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To Japan With Love…


We all wear clothes. Fashion unites us. One love for Japan.

On March 14th, 2011 at 4:50 AM we tweeted “Prayers for Japan…please read and RT(retweet) www.raannt.wordpress.com Stop for One Moment!” We had previously written a post about pausing for a moment throughout our day, wherever we were, and thinking or praying for the people living in the devastation resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Within a few moments, we received the comment “thanks so much!” from @show2104 a fellow Twitterer. In that moment, we were greatly humbled, the world became a lot smaller and the miles between Indianapolis and Japan seemed a lot closer.

In that small moment…our world stopped. Because between the tweets and news about teen Rebecca Black’s viral song or Charlie Sheen’s insanity, a small friendship was formed via the world wide web between two guys in Indianapolis, Indiana and Shoji Toyashima, a 33 year old guy, much like ourselves, far away in a town in Japan we had never even heard of before we looked at his profile.

Shortly before our conversations began, the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima, Japan suffered catastrophic damage due to the earthquake and tsunami which had hit only days before. We Googled the distance and found that our friend in Nagaya was only 262 miles away from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant…almost the same distance from Indianapolis to Chicago; a drive we would make on a Friday afternoon for a weekend away.

Suddenly the tragedy in Japan became very real, we felt very small and this world far, far away seemed so much closer.

We followed as people criticized Anderson Cooper for his in depth investigative reports and we were astonished as we tweeted about the tragedy that we received comments such as “What did Japan do for us?” It made us very sad. And we realized, had it not been for Twitter we would never have met Shoji or possibly taken any personal interest in the devastation in Japan past making a donation to the Red Cross. But this was personal and we felt it was important for Shoji to share exactly with our readers what it felt like to be in Japan during this crisis so we could all take it more seriously, care a little more about each other and realize that we’re all joined by the human experience not divided by our differences. (We are printing his responses exactly as they were texted to us and even though the language barrier has been difficult, we find a beauty in our attempting to understand one another.)

Did you feel the impact of the earthquake and the tsunami and if so how did it feel?

Yes,I did. There was 3M .and the grand was shaked slowly side to side by earthquake .

What is the aftermath like now? How are people in Japan dealing with the destruction from the earthquake and the tsunami?

That’s very cruelty.they r spening very hard time at shelters.the tsunami dispossessed everything .

How are people reacting to the radiation levels at the nuclear plant?

People in radius 20kms already escaped,and in 40kms prohibition go out.

Are people scared about the nuclear plant and how it could affect them?

Yes,we really scared about it.but the electronic company didn’t tell us truth.and just media notify the happening,that makes us amazement.

Are people in Japan hoping people from around the world will help them and does Japan need help right now?

Yes really ,people in TOUHOKU and KANTOU need help a lot.

How would the people of Japan like the United States to help?

We have no words to thank you for your help.

What is it really like what we are seeing on the news?

I’m not living there. I’m not sure.but the earthquake disrupted their transportation systems.the biggest street has just mended in this week.

Any messages from Japan?

The victims need help a lot. gonna check the details,and show you.

Since our conversation with Shoji, we have remained in daily contact and have now come into contact with new friends in TOUHOKU and KANNTOU, the cities Shoji told us were most in need of help. And maybe we can do no better than reaching out and making some of these people feel not so alone, forming lasting friendships and sharing the truth about what is really going on and how others are being affected. Just today, Shoji shared with us that he is good “but there r aftershock in Fukushima a lot this morning.” He also told us, “In Tokyo, the electronic problem is huge. The supply of electronic is not enough by Tokyo electronic company. In Tokyo, KANNTOU sometimes someplace has a power failure.”

Last Saturday we attended The Midwest Fashion Week Gala Event to benefit The Indiana Down Syndrome Association. We were unsure of what to wear until we realized one commonality we all have is our need for clothes; one of the major necessities needed during times of natural devastation and tragedy. The realization at the pettiness of our need to find the appropriate clothes led us to make tee shirts made with the flag of Japan to further the message “We all wear clothes. Fashion unites us One love for Japan.”

In the coming weeks while this tragedy is dealt with, it is our hope that our readers will find their own truth and utilize their own talents in whatever possible to bring awareness, not only to Japan, but to the commonalities of the human experience. And while some criticize the social media resources of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, these are all ways we can reach out and find new friends and not shy away from just wanting to get to know someone better.

We are social reviewers and we will continue to interview celebrities, review openings and fashion shows and expose the truth when we find something to be wrong with the way people are treated. That has been our mission from the beginning. We have made that our job. But whether our jobs are doctors, lawyers, teachers, chefs, waiters, bankers, newspaper editors, fashion designers, models and yes…even social reviewers, we can all stop for a moment, smile at one another and realize we are here but for a moment. And no matter what we do, who we are, who we love or where we live…we just aren’t that very different.

Heiwa

Eyes Open, We’re Watching!
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Indianapolis “Press” Week…A Review of Midwest Fashion Week’s Last Night

The following historical description is listed under the history section by Wikipedia. “The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world’s first organized fashion week. Held in 1943, the even was designed to attract attention away from French fashion during World War II, when fashion industry insiders were unable to travel to Paris to see French fashion shows. Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert organized an event she called “Press Week” to showcase American designers for fashion journalists, who had previously neglected their innovations. (Buyers were to admitted to the shows and instead had to visit designers’ showrooms.) Press Week was a success, and fashion magazines like Vogue, which were normally filled with French designs, increasingly featured American fashion.” This definition is in any basic fashion text and took us less than five minutes to look up under “purpose of a fashion show” online.

In writing a review you must first understand exactly what you are reviewing. Thus the major problem with the finale of Midwest Fashion Week; was the gala a fashion show or a fundraiser? The reason we ask is because we’ve been to our share of fashion shows, nationally, and press are treated exceptionally well and are actually given exposure to the collections, models and typically an up close look at the designs being shown on the runway. We’ve also been to our share of charity events and fundraisers, nationally, and press are rarely present unless they have made a donation or bought a ticket as we always do and have documentation to prove. Anyone who knows us, professionally, personally or from background research, knows we are philanthropists and huge supporters of charity, having thrown several fundraising events ourselves. Per Sola Adelowo, executive director and co-producer of Midwest Fashion Week, “The Gala was a fundraiser for Down Sydrome and the closing fashion show for MFW.”

So, let’s investigate this further. First, we were sent the media information from Indyscene because we write a social review column on Indyscene. The information sent from MFW to Indyscene was an outline of the week’s events. We then contacted Berny Martin, founder and producer of MFW and asked for media passes to Saturday’s events, unclear about whether or not this was strictly a fundraiser or a fashion show who informed us, without any other information, that passes…not media passes or seats to the gala…just passes, with no explanation, would be waiting for us at “media” check-in.

Now let’s pause on this for just a moment. Never once were we informed we would be expected to purchase tickets to be part of the event and actually participate in the event. At this point, we’re probably sounding rather petty and appearing as if we wanted something for free. Hmmm…do you know who we are or how we live? Trust us, we can more than afford to buy tickets to any event we choose to support and we had actually brought a check with us to make a rather substantial donation, but we were never given the chance as we were treated like second class citizens. Since we were given no information regarding the event, we contacted Sola the day of the event and asked what time we should attend, were there certain things they wanted us to experience so we could write and talk about them. We ended the e-mail with “Excited for tonight and hope we get to personally meet you!” We have yet to meet Sola, regretfully. We finally did receive a response from Sola…at 11:40 p.m. while we were at the after party at Hyde…while Sola sat ten feet away from us on a couch in the VIP section.

So let’s review our amazing evening. We were extremely excited to attend this event. As a therapist who has previously worked with down syndrome children and having had a mother who worked for years as an educator with children of autism and down syndrome, this was a fundraiser close to our hearts. Not to mention that we are deeply involved in fashion, nationally, and are attempting to endorse the fashion industry in Indianapolis. When we arrived, we went to the “media” desk and signed in. On the two page, stapled media list, were literally tons of media representatives who had already checked in. We were not given press passes and told to go upstairs where the media were segregated. Hearing this, we were a little apprehensive. Once we arrived upstairs, we saw three tables and a spread of lunch meat, bags of potato chips, a bowl of pasta salad, bread rolls and plastic carafes of water. Oh…and plastic cups. No one met with us. No one introduced themselves to us from MFW and no one explained what we were supposed to do or what the outline for the evening would entail. We were not given an itinerary of the night and are unable, without research which we refuse to do, write about the specific designers or entertainers, because we were not given a press kit or press information as we are ALWAYS given. Below us, far below us, was the gala event. We could barely see the stage or make out anything specific on the runway. After a few moments we ran into another “media” representative who is also a friend, and sat with her for the next hour. Our initial reaction was to turn and walk out. We have never, NEVER, been as humiliated as we were walking into this event. And the kicker…our friend, a woman from a New York based fashion website and ourselves were the only three, not MFW organized media, upstairs. So, where was everyone else?

Today we emailed Sola asking about the process Midwest Fashion Week takes for accommodating their media? We asked how some were placed in the gala dining area and others weren’t? Her response, “The roof ballroom does not allow sitting for individuals that have not paid for dining. So to accommodate the media there was space in the front of the ballroom and close to the runway to make it easier to take pictures or to observe any one designer’s work up close.” Ohhhhh…well, we were never told that so we were literally huddled behind two children up in the rafters. Literally. We couldn’t even see Andi Hauser of Indy Style who emceed the event. “However,” she wrote, “some media sponsors such as WISH TV, FOX 59, and The Recorder dined in various locations throughout the ballroom. We also had several members of the media purchase their own tickets so they could dine before beginning their work when the show started.” Interesting, because we were never given this option. We don’t know Sola personally, or at all really, but we looked at her Linkedin profile. She has a rather impressive professional background, especially her being the Founder and Certified Image Consultant of ImageCube. Even more interesting, if you read her profile, you’ll find she has been a featured personal image expert on the Fox 59 Morning News Show, Indy Style TV, and the Recorder-On-Air-Report. Our question is if “media” is purchasing tickets for the event than are they really “media”?

After several hours of being at this event, we were so hungry we almost left, but stayed because we wanted to see the fashion show. Even though none of the food upstairs looked appetizing, we ate some pasta salad, shared a roll and had two bags of chips. We need to apologize because until we received the email from Sola today, we hadn’t understood this was actually a “hospitality station” for the models, volunteers and stylists. Basically, “media” passes meant we were allowed to just walk in and witness the event from afar. Again…literally. Well, we didn’t even need to do that because we know several people that walked in, didn’t check in and sat in the ballroom.

This was not a fashion show. This was not about fashion. This was a charity event. A very nice, charity event we’re sure. We can’t review that because we didn’t experience it. What we could see we thought was ok as far as charity events go. It was neat to see models with down syndrome walk the runway and it was inspiring. We know Mike Rypel, who told us he produced the event, and we’re well aware that Mike knows what he’s doing when it comes to throwing an event, so we’re sure the charity and gala part were all good. We hope they raised a lot of money because it’s a charity which deserves a good fundraiser.

As far as the fashion show, well that’s a different story. But before we discuss this let it be clear that we watched the show from the second floor, far away without ability to see detail, which is sad because we were excited to see designs from some of our friends such as R. Lynda and Antonio Fermin. It was so hard to see, especially with two children in front of us, but we’ll attempt to give a review anyway. First of all, if we’re attempting to make Indianapolis a serious focal point of fashion, why aren’t we bringing a designer who someone actually cares about and is interested in seeing their designs. Actually, Althea Harper, runner up to Project Runway Season 6 was at the event but was not highlighted or mentioned during the show. If you’ve done your research, as we have, you would know that Althea has shown at every Mercedes Benz fashion week in New York City since being on Project Runway. Althea also studied and worked under Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen, Anna Sui and Vivienne Westwood. Althea had a lot to say about the show. We would know because we hung out and partied with her until the after party closed. The girl is not only gorgeous and talented but the real deal. Interestingly, she informed us, that “media” and “press” are treated exceptionally well at New York Fashion Week.

The runway was cheesy. The tapered material looked tacky. The spotlight was on the DJ instead of on the runway. Designers should always walk out after their models. That’s pretty basic stuff. In talking to Althea she told us that fashion shows are always about the models and that the quality of the show is completely about the models picked. So, people want a real review of the fashion show, here you go.

Most of the models couldn’t walk. In fact, only a few appeared to have any walking experience. While we loved many of the designs, there lacked a cohesiveness in any of the shows. No theme carried the designs together. A plus-sized model is a size 8-12, unless there is a purpose for bigger girls. But, we actually loved the designs of the designer of plus-sized clothes. We can’t really comment on anything else because we couldn’t see the show. Most of the models were used by all of the designers therefore the models ran from downstairs to the changing room upstairs, easily seen by anyone in the dining area or upstairs. Every designer had pieces we loved, being able to see them closer as the models walked upstairs, but we don’t know who matched what designer as we weren’t given a press release as previously mentioned.

In the past, we’ve heard rather bad things about Midwest Fashion Week, but now we’ve experienced it first hand. We loved the student show and were treated extremely well but to have been treated so horribly in return later in the week is confusing. Ian Stikeleather was responsible for taking care of us at the student show so maybe he should be made more responsible in the future for further events. He knows how to treat “media”.

During the show Andi Hauser commented that Berny Martin “sets the bar” for Indianapolis. Well, that wouldn’t be our opinion. In our opinion the two people setting the bar in Indianapolis are model Emily Nyberg and student designer Lorry Plasterer. These two women are so far above their game that the Indianapolis fashion industry should be chasing them down!

By the way, SEXIEST of the evening goes to Polina Oscherov! This incredible photographer has amazing style anyway, but wow! Out of control!

Thanks for the photo booth Mike! We love those things and are seriously thinking about buying one for our house.

Well, until next year. WAIT! We forgot. This will officially be our last year to support or endorse Midwest Fashion Week. And before everyone gets all hyped up threatening us with ridiculous claims, all of the information in this column is backed by factual evidence or is our opinion, as stated.

And for the record, fashion shows may be about the models, but they started…because of the “media”.

Eyes Open, We’re Watching!

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SEXY weekend beats…

In the shower…in the club…in the car…at the bank…wherever you are…dance it up! Life’s short…it’ll be over soon enough!
Our sexy weekend picks…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzKNIhzjc10]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKEY3SAN0rI]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_I9SgOI1RM]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoTpTfDA6Zs]

Eyes Open, We’re Watching!

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The Kids Play Dress Up…The Student Show at Midwest Fashion Week!


So it’s time for Midwest Fashion Week again in Indianapolis. In the past, we’ve had really mixed experiences, but this year we decided to go into it with an open mind. That being said, why should we expect anything less than we would see on a runway anywhere else if the Midwest fashion industry wants to be taken seriously. While this is a young community in Indianapolis, one of which we are supportive, the reality is real artists have the same level of passion, drive, commitment and determination whether they’re living in Wanamaker, Prague or Milan. No excuses.

Tonight was the Emergence Fashion Show, displaying the works of student designers from the Midwest. We didn’t really know what to expect when we were invited by Ian Stikeleather. When we arrived, we immediately ran into several prominent faces in the local fashion community who we have come to call close friends. We chatted it up with Kaitlin Elyse who showed her newest designs from her T. Party line Saturday night at the Blu Martini. We were so impressed with Kaitlin’s recent show that we’re currently in the process of figuring out what we want to order. What was the theme of her show? Haters. Love it! We also ran into local fashion designer extraordinaire Nikki Blaine and photographer Polina Oscherov who we recently did a shoot. Amy Beers and Nightlights TV were also in attendance taping the entire event, interviewing designers and local celebrities in the fashion community as well as modeling herself on the runway. We chatted it up with Berny Martin, developer and producer of Midwest Fashion Week as well as well respected fashion designer of Catou, who was laid back and hilarious, proudly talking about this week’s events. We have to commend Berny on exposing Indy to some style and fashion we wouldn’t have witnessed without him. Nikki Sutton, famed local stylist and architectural designer…Wow!!! Absolutely gorgeous. We hadn’t had the opportunity to meet her before and we were so impressed. Definitely someone we hope to get to know better. Later, Nikki introduced us to Spanish bridal designer Antonio Fermin and his guest, decorator and socialite Julie Oliver. These two were so much fun, and we ended up laughing late into the night with them accompanied by Nikki Blaine and photographer Abdul-Shaheed Aaron, as we closed down the new Bazbeaux.

But onto the good stuff. The show. We were lucky enough to be seated front row center right next to Denisha Greene of Mode Magazine, who entertained us the entire evening. And here’s what we thought…first of all, we understand you’re students and we commend you for putting your stuff out there and taking the chance to have everyone watch you, but we’re firm believers you should never put something out there that you can’t stand behind. No matter how little time you had to prepare, the numerous pins and unsewn hems were embarrassing. And in reality, it made three designers stand out above all of the rest.

Obviously this isn’t a contest, but if it were Jennifer Spriggs would have come in third…but a very close third to second place. Her pieces didn’t even look like student pieces. They were sellable and intriguing and seemed to come from a very private place. These clothes, unlike many of those seen from the other designers, made the female models look attractive. Most designers had at least one good piece, but Spriggs, from Cincinnati, had a uniformity and a theme that was mysterious and alluring to the eye. Definitely someone to follow in the future.

Second place would go to Lorry Plasterer from Indiana University. Ok, this girl hand dyes her pieces and when you get up close, the detail is immaculate. Even the inside of the pieces were ornate and precise. One model wore a wool jacket that looked more like burlap but was incredibly soft and wearable. “Don’t you just love this material?” she said, behind cute, dark rimmed glasses. Not only are her designs playful, creative and eye-catching, they made the models look amazingly beautiful and besides Lorry, the models themselves were even excited talking about the pieces. She appeared so genuine and passionate about her art, which she seemed more like to us, an artist not a designer, that we are definitely intrigued to see more. And we also thought she’d be a blast to take out some night. So Lorry, there’s you’re invitation!

And of course first place. Now, before, like always, we’re criticized for picking favorites for various reasons, let us just say the reason we’re picking this designer is because their show was originally created, styled appropriately and the designer’s personality made us want to see more. Once we were home and we looked at their website, FLC International, we were even more impressed, reading the story behind their process and being able to see their designs as a entirely actualized business. Fred Schwier from Indiana University. This kid is so incredibly realized that his show completely flowed. Before we even came to the Emergence show we had been told to look for his pieces. Several male models walked out in these amazing Bermuda shorts, with material from Ghana, resembling Miss Celie’s One Size Fits All pants from The Color Purple, in a way that made us itching to have several pairs to wear to all of our events this summer. He also makes these amazing grey shirts, baseball hats and pants. In the last two years, we’ve had the opportunity to interview tons of celebrities on the rise and meet people from all over the world that when we were in their presence we realized they were going to be the next big thing. This kid…is the next big thing. Watch out!

We were incredibly impressed with the echelon of the models in this year’s show and wanted to give a special shout out to Ebony Smith who told us she’ll be leaving Indy sometime in the near future to move out west. We think this is a great idea for her as we stood in awe, yet again, as we stared at her incredible physique and facial structure. The girl is incredible.

We especially wanted to comment that we were absolutely intrigued by Emily Nyberg, one of the models who resembled a mix between Grace Kelly and Elaine Irwin. She walked the runway with an incredibly, confident signature walk we’ve never seen and even when she fell, yes…she fell, she just kept on walking. Amazing. Several people we talked to about Emily mentioned they felt she was too short for true runway and while this may be true, one of dear friends, Marissa Hobson, the newest supermodel and representative of Pantene, measures in at less than 5’4. A word of advice from the guys who interact on a daily basis with beautiful women all over the world…hit it fast out of Indiana! It’s your time to make it big in the big leagues. Contact us if you want any help…we have, well maybe a few contacts…Trust us folks…this girl is the next big thing!

We were incredibly impressed with the student show this year, especially the organization thanks to Ian Stikeleather and Berny Martin. We wish all the students the best of luck…oh and Fred…we were serious about that offer!

We can’t wait until Saturday to see the fashion show at the Gala event. Prepare to see us as we put our own spin on “Black Tie”. And then it’s on to Nashville for the boys of raannt to see Kelly Cutrone, Christian Siriano, Betsey Johnson, Gustavo Cadile and Traver Rains formerly of Heatherette for Nashville Fashion Week.

Eyes Open…We’re Watching!

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Heiwa…Prayers for Japan…Stop For One Moment…

Today…as you go about your day, saving lives, serving coffee, teaching children, gossiping, designing clothes, cutting hair, dispensing medication, walking dogs, making love, eating fast food, sneezing, writing blogs, road raging, cussing, commenting…stop for one moment, close your eyes and say a few positive words for the people of Japan. And may our words carry a tune across the oceans and lift their spirits so they may not feel so alone in this devastation. And may we realize that this may be Mother Nature’s way of teaching us to walk a little slower, breathe a little deeper, love a little longer…and find the truth and gratitude in our days before they are quickly over. Be true to who you are because it could literally all be over in one…quick…second…Heiwa
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRaBHILwo-g]

Heiwa


To Donate to The American Red Cross to Aid Japan go HERE!

Eyes Open, We Should All Be Watching!
Please comment below with words of love and peace!

*Photo by Chris Almarinez

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War…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNG_ZjJsN9g]

Eyes Open…We’re Watching!

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the TRUTH…

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Character Assassination. That is what we have received in the last 24 hours since our post was published. We have been called trashy, juvenile, unprofessional, mean spirited, mean hearted, ugly, fat, unsexy, bastards, uncaring, tactless, lacking confidence, 16-year old girls, childish, having a personal vendetta, berating, immature, mean girls…the list goes on and on and on.

This comment was posted this morning. “I’m also incredibly sorry that my post aggravated your passion to blindly defend your ego and continue to personally attack and vilify Amy.” Really? Where have we personally attacked her? Where have we vilified her?

We maintain that we have never, as an operating business, attacked someone’s personal character. Can you say the same? It was a decision we made when we originally started raannt. What we have witnessed in the last 24 hours is bullying. The same form of bullying that is occurring in our schools pushing kids towards depression, isolation and suicide. And we will not tolerate it. This has now become so much bigger than we EVER intended. Thousands of views. Positive and negative responses. Comments bordering on threatening and intimidating. If our readers would like to take a deeper look into who is making these comments, especially one of the most recent bashing comments, you will find something very interesting and maybe understand on a deeper level why they are so heartfully invested.

But the real comments came in the last 24 hours from the people we don’t even know. People who are afraid to be themselves, walk the halls of their schools or talk to people in a bar setting. They are the adults and kids who are terrified of living…because of these kinds of biased comments. And what did they say?

Thank you. Thank you for standing up against bigotry, closed minded people and exposing the truth. And like we said before, that is why we do what we do. To live vibrantly and allow everyone to have a good time. And that’s what we did…we exposed the truth.

We exposed the truth not because we’re hurt. To be quite honest, we could give a rat’s ass if we worked for Metromix. Sure, we were excited when we were first asked. But in our opinion, our interactions, which we have displayed by the emails exchanged, the lack of response regarding our assignments and job offer and a lack of follow-through, made us realize this was maybe not a good fit for us. We even asked a friend who worked for the publication if their experience was the same and they said it was not so we were confused. We had discussed writing a letter to the editor in charge, explaining our experiences and what had occurred but just decided months ago to allow the whole thing to drop.

Until Thursday when we posted our interview of Mike Ruiz…world famous photographer who has worked with almost every celebrity and is literally at the top of his game. Upon posting it, Amy Bartner; online editor for Metromix, which she states in taking responsibility for the email, etc, tweets…

AmyBartner @theboysofraannt Where are the things to do? I just wish I had a warning before I went there at work! #nsfw.

We responded…

theboysofraannt @AmyBartner there is absolutely nothing about our site that is #nsfw

To which she responded…

AmyBartner @theboysofraannt Oh, wow, I hope you’re right about that. I don’t know why I got so embarrassed when my boss saw my screen, then!

We responded…

theboysofraannt @AmyBartner well not sure who you would be embarrassed by a photograph by a world reknown fashion photographer.

To which ANOTHER member of the Metromix clan stated…

I think it’s the lack of pants that are #nsfw. Don’t think @AmyBartner was dissing the talented photog

To which we responded…

actually…if you look closely he’s wearing a speedo. Just don’t read our site. That way we’ll never embarrass you

And they responded….

Again, it’s not the photo itself we were talking about. It’s viewing it at work that was the point of the discussion.

REALLY??? Because that photograph, check it out on our Mike Ruiz interview…it’s the leading photograph, could be found as an ad campaign in ANY fashion magazine. But it didn’t matter. Within minutes, Ms. Bartner had stopped following the boys of raannt on Twitter and a few minutes later we received the email. It was obviously personal. And the reality is, there are many people out there who won’t read a site if it is #nsfw…Not Safe For Work.

So we grabbed a Metromix and looked through it. Wow…they advertise almost every Strip Club in town and even have a half page ad with a barely dressed woman dancing on a pole. Is that safe for work? Because #nsfw or Not Safe For Work is defined as sexually explicit material, which we deliberately do not post on our blog. In fact, on one interview, we even gave a warning regarding the WRITTEN nature of it’s content, not the pictures. The fact that both members of the Metromix staff stated this is inaccurate and incorrect and in our opinion damaging to our reputation. And in our opinion obviously…it was personal. Look at the timing and the facts.

We have presented facts. We have presented THE TRUTH. That a leading, local publication which focuses on social reviews and dictating what is socially relevant in Indianapolis apparently believes that half naked women on a strip pole is safe for work, but a man in a speedo pulling his tee shirt down over it is not, based on the Twitter and email interactions we have received. But of course, we’re not buying ad space or maybe we would be treated different. We just don’t know because we still have yet to be given an answer.

The reason we posted it to begin with was because Ms. Bartner lit the fire. We felt it was important to expose who is deciding what should be highlighted as socially relevant in this town and who is deciding who writes about those things. If our readers want to continue to read the Metromix and use it as a social reference, by all means, read it. We do. We won’t lie. But we read it with a keen eye now knowing that what we are reading is filtered. We know this, because we were filtered. We were asked to remove a link to a publication that had printed an interview, they had requested, of us. We were asked to remove our own interview?

So, in our opinion, this was personal from the very beginning. But not for us. If you think for one second that we would stand at the back of the bus and take this kind of shit and not respond…you OBVIOUSLY don’t know us very well. In our opinion, printing incorrect information about us which would make someone not go to our site is unprofessional and lacks class…especially as an editor. Especially as an editor!!!

And we’re sure we’ll continue to receive nasty comments about how we’re fat and ugly and trashy blah, blah blah. But please realize this is bullying, which this town is obviously allowing. And that…is definitely not sexy.

And while everyone wants to commend Amy for taking responsibility for the email, let us tell you how we would have responded.

“Wow…we didn’t realize you wanted to work so bad for raannt. We’re really sorry we made a comment about your site that wasn’t true. If you can prove otherwise we’ll take it down immediately. It’s never our intention to hurt anyone. Do you want to get together and talk about it?”

And anyone who knows us knows that is the TRUTH!

By the way, since you don’t know my mother let me fill you in on a little secret. She would have loved being pulled into this. And what she would have told you, Robert S., is that not standing up for what is wrong and exposing the truth at any length is trashy and lacks class. She did not appreciate silence or those who refused to defend themselves. She would have said that the lack of response to what has been said was weak. “John F. Kennedy would have never have acted that way.” She was fond of saying!

To our readers, we suggest…support the bullying and the hatred or support the love…it’s your choice!

But like we said before…if you don’t like our blog…DON’T FUCKIN READ IT!!!

Eyes Open…We’re Watching!

Posted on

hate is NOT sexy!!! Join the LOVE TRAIN!!!

This very long post goes to all of you beautiful, gay, kids out there that are just trying to find your place! Almost exactly three years ago my mother died in a hospital bed while I held her hand. “I’m just a bag of soul” she was fond of saying, so I tried hard to not attach myself to her lifeless body seconds after she was gone. But as I looked down at her, one thing became extremely clear. We are here but for a moment.

My mom loved Bob Dylan and Neil Young. She loved to dance in the kitchen to Janet Jackson and Shirley Manson from Garbage. She saw every movie that came out and always hosted an Oscar party. She was hands down one of the most stylish women I have ever known and would quickly but cheerfully correct you if you mispronounced a designer. “Honey, I think you mean Ralph Lauren, not Ralph Loren.”

When she was 15 her stepfather caught several boys from her school outside her window watching her change. The police who were called asked my mom if she wore tight sweaters to school to entice the boys. She never wore a tight sweater again…until she was 51 and got sober. “Life is too short to care what other people have to say. If they want to look, let them look.” And look they did because at the time she began wearing almost all black, v-neck shirts she measured in as a cup size F. “I’ve been embarrassed all my life. I just don’t care anymore.” She would laugh.

She could talk for hours about Hilary Clinton politics, Angela Davis and the Black Panther Coalition just as much as she could recite lines from Out of Africa and Singing in the Rain. She loved Chanel. Mac Cosmetics. Michael Kors women’s cologne. Kids. Life…Me. And because of all of that, she passed on to me a vibrancy for living unlike any other. She inspired me, by all that she did with her life…but mostly by the dreams she never fulfilled, to live a life of unbelievable imagination, creativity and a desire for more!

And that, my dears, is what raannt is all about. Vibrancy for living to your fullest potential, honestly, without any bullshit!. Loving yourself enough to not give a FUCK what anyone else has to say. Being willing to not stand at the back of the bus. Willing to defend yourself if someone treats you wrong. Challenging anyone who compromises your chance at a truly sexy life.

Today we received this text from a dear friend. “Love that you guys are not afraid to be yourself!! Love it love it!! Promise you the only way you will stand above the rest is to not worry what others think!!” So true. Last week, we wanted to stir up a little controversy and have some fun. We do not interview celebrities to brag about it but to ask the questions others want to know. But why shouldn’t we brag about it? It’s fun. We live a fucking fun ass life.

But the reality is it has been an uphill battle the entire way since we started raannt. Why??? Because of the three little clues we gave you on Friday. Three reasons why this city, Indianapolis, will never be sexy. And you can hate us and you can judge us, we don’t care…but know this. What we write is always the truth. Someone on Friday said we were “social revolutionaries”! Well…the revolution has begun. To those negative people that called us Mean Girls and assumed this was a Burn Book…get ready because the revolution has just begun. We won’t stop until Indianapolis is seething sexiness. We will challenge every last one of you to ooze it from your pores and make this city so unbelievable you’ll want to sweat every night listening to the deep beats of local DJ’s, talk for weeks about the macaroni and cheese at Usual Suspects. Whisper about that last date where you kissed under the blanket on the lawn at the IMA while watching Casablanca. Yes Indy…you have it in you, but you have to demand it!!!

We firmly believe in sexiness, obviously. Confidence and self-acceptance. The reality that a 400 pound woman can be just as beautiful, sexual, sensual and desired as a size 0. The reality that color has no place accept to define fifty shades of amazing. The reality that gay is straight and straight is gay and none of it makes any kind of sense anyway and LOVE is the only thing that matters in the end. We believe that women AND men, should rise to the top of whatever they want to be; DJ’s, doctors, rappers, comics, parents…and yes, even porn stars. We believe, we believe, we believe…mostly, in the truth. Because the truth shall set you free…you see. And the truth, is that Indianapolis will NEVER be sexy, until it stops allowing political and social closemindedness, endorsing unoriginal thieves and allows everyone the same opportunities. Yes…the truth!

So…onto the show.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24YF3DPiWM]
1. DOINGITINDYDUDES

Boring. Lacking Substance. No originality. Opportunists. Grocery store openings? Hipster Scene Reviewers? We don’t think so. Remember, they are “social media” so they have put themselves out there for us to review. These guys could bore a stamp off a 10 year postcard, as could the top 5 things they suggest for people to do in Indy. How they EVER got a spot on Fox 59 is unreal to us…and please don’t claim that we’re jealous because we wouldn’t accept a show in Indiana anyway. Anyone that knows us intimately knows we would love a local radio show 1-2 times a month and a national television show. Hell the one gay host we have in Indy won’t even come out in public.

Oh, we’re bitter right? That’s what you’re thinking? Hmmmm…They claim they started in October of 2010. Let’s read an email we sent them on 12-10-10 after their first spot on Fox 59.

Our names are Peter and Alex and we saw you on Fox 59…We’re kind of surprised we hadn’t already heard of you. Anyway, we do something similar to what you’re doing but we
focus pretty much directly on the nightlife, bar/social scene. We’ve learned in the year and a half that we’ve been doing this that it’s much better to collaborate than to step on
each other’s toes bc Indy is pretty small so we thought we would just extend a hand and see if you guys ever wanted to meet up for drinks and see if we could come up with
some ideas on how to work together or collaborate in any way. If not, that’s cool but we just thought we’d ask. Probably like you, the idea for us started simply and we really just
do it for fun, but now it has become a huge part of our lives and probably the part we enjoy the most, so we love connecting with other like minds and really making Indy as great as a
city as possible! Just let us know…

Peter and Alex
the boys of raannt

No response as of yet. And we don’t expect one, either. But hell, we tried. Hey, we’re just trying to improve this city and work together…You can expect our parody shortly on our YouTube channel…because dear raannters…in doingitindylicious…you’ve entered the congregation of The Church of the Corny! Get rid of them. Do you really think Kim Kardashian is going to go duck pin bowling when she comes here for the Superbowl? For Christ sake!

2. AMY BARTNER AND METROMIX

God! Isn’t she cute? So cute that you’d trust her right? We did. Actually, let’s take a look back. Hmmm…well, we contacted Amy on 4-19-10 about the possibility of writing something for them. Amy responded the very same day.

Hi, Peter! You’ve been on our radar for a while now and we’ve been meaning to contact you. We’re totally interested in something….we just don’t know what at this point. Amanda said she’ll get back to you soon! (But if you don’t hear back in a week, feel free to e-mail again!)
Thanks for contacting us and we look forward to working with you! 🙂
Amy

Never heard from her until 6-2-10

I know, I know. I suck for taking so long to get in contact with you. I’m
not totally sure what our plans for partnership with you both will be in the
future, but I do know that I want to feature you as local celebrities in our
Pride issue coming out next week. Can you come in to answer a few questions
and get your photo taken on Monday? Actually, the questions can be e-mailed
— might be easier for your schedule.

Let me know if we can do this!!

Thanks, and I look forward to meeting you guys!

Amy

OHHHH…Did we mention that we’re gay??? We did? Did we mention that our first porn star interview came out almost a year before and she and her “boss” Amanda Kingsbury were aware of this? Let’s look further…On 6-7-10 we responded to her request for a meeting with our schedules and agreed to meet at Midtown on Tuesday to discuss our writing for Metromix. Remember Amanda…you said you could write it off because you still needed to write about Midtown. Still waiting for that one. By the way, we feel it’s professional courtesy when you request a meeting for you or your corporation to pick up the tab, we always do. Anyway, we discussed our working for Metromix and writing a Page Six Gossip column and Amanda said she would look at her budget to see what she could pay us but she would definitely be having us write for them. That…sounds a little bit like a verbal business contract. OHHH…but wait Amanda, you emailed 2 days later with an actual writing assignment!!! A Playboy event? Like as in Playboy magazine? Like as in nudie pics? Wait…isn’t that #nsfw? Not safe for work. I know Amy likes that term because she used it on Twitter to describe our blog.

Ok, boys, this is how it works for the test assignment…
XXXX is from Playboy; he’s the (very nice) person you need to contact/ask for when you get to Ice Ultra Lounge on June 11 (around 8 p.m. – the party probably starts around 9 p.m)
I didn’t ask for any special consideration besides making sure you got in/got access – including an interview with the Playmate host. Please give us something fun and Page-6ish by the end of the day Sunday. E-mail it to me and Amy. We’ll have a photographer on site so don’t worry about photos.
Thanks & have fun!
Great to meet you last night…hope this is the start of a beautiful friendship.

Anyway…this is getting boring, but let’s just look at a few more emails…

Hey, guys!! Hope you had a good weekend…good seeing Alex on Saturday! I’m
assuming he recovered more than I did for Saturday night! 🙂 …I passed out
at 10 (worthless!).
Just wondering if you got a chance to send in your first column? I thought
we were hoping to start that this week! And I can’t remember what name we
landed on…Alex and I threw around a few on Saturday morning. Just let me
know what you’d prefer!
Thanks, guys!

Amy

Hahaha…such a funny girl. Wait!!! Does that sound like we’re actually working for Metromix? It did to us. But we still hadn’t heard from Amanda, about our pay scale? Hmmm…Well…something happened because first we got sent to Taste of Tango, which was closed down? Then they sent us to Whiskey Business where we stood out like walking gay rainbows at a strip mall bar, which is what it was. And then we sent an email on 10-14-10

Good Afternoon
We’ve tried to reach you several times and have still not had any luck. We’re just wondering if you have any plans for us in the future and if so can we set up a meeting to discuss. If not then we’re interested in what changed and why.
Thank you
Peter and Alex

Sorry it’s been difficult for you to reach us! I’ve only gotten one e-mail in the last few weeks, so I hope I’m not just not receiving anything from you. We’d love to meet to talk about your work with Metromix, and I know Amanda talked to you about times you’re available for lunch/a meeting. Can we meet the week of Nov. 8? What time’s good for you guys that week?
Thanks,
Amy

After that a few emails have been exchanged but…no lunch. So you want to come to us about airing our professional complaints or wounded pride??? Uhhhh…No! We’re just stating our opinion and displaying facts about what happened because we feel it is important in defending our character, especially since 8 months ago these ladies were offering us assignments, excited to work with us and now were…#nsfw…NOT SAFE FOR WORK???

AND THEN…The best of the best…The email….which she claimed Friday after we posted it without her name and the Metromix title. We’re assuming, because we would have, you knew we were going to post it on Monday anyway so why everyone’s going nut crazy like you did something honorable is a joke. In our opinion, you knew you were nailed.

Hi Peter and Alex,
Hope all is well. When I went to your blog today, I noticed the link to Metromix Indianapolis on the right rail. We appreciate the link, but raannt’s content doesn’t jive with the content Metromix produces. I’m hoping you can remove it.
Thanks!
Amy

You are one confusing lady, dearest Amy. I think not only did it seem like we were jiving but you choreographed the jive? Not even a response on why we don’t “jive”? Not here…before, you should have addressed it before, in a professional manner. Or were you just pissed that I challenged you on Twitter? Ohhhhh…but we’re liars, mean girls and assholes right? Based on the comments we’ve received? Yeah, right. Well burn this one…if Indianapolis continues to support a newspaper that has issues with raannt being not safe for work bc of a picture of one of the world’s most famous photographers, Mike Ruiz, in a speedo, but pays it’s bills by endorsing strip clubs, including a half page ad for Dancer’s, then Indy is trashy…not sexy. And we love strip clubs. Hell Amy, since you guys love them so much, how bout we meet up at Club Rio and discuss these issues. We’ll even buy you a lap dance! There’s your prize!

3. THE INDIANA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday we posted this picture of Indiana Republican State Representative Jud McMillin who voted for the gay marriage ban. OHHHH…did we mention that he has a secret past including photographs he texted of himself masturbating while using a dildo on himself? Now that would be a porn star interview we would LOVE to get!!!Wait…is this one of the people you were referring to when you called us Mean Girls who had produced a Burn Book??? You support this guy? Really?

Bil Browning, Founder and Editor in Chief of The Bilerico Project, wrote an amazing and integral look into the life of this young man. It reads like a Jackie Collins/James Patterson bestseller and we love it!!! A Tale of Glass Houses and Rocks.

And then, ridiculous Dan Burton introduces the Marriage Protection Act of 2011…making it even harder for us to register at Crate and Barrel! Damn, he’s just pissed because nobody’s texting him nudie shots! Look…we’re not stopping until all 70 representatives who voted for this dated and bigoted bill are exposed and ridiculed! And we look at this two ways…you’re either with us or against us on this one. We don’t even want to hear about your excuses. It’s 2011 and that is way to late in the game for us to sit and entertain dated gay jokes about fudge packing and lesbian dinosaurs. Too late to hear excuses about why marriage is a thing of tradition and church. The time is NOW! It’s time for a change!!! It’s time for Indiana to finally fess up, make a change and GET SEXY!!!! That won’t happen until everyone is accepted. And to the gay community…that means working together “as a community” and supporting one another not tearing each other apart. We need to be unified for the common good and support one another!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSGXe-x-E9g]
So, there you have it…just a few small changes that need to be made. We’re not asking for a lot. We just want to have a fun time. We want to dance late into the night, make love, eat lots of pizza and chocolate. We just want our fair share. We want to be entertained, not bored. We want to hold hands, not hold up our fists. And if you don’t like our blog…DON’T FUCKIN READ IT!!! We want love, love, love…did you hear us?? We said LOVE…LOVE…LOVE!!!!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsPOiflvHX4]
Ohhh…and from here on out…we’re only doing interviews!
Eyes Open, We’re Watching!

*the statements in this article and any article related to the above subjects is solely our opinion and the opinion of Peter, Alex and raannt.