2009 Christmas in Boystown
So, our friend Joe is visiting from Philadelphia next week. He hasn’t been to Chicago in ten years. We stayed with him a few times when we were campaigning first for Hillary Clinton in the primaries last year, and then for McCain/Palin in the last days before the general election. So, he’s coming to Buzzquarters for Christmas and we’re going to have many adventures, we’re sure.
We asked him if he had his Christmas costume and he texted, “What’s that?”.
We’ve lived in Chicago for so long we almost forgot other cities exist where people don’t wear holiday costumes like here in Boystown.
There are few different routes you can go with this stuff, too:
(1) The Ugly Sweater — find the absolute most hideous Christmas sweater you can find, something that when you were a child you would have been mortified to receive as a gift and would have thrown tantrums to keep from wearing in public. Now, as someone in your 20s or 30s, put that sucker on and hit the bars, guaranteeing yourself a free drink or two as people are so delighted by your sweater’s holiday infused ugliness that drinks will be on them. We swear this happens. Ragstock, just off Halsted at Belmont (in the alley to the side of Hollywood Mirror), has an enormous supply of Christmas sweaters in a wide range of ugly. There are actually some we remember our moms wearing in the 80s. It’s fun when a group of people get their ugly sweater mojo on, go out together, and spread that holiday spirit.
(2) Christmas tee shirts — Another fun option if you don’t want to do an ugly sweater is to find some fun holiday themed tee shirts. Threadless, on Broadway near Barry here in Chicago has GREAT, funny, snarky tees…with some fun Christmas ones. Also, on Clark north of Belmont, there are several great tee shirt shops with lots of holiday options. Wear them over a red or green henley and you’ll be warm, but rocking a Christmas tee, by yourself or in a group. Festive!
(3) Santa hats — De rigeur on holiday pub crawls this time of year, and can be bought just about anywhere, including CVS. For cooler hats, checkout Beatnik, Batteries Not Included, and Cupid’s Treasures on Halsted, for all sorts of sexy and crazy holiday themed hats. They have some that look like menorahs for Hannakhah, too…some that look like reindeer antlers…some that look like the Whos from The Grinch. In the bars this time of year, you’ll find lots of people rocking these holiday hats. Merry, mary.
(4) Full-on costumes — A lot of people dress up all in green with elf hats and ears, or all in red as various members of the Claus family. The sexier the better in Boystown…and the same costumes can be worn on July 25th for the summer’s Christmas in July party (a highlight leading up to Pride). We spotted a group of guys out last night wearing elf hats and white tee shirts — they personalized the shirts as different elf characters, like “Lumberjack Elf” or “Tipsy Elf”, and had the personalities to match. They just tied christmas bows to themselves in various places, and brought the looks in really cheaply. You can do sexy versions of Frosty, Rudolph, the Krampus, and all sorts of other holiday characters too. The go-go boys are rocking red and green speedos and jocks. The drag queens are be-tinsled, some dressed up like big green trees with lights and ornaments. Since there are actual strings of battery-operated holiday lights, you can even complete your look with strings of these lights lit up when you go out. We saw two guys do this the other night and it was a lot of fun.
Two of the holiday pub crawls have already happened, like “Santa Con” (Santa convention) and “Naughty Elves”, where people dressed up as santa or elves in the hundreds and assembled in different places to hop bar to bar. There’s no Santa Speedo Run in Chicago like there is in Boston, but that would be fun to start in the future…to raise money for charity like they do in Beantown.
On Halsted last night, a band was caroling, playing live Christmas music up and down the street. Rumor has it in the next few days there will be Victorian-costumed Christmas carolers walking Boystown too…with Miss Foozie herself (the unofficial mayor of Boystown), leading the singing.
It seems all the bars are decked out with great Christmas decorations, and each one’s doing something cool and inventive for holiday parties. Scarlet’s got a Christmas burlesque show tomorrow, starring Hot Toddy and his male revue. Lucky Horseshoe has Christmas strippers. Sidetracks has holiday music worked into its Showtunes playlist for tonight. Pie Hole has a Christmas Pizza (BBQ sauce, ham, sweet potatoes) that we’ll probably get for dinner tonight.
We like to share what fun things are going on here so that you, wherever you are, might incorporate some of it into your own towns. There are so many grinches in this world. Boystown is not grinch-friendly, and is a place where we celebrate every holiday imaginable with bright lights, big smiles, tons of fun, and sparkle, sparkle, sparkle.
You kind of should too.
© 2009, HillBuzz. All rights reserved.
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Sigh. I want to live in Boyztown.
Me, too, Me, too!!!
I’m a single, white, straight female, but I’m willing to CHANGE!
I sigh to….I would like to visit Boyztown.
But…might I add that Santa’s hats cover a multitude of hair issues. Worn properly, roots (NOT that I have any, ever, mind you) can be ‘festively covered.’
And…from a previous thread of yours…I am sooooo stealing that recycle of a Halloween witch’s hat as a Christmas tree…Dollar Store (for tinsel and tiny ornaments…here I come.)
Happy First Day of Obamamas to one and all!!!
Another recycling idea: For an outdoor Christmas tree, turn a tomato cage upside down, bend the spike to the center, cover all with green garland, and decorate with lights. Place on a large outdoor planter.
Here are a ton of funny Christmas shirts that can be customized for the holiday season.
http://www.zazzle.com/christmasstamps*/tshirts?st=date_created&ps=100#products
Do you think for that Speedo run, that they also have Christmas theme Speedos? (Then again, who would notice the designs on them with all those, um, “Christmas packages,” around?)
Haven’t you seen them with the jingle bells sewn on?
Or they sew mistletoe to the front.
=O
Is Miss Tammy allowed to steal this idea for her husband??
LOL, I love Christmas fun, especially whimsy and silliness. Last year I had a snowman hat with a big carrot nose. Hats are definitely a good idea for bad hair days. When you have a big orange carrot sticking out of your head, nobody notices your hair.
Guys you are on a roll here.Love love love that picture.Thanks
Go grade Obama on his….er……uh….. performance(?) to date.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/12/14/2009-12-14_b_for_me_bam_sez_first_couple_hosts_oprah_on_abc.html
Hat tip to Kathy over at Deadenders blog.
Ha! Ha! Ha! When I voted 54% said he should get an F.
55% = F. Heh…
makes me want to get my stocking stuffed!!!
YES! My sentiments exactly. Delicious!
Y’all are soooo cute! Do ya need a slightly lecherous, older den mother?
Anti-dote to Obamamas.
http://wickedgayblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/wicked-hottie-of-day-daniel-ashton.html
FYI, in other Christmas news…..
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/08/young-elephant-extracted-from-manhole-in-thailand.html
Young Elephant Extracted from Manhole in Thailand
Potty trained pigs, a good move or a stinker of an idea?
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/283823
I used to go caroling when I was younger… the last time was when I was in college in San Antonio, Texas. The timing of this post is too funny….last night, reminiscing my caroling days, I sang The Twelve Days of Christmas to my hubby in bed. He loved it but that’s because he’s a sweetheart and he knows I’m a nut! Only the Hillbuzz boyz could get me to admit this stuff…. lol!
I know what you are saying about getting that stocking stuffed. Mmmmmmmmmm. I’m likin’ that pic up top. DAY-UM! What I wouldn’t do to hang a some ornaments on those trees. Mmmmmmm.
You’ve seen Tales of the City – the Christmas episode – haven’t you?
Come on, admit it!
“an ornament for your tree….”
Actually I haven’t seen the Christmas episode of Tales. Honestly, I think I’ve only seen the original mini-series. And we may not be talking about the same thing. I turned 40 uin 2009–so in gay years, I am pretty much in the nursing home or mortuary, I guess. I’d be younger were I a dog.
just kidding…
It was the last episode in series one of Tales of the City.
The one were Mary Ann Singleton tries to rescue the pornographer who has slide off the cliff overlooking San Francisco Bay. Remember? She grabs his tie and he falls because it was a pre-tied, clip on. (Mary Ann had continuely encouraged him to get a real tie – of course that was long before she discovered and confronted him about his business!)
Although it was the last episode, it did take place at Christmas and ended with a Christmas party.
I love you guyz! You are unbelievably cute with hearts two sizes too big! Thanks for all you do to promote goodness and light!
SaraB
For more holiday cheer in Chicago, be sure to catch Hell in a Handbag’s 10th annual production of Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer! (tics on Brown Bag tickets site)
is there many transgendered people in boystown and how are they treated?
I haven’t thought of that picture in years. Those guys were the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps swim team, 1999-2000. I missed being in that picture thanks to flu. Where did y’all find it?