Let me introduce you to the other D.J. Paris.
He’s a gay Asian from New York.
I know this because back in 1998 when I stumbled across his website, this is what appeared as his tagline. I was simply looking to see if there was, in fact, a djparis.com. Turns out there absolutely was and is.
Now, as a straight Caucasian from Chicago this could not have been more hilarious for my family. Of course they started telling everyone that their son had built a website and to go visit djparis.com. Which, naturally, is an awesome joke.
D.J. is a great guy. (I’m talking about me – zing!). I reached out to him back in 1998 and asked if I could have an email address with his domain. He thought the idea was hilarious.
I have to credit him with being an inspiration to me finally getting online to start a blog. His website has changed probably a dozen times over the years. When it launched it received a ton of publicity for being a popular gay men’s resource for all things New York. He’s received accolades and was one of the early blog pioneers.
I remember when he added a webcam feed so you could watch him work and live twenty-four hours a day. Today that sounds like a self-absorbed douche move, but at the time it was a really innovative and cool idea. And I did check the webcam every once in awhile to see what I would have been doing had I been gay and Asian. He was always integrating new ideas and features to his site and it was exciting to watch it evolve.
We’ve tried to meet up a few times when I’ve visited my sister in New York, but it hasn’t worked out. We’ve played Words with Friends and he’s always beaten me. I don’t ever assume, however, that I can beat an Asian at games academic. The next time I head east I’m definitely taking him out for a cocktail in the Village. That’s not a gay/Village joke – my sister lives there. I could insert a really great gay Village joke here, but it would be too easy.
If you haven’t found your same name internet opposite I encourage you to do so now. Be careful though, not everybody will strike awesome like me. You could find out your person posts weird religious rants on Facebook or is into that disturbing My Little Pony adult online thing. Don’t be too quick to give out your P.O. Box.
Also, if you learn that your doppelganger is doing five to ten in San Quentin for aggravated battery but loves to use the prison library computer, proceed with caution. He’s going to need a place to crash when he hits parole.
Even though we’ve never spoken on the phone or seen what happens when two D.J. Paris’ shake hands (my suspicion is the world will implode onto itself), I feel a connection. Not a connection that weirdo twins have where they know when the other person is having sex and stuff. A milder kinship. Even so I need to thank him for when I saw my name on his extremely popular website I realized it was possible for me to build something of value online, too.
I don’t know if gay people celebrate Thanksgiving but, if they do, I hope D.J. has a nice holiday. I’d like to mention that he’s staring in a new film coming out shortly. Watch the trailer here.
image courtesy of djparis.com