Tony, Tony, Tony!

I've been a fan and avid viewer of TonyHayden.com for about two-and-a-half years now. Tony is a happily-partnered Orlando resident just trying to raise his (adorable) Dachshund Ruko right and have a little fun dancing the night away at an occasional circuit party or two, all while indulging in a little PG-video exhibitionism. Since January 2005, he's shared his life with the world via his vlog, producing what he likes to call an Internet "ME-ality" show.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: "The video diary of some queen in Florida chronicling such scintillatingly exciting events such as a trip to Ikea and the quest for the perfect temporary tattoo? Yeah, Bourgeois Nerd, that's something I really want to see! *snort*"

Can the sarcasm for a second, dear Bitchy Reader! Yes, his project is basically the recording of the trials and travails of ordinary life, the kind of stuff we all go through every day. But what makes the videos so fascinating and compelling is that he's both Everyman-leading-Everylife and Oneman-leading-Onelife. He takes the hum-drum and the quotidian, weaves it with the particular and the out-of-the-ordinary, and makes something fascinating and intimate out of it. Tony showcases his insecurities (he's got gay body dysmorphic issues), his vanities (hair is very important to him), his heartaches (the chapters about his mother are heartbreaking in their rawness), as well as his positives (he's a true Southern gentleman), his talents (he's both a fantastic baker and a wizard at video editing), and his triumphs (no matter what he thinks, he's smoking hot). In a word, the man is relatable, and that makes the videos totally engrossing. You really get to know him, and you want to know what happens to him next. It's like visiting with a friend to catch up every week.

"Oh, just another Internet famewhore!" I hear you, Bitchy Reader, cry. "And he doesn't even give us any cock-shots!" Oh, Bitchy Reader, how cynical you are. In point of fact, Tony has been filming his life for decades, long before the Internet as such even existed, lugging about video equipment for the enjoyment and edification of no one except himself and maybe some of his friends. He's not trying to get rich or famous; he's human, of course, an thus not above hankering for a little ego-stroking, of course, I don't think, but that's not what this is about. He's more a performance artist than anything, I think. This is not vulgar ego-fellatio or the pornography of the prosaic, this is documentary Art. (I'm with you about the lack of cock-shots, however. Their absence makes me a sad panda.)

"Okay, okay, Bourgeois Nerd," you say, Bitchy Reader. "I believe you. What's with the knob-polishing from you all of a sudden, though?" Well, you see, Tony's sunk time, money, and soul into his website, but he's feeling a little underappreciated lately. Not that I'm a page view powerhouse or anything, but I thought if I could get some of you to go visit and watch some of his videos, it might just cheer him up. As you can probably tell, I'm a total fanboy, and have a raging crush on him, so I don't like to see him so down. Also, we've exchanged emails several times over the years, and he's really just as sweet, funny, and self-deprecating as he is in the videos, so he's not just editing to make himself look like a good guy, he is a good guy, and good guys should be rewarded.

So, please, go visit (maybe even throw some change in the tip jar, or just send him a nice email) and turn his frown upside down. You won't regret it, I promise!