Annalyn S. Jusay (now blogging at www.annalyn.net)
He’s unstoppable and needs no introduction. These are excerpts of our interview with the colorful Bryanboy who is famous for showing off those designer bags that will now be known in the history of Gucci as "The Pose." Surely, he can be credited for letting net surfers all over the world know that the Philippines is not the wretched, impoverished country it is often pictured to be:
Q. You started your blog at www.bryanboy.com only in October 2004. What made you launch it? Was there anybody who influenced you to blog?
A. I started my blog around late October ‘04 as a little online travel journal for my friends in Europe. I got fed up with e-mailing so many people about what I’m up to and I thought it would be easier for me to post updates on a website which they could easily access anytime. My blog has evolved when I got home and since then, it became the official narcissistic shrine to my glory and gospel.
Nobody influenced me to blog. I had a work/business-related blog (before I started Bryanboy.com) which I kept for several months until I got sick of it. Blogging about work is such a bore.
Q. There seems to be an air of mystery about who you are. Who is Bryanboy and why does he prefer to be known only by his first name?
A. Bryanboy is… Bryanboy! I’m the gayest gay that ever walked this planet. I am so gay that I even sweat glitter. I’m the reason why gay people all over the world have a bad reputation… even gay people hate me!
I’m a part-time runway model and avid proponent of plastic surgery. I’m also a Rhodes scholar with various impressive degrees in a wide range of studies from many schools, including – but not limited to – Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, Erie County Community College and Ms. Debbie’s Korrespondence with Klass Skool of Kosmetology.
I love chinchilla fur, the finest foie gras, handbags from Goyard, 200-ply cashmere from Malo and Lucien Pellat-Finet, chocolates from Pierre Marcolini and of course, bulimia.
I prefer to be known only by my first name to protect the harmless and the innocent. Over the years (and I’m only 17 years old), I already brought so much shame to everyone that I know. If I’m gonna make a complete fool out of myself and pretend to be someone that I’m not, especially on a worldwide scale, I might as well keep certain things private.
Q. Don’t you know there are sooo many obsessed sickos and psychos out there?
A. My grandfather warned me about those before he died several years ago. The world is such a dangerous place it’s not even funny.
Q. Do you think Bryanboy is a superstar, or more of a marketing hype?
A. I wouldn’t call myself a superstar if I’m not. Maybe I’m born with IT. Maybe it’s Maybelline? *wink*
Q. I know you get tons of e-mail and messages. What are some of the most memorable feedbacks from your readers? What do you consider the perks of being a famous blog personality?
A. I try to read (and reply) to as many messages as I can. My readers never cease to amaze me. In fact, I got an e-mail not too long ago from someone in California asking me why I never talk about my sex life. In his own words, he said "how come we never hear about your sex life? Have you found Jesus or something?". It was hilarious! My readers are just as crazy as I am and I’m exhilarated to have the opportunity to interact with them.
Personally though, I really love it when my readers e-mail me pictures of themselves emulating the "Infamous Bryanboy Pose", handbag and all.
Perks? What perks are you talking about? Nobody has sent me free clothes or free handbags as of yet! Perhaps I’m not that famous enough. Hahaha!
Q. How were you able to come up with The Handbag Pose?
A. I have no idea! My sister took a picture of me at Embassy while handing out my bag to one of my friends for ‘safekeeping’. I was drunk at the time. I once asked people to send me photos of themselves doing their best rendition of me and that was their favourite photo
Q. Can you give us an idea about the magnitude of traffic you get?
A. On a bad day, I get anywhere between 6,000-7,000 unique visitors a day. On a good day, that number can swell anywhere between 15,000 – 20,000 depending on if I get linked from a high traffic website or get published at a magazine or a newspaper. It’s not a lot, to be honest, compared to popular celebrity blogs, i.e. Perez Hilton or Gawker.
Q. How about the advertisements? What do you buy with the money you earn from your blog?
A. Unsafe sex with prostitutes, prescription drugs, illegal substances, liposuction, laxatives and yarn. I recently took up knitting and it’s a great way to pass time.
Q. Who do you think is more famous..Bryanboy or Xiaxue? And why?
A. It depends on how you define fame. I don’t like to compare myself to other bloggers. One thing is for sure – I know Wendy (a.k.a Xiaxue) has a lot of readers, way more than I do, but, a majority of them are based in Singapore. The infamous nanny state is such an insular place where every one has access to the internet.
When it comes to reader diversity and reach, it would be fair to say that I have a wider audience compared to Wendy. A little over 40% of my readers are from the United States , I have a loyal fan base in Scandinavia and Europe, 10% are from Australia and New Zealand and believe it or not, only 15% of my readers are from the Philippines .
Q. What are your blogging habits? Can you give us an idea about the designer frocks you wear while blogging? What PC/laptop do you use?
A. You’re hilarious! Contrary to what people think, I’m not the "Superstar Fabuleux" when I’m at home! In fact, I roam around the house wearing nothing but a pair of Bench briefs or Calvin Klein boxers!
I blog in my underwear. The rule "fashion first before comfort" doesn’t apply when I’m in my humble abode. Nothing beats blogging whilst under the influence of alcohol.
My secret to blogging success: a computer, some comfortable undies and a bottle of vodka!
Q. What can you say about Typepad as a blogging platform? Are you happy with it?
A. I love, love, love Typepad! I’ve been a Typepad user long before I started Bryanboy.com. I love all the features and functionalities. It’s great for someone who doesn’t want to worry about the technical aspect of setting up a blog.
I can very well sleep at night (or should I say day) knowing my blog is safe in the hands of SixApart.
I do have a separate server though when it comes to photos and images. Not too long ago, Typepad recently e-mailed me telling me that they will have to charge me a premium because my bandwidth levels are insane. Since then, I host all the images on my site separately.
Q. What made you start a second blog? Is it performing as well as your main blog?
A. I started my other blog, InsideMyBag.com because I’ve always been curious and fascinated with what’s inside other people’s handbags. As you know, a handbag can tell a lot about someone’s identity, their personality and their lifestyle. It would be absolutely insane to ask someone randomly, on the street, to pour out the contents of their bag. On my other blog, I invite people to send me photos of what’s inside their bags.
I have to admit this baby hasn’t taken off because I’ve been doing an awful job maintaining it. I like to refer to this baby as my neglected child. Time is the ultimate luxury and sadly, I don’t have a lot of it. Hopefully I’ll have more time soon!
Q. Some people say yours is the blog they love to hate. Can you comment?
A. The more they hate me, the more I love them. The haters can hate me all they want but at the end of the day, no matter how much they despise my blog, they keep on reading it the way street tramps are addicted to crystal meth (shabu). Once an addict, always an addict. It will take more than a lobotomy or a trip to an Arizona-based rehab for them to stop reading my blog.
Q. In a nutshell, what makes Bryanboy tick?
A. Weight loss, cheap champagne, well-hung Scandinavians, Swedish denim, and of course, hallucinating in broad daylight.
Tell us what you think. Send your comments about this article to MB<space>Views<space>name<space>comments and send it to 2269 for Globe and Sun or to 8369 for Smart subscribers.
For comments and inquiries, email annalyn.jusay@gmail.com
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