November 19

Gay Mexican cowboys still semi-underground
Vaquero contest is largely an outlet for immigrant men to express themselves without fear

By Alison Satake, Bay Area News Group correspondant

Backstage in the dressing room, the nervous energy was high as each cowboy primped before a vanity mirror.

For some, like "Antonio Rios," the nerves came from more than a little stage fright.

"Antonio Rios is 24," said the worker from the avocado orchards of Michoacán, Mexico, who is actually 21.

He assumes the fake identity when he goes to gay clubs. "I don't like using my personal name because my family and straight friends don't know I'm gay," he said. "People might come looking for me at work, too."

Despite his coyness, there's one thing Rios is not shy about: his quest for the title of Mr. Gay Vaquero 2007.

Tips From Web Greats On Becoming a Legend In Your Spare Time

By Lee Gomes, Wall Street Journal, November 14, 2007

It's sad, really sad, to see so many Americans work hard and play by the rules without ever getting ahead.

YouTube is bulging with videos from citizens, especially young ones, who want nothing more than the American Dream: celebrity status without appreciable talent. They work long hours chasing the dream, doing take after take of their mash-ups, their parodies, their response tapes. But at the end of the day, they're no more famous than when they woke up, most likely in a bedroom in their parents' home.

If this sounds like you, you're probably telling yourself that you've just had bad luck. But real-life Web celebrities know better: They got where they are today not just because they were lucky, but because they knew a few secrets you probably don't.

Victoria's Secret could use a little lift

By Suzanne Kapner, Fortune writer

November 15 2007: 5:37 PM EST

NEW YORK ( Fortune) -- Like a supermodel past her prime, Victoria's Secret is showing its age.

The company, which did for lingerie what the Wonderbra did for cleavage, is facing an onslaught of new competition at a time when its strategy of store expansion and high-octane advertising looks tired.

Even the company's marketing juggernaut, the orgy of flesh that is its annual fashion show, which takes place Thursday night and will be broadcast Dec. 4 on CBS, is losing steam.

"In many ways, Victoria's Secret is a victim of its own success," said Paul Lejuez of Credit Suisse First Boston. "They've created this lucrative business that a lot of people are chasing after."

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