to episode five, I noticed a trend within the episodes.
*A problem would be presented (they want to dance in a parade or some event).
*The group would talk about the “crisis” and how they will handle it (“bitches we gonna dance in this here parade”).
*They may not overcome the presented crisis but would still prance anyway.
*An individual or a group would show their support as if to say “see everybody is not intolerant to you gays”; hugs, tears and roll the credits.
Yes I’m simplifying but not by much. I found myself being bored and just going through the motions. I then realized out of five shows, I’d only laughed about three times over some of the cast member’s antics. This brings me to another issue. I didn’t feel the show properly mixed comedy and drama. Many times, I felt like on one hand you want me to feel empathy (which I did) but seconds later, you want me to laugh.
On a personal note, this show did put in perspective possible hardships that some effeminate men may have to face on a daily basis due to merely being feminine. Even though masculine gay and bisexual men have strife and struggles; many of us do have a benefit of just blending in.
Regardless if I liked the show or not, I’m still rooting for The Prancing Elites and absolutely wish them much success.
GO ELITES!
Never watched it but damn why cant they just let them dance LOL
The way u described it is why I cant get into reality tv. Concepts be cool but the shows don’t be having a decent enough storyline.
If they let them dance…no good TV.
You know…oh nevermind. I can’t.
Shit at the end of the day we only live one life…why not do what make you happy.
This.
I saw the pilot and just was not interested. I just felt as soon as it was announced that this show was gonna be “Look at the fags! Haha haha!” because it was on a woman’s network. This made it ok for black women to tune in. Had it been Logo they wouldn’t have bothered.
I can’t relate to these guys but I also don’t care to see people being made fun of or spectacle. And this is coming from the cynic who said they were gonna ride this reality train for as long a they could until they get a job in Atlanta.
I agree on your sentiment about exploitation. I do think there are TV Execs working on this show just laughing….it also does seem like a double standard…if this was a group of white prancing dancers and they were being called fag etc…I think the network would have a different reaction. I think the general public would have a different reaction. The white gay army would be up in arms boycotting something.
Elite White Gay Maleness is the dominant force in LGBT activism and they simply don’t care about these fem brown bodies.
I think you’re over-thinking it.
As a black person, can we stop this blaming the white boogie men? These guys know what they are doing. Just like they will stick up for Bey and her blonde weaves but call her an ‘African Icon’ or work on the Real Housewives…lets settle down.
I actually caught an episode of them a week or two ago, and I have to admit, I didn’t think I would like it or have it resonate with me, because I felt so different from these guys. But after watching an episode. I was like Ocky, I thought it was inspiring how these guys felt fearless enough to chase their dreams, despite the odds against them. And I also found it quite intriguing the show. Im also thinking of watching it on a regular basis as well. Because from what I heard was that a retweet from Shaquille O’neal is one of the many things that helped to put them on the map to where they are today. And I want them to be supported and also it’d be nice to see them garner a second season.
People with ADD are fearless. Not let us get it twisted. Doesn’t mean I didn’t feel sad, elated or happy. They will succeed but call a spade a spade. They survive through attention from strangers via antagonistic behavior performance.
Yep see the same people that are looked down on from this site’s perspective end up getting the award for being the TRUE courageous men and women of the black gay community. There are on the front lines, getting ALL of us accepted by mainstream society by SHOVING it down their throats while the people that critique them walk around trying to avoid stigma by butching it up. At the end of the day, what does it say about you when you hide who you really are in fear of being kicked out of the community that will NEVER accept you? Coward. You’ve got one life to live. LIVE IT and let other’s live theirs.
My sweet, sweet, HEART. Who told you that these ppl are changing minds? I’m done w the LGBT ‘community’ and it’s false info to get to their agenda.
I have done so much work and trust me when I say that ppl change their minds when they can PROJECT on you and FEEL like you are just like them.
This BS by the black&white lefty gay community that seeing a really camp gay man is going to make one accept gay men is BS. People accept what they know. We have books about this by Freud or Sartre.
Why do camp gay men from America-the rest of the world is grown up about men wearing tight jeans and being camp/eccentric-think everything resolves around them, despite NO evidence of that fact?
Just like fem gays like to forget about the 70% ‘masc’ gays who were hanging out at Stonewall, they seem to forget that without these ‘hetero-normative’ gay men, many policies would NOT have happened.
Grow up and read a GD book!
Urgh, anyways. I’m feeling too angry these days with this hypocritical black gay BS. They HATE whites but spend all their time writing on HuffPost or Gawker begging for acceptance, thinking we don’t know cause they mention ‘white privilege’.
Anyway, is it Ocky or Nick who hates Michael Sam? U heard he left Montreal on personal reasons? Me thinks is that boyfriend who is refusing to move there. Eh, this is my apology to some who thought this kid was an asshole.
SMDH. It’s looking soo bad. WTF Mike?!