Those things aside, I have a question for all you guys there. You all seemed to agree that the owner of Bear411 has the absolute right to choose who he want to be on his website. However, I don't agree with that. For what I see, 411 is not a “private club” per se, since a lot of people are there free. Isn't that make 411 a “public space”, just like bars and restaurants? I can't not imagine the owner of a bar could turn away people just because they are black, asian, chubby, skinny, whatever. Unless 411 start to charge every single user for membership fee, I don't see why the owner would have right to refuse people to get on it. What's your take on this?

Those things aside, I have a question for all you guys there. You all seemed to agree that the owner of Bear411 has the absolute right to choose who he want to be on his website. However, I don't agree with that. For what I see, 411 is not a “private club” per sa, since a lot of people are there free. Isn't that make 411 a “public space”, just like bars and restaurants? I can't not imagine the owner of a bar could turn away people just because they are black, asian, chubby, skinny, whatever. Unless 411 start to charge every single user for membership fee, I don't see why the owner would have right to refuse people to get on it. What's your take on this?

I'm obviously not a bear.

Plus, it doesn't even come in as facial hair…more like bits and pieces of facial hair…but definitely not like an old Kung Fu master.

I really wish I knew how our friend over at the 411 was screening potential members/customers but the simplest answer might be the best: bear site for bears as defined by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

I know a Jewish bear person who had facial hair. He kept trying to get on to Bear411 but was being rejected. He then followed the advice of his Latino boyfriend (who was also on the site and beardless) and posted a more revealing picture.

Life lesson: put out.

Mike

I'm going to admit that Bear411 was my springboard into action 'round these parts but since I decided to stop prostitution for college tuition money, I've now moved onto posting serious ads at: bearforest.com, bearciti.com, and beardar.com.

I can see why J^2 can be annoyed by the politics of beardom; but it is the administrator's right to deny access. The whole time I was listening to this podcast, I was thinking of the Simpsons' episode when Homer joins the Stonecutters only to have them kick him out and make the new club of No Homers. Essentially, it sucks. Would I call it racism…well, to a degree…I'm going to go on a stretch here but I don't see the KKK expanding their membership to non-whites. My point is that Senor Bear411 has every right to do what he does…no shirts, no shoes, no Asians, no service.

This was really an interesting podcast to listen to because I am a college student studying social psychology and my research is involved with racism in America. I am Vietnamese, born and raised in California, and I study in Utah.

So, racism.

It still happens and is changed into an implicit “thing”.

Dirt off your shoulder!