[.ca] Drama Queen: The Gay Man's Guide To An Uncomplicated Life (ISBN 0312269056)

From Amazon.com:
As all gay men know, there's drama and then there's drama. Being genuinely torn between two lovers, for example, versus having slept your way through your entire zip code. Minor spats with your best friends versus a web of allegiances, grudges, and hearsay approaching Versailles in the era of Marie Antoinette. Or being a few days late with the rent versus your landlord asking Gucci and Prada to shut down your credit. For those queens who can't tell the one from the other--you know, the ones who live their lives like some high-volume hybrid of Valley of the Dolls, Absolutely Fabulous and Titanic (the sinking ship part, not the love story)--dramatologist Patrick Price (Husband Hunting Made Easy) has written a rehab guide to every aspect of a gay man's life susceptible to a high DQ (that's drama quotient). That is, friendships and family, dating and relationships, money and career, self-image and attitude, and aging (which the drama queen obsesses over so much (s)he doesn't know it's possible to do it gracefully). The book's not quite as funny as you'd like--it's full of anemic "gay twist" jokes ("there are times you'd swear your life is a rerun of Dynasty and everyone thinks they're Alexis or Sammy Jo"--yawn) that make you hunger for a little more bitchy pointedness. The advice is so general and thin it could apply to anyone, straight or gay. And its overall PG-13 content--disappointingly free of even veiled references to wild sex, rampant drug use or anything else that makes gay life truly, interestingly tragic--leaves even the tamest of Will and Grace episodes looking racy by comparison. But it's that essential wholesomeness and common sense--not to mention a plethora of irresistible Cosmopolitan-like "Test Your Own Drama Quotient" quizzes--that makes Price's book one that even mothers could safely give their drama queen sons...or, perhaps more fittingly, the other way around. --Timothy Murphy

Do we really need another book on how to live our lives? As gay men, we scream out for diversity and tolerance. Unfortunately, Mr. Price seems to want to "pigeon-hole" us into nice little categories. The book may be okay IF you 1)never leave NYC, 2)are financially secure, 3)are white, and 4)have a 30" waist. Those of use who are "sociodemographically challenged" should find this book quite hegemonic. My advice: pass.

the unbearable lightness of being......:
this book is one of the most lightweighted, unintelligent and meaningless books targeted toward gay readers I have ever come across. The writers hopeless attempt to be a sort of funny, but still real advisor in nearly embarrising to witness. Its so full of cliches and useless nonsense that anyone, in or out of the closet, rich or poor, better save their time -AND MONEY.

Save your opinions for someone who cares, Mr Price:
I bought this book in the hope that it would be light-hearted humor, in the vein of Kevin Dilallo's "The Unofficial Gay Manual". It's not. It's Patrick Price's heavy-handed lecture on "How All Gay Men Need to Fix Their Lives". The only drama queen in this book is the author.

Life, is a drama...:
Well, for anyone who has read, "The Boyfriend Within", this adds a fun and sassy twist on that book. It is good for those who are looking for some direction in their life, and not looking to be the next flaming queen at the clubs who can never seem to keep his latest beau. If you are growing out of the 'scene' and looking for a new direction in your life, this is a GREAT find! Funny, sassy, and helpful...

Interesting, isn't it?:
I have to point out that having read all seven of the reviews for this book, it seems as though the ones who rated this book so low have written reviews that border on the dramatic anyway! Who's being the drama queen now, guys? ;) Seriously, for many of us, Price's book doesn't really apply. However, there are a couple of places where there are grains of good advice and even -- gasp! -- truth. Read it for the fun of it. Certainly I don't think even Patrick Price would say it should be a gay man's guide to life. Have fun with it!