kenneth in the (212): blogging

Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts

Friday, March 27, 2026

Did Blogger 'Large Tony' Really Die in 2023?

Hmm, do I smell catfish on the grill?

Was initially stunned yesterday to discover that the well-endowed Tennessee mountain man who heated up the internet back in the day -- aptly named Large Tony -- had supposedly died in 2023, just two months shy of his 48th birthday.

Although I know I'm just one of many people who has a long history with whoever was behind this persona that was simultaneously revealing (those photos!) and anonymous, I'm kind of reeling from this news, however belated.

Yesterday he popped into my head, so I shot him an email, like we would do from time to time, only for it to bounce back. I then sent him this DM (on the erstwhile Twitter) -- and I pray that I'm onto something.

I wrote:

You just popped into my head so I sent you an email -- only for it to bounce back. From there I checked on here and saw a notice saying you had died in 2023. How I hope this is not true, just a way for you to retire the Large Tony persona. But whatever the case may be, thank you for your kindness over the years. You’ve been a welcome online presence since the early days of blogging, and I hope you are at peace wherever you are today.

But then I started to see the whole "Large Tony" persona through 2026 eyes:

Did no one in the state of Tennessee ever recognize him and reveal his identity -- even now? How did this busy young man manage to find time to have a "special" online relationship with virtually every person I've ever encountered? (I now see that BosGuy wrote about it contemporaneously and that even Andy Cohen was sniffing around at the time too, apparently mentioning the death on his radio show.) And who posted that succinct update about his untimely death for his “fans”? Unless "The Attorney" (as he referred to his supposed long-term partner) somehow had full access to his accounts, which seems unlikely given that I don't think my own husband could get into mine, I'm having a hard time buying it.

Suddenly the whole thing is starting to give me a JT LeRoy vibe. (The slick black-and-white photo with the birth and death dates seems off, too.) I suspect I'm onto something here ... or perhaps thinking this way is just easier than accepting that his death could be true.

UPDATE: Apparently I wasn't the only one who had this hunch. Blobby even hits on a couple things I was thinking but didn't mention and knows about some aborted blogger "meet-ups" involving Tony, which I'm sure involved "cancer" or a "car crash"! Another person said he has a story for me, which I'm still waiting to hear.

Thursday, September 04, 2025

Kenneth in the (212) Turns 20

Hard to fathom that when I spontaneously opened up a Blogspot template on Sept. 4, 2005, and wrote a short post late at night after watching Robby Ginepri beat Tommy Haas at the U.S. Open that I would be still be blogging two decades later ... yet here we are!

Thanks to everyone who has come along for the ride, which certainly has exceeded my wildest expectations. (God knows it's always been for the love of it, with what little advertising revenue some of us once earned long since evaporated thanks to Facebook and Google.)

Along the way my site has allowed me to make numerous new friends -- some famous, some infamous, and some just tremendous -- get invited to countless parties, screenings, movie premieres, book releases, theatrical productions and more; achieve my dream of writing a book of essays after being "discovered" by a noted agent; and best of all even land a husband!

In an attempt to remember what I looked like at the time, I dug up these these photos from 2005 -- the Hamptons, a Go-Go's concert, Miami. WeHo and Venus diner -- all of which made the blog!

Life has also had its somber moments over the years -- we buried our father; my best friend in town died suddenly months after I started my blog; I got and lost a dream job or two; I've said goodbye to two very special critters (Troy and Larry); and my brother Bill was taken way too soon -- so logging on here each day has been a source of stability when other things have felt out of control. (See also: World, The.)

While I don't have a timeline for how much longer I will digitally be Kenneth in the (212), for now I'll share with you my 10 most popular posts (out of more than 39,000) -- some expected, some not -- as I say cheers to 20 years. I wouldn't have done it without you! xo

Thursday, December 19, 2024

The Big Bing Theory

I happened to have some time to kill in my old neighborhood this afternoon, so popped into Best Buy in Chelsea to look at laptops. (Yes, I'm still Team PC.)

While playing around with an HP Envy, I typed in my blog name in the browser that was up to see what would happen -- I've come to realize that you get completely different results on a computer that isn't the one you regularly use -- and before I could even think, it auto-populated the name plus "meaning," which gave me this result:

Kenneth in the 212 is a cultural phenomenon that captures the essence of New York City's urban landscape. It has evolved from a humble beginning to an influential cultural cornerstone. The name "Kenneth" is a nod to the island of Manhattan.

My first thought was that it was some sort of AI thing -- especially because I'm not aware of any way (besides me!) that Kenneth is related to the island of Manhattan. (Kenneth means "handsome" or "born of fire" and is of Gaelic and Scottish and Gaelic origins.)

But then I began to have doubts because when I google "Kenneth in the 212 meaning" at home, the result specifically says it's an AI overview and is a completely different write-up -- way less flattering! -- before finally realizing I had done the initial search on Bing.*

I would make fun of Microsoft for still trying to make its search engine happen. But if it's going to be this kind, consider me a convert!

*Bing seems to have used information from something called Chiseled Magazine, which wrote kind things about my blog that I am only seeing now.

"Visitor interactions have transformed the blog into a buzzing forum where New Yorkers and global observers alike dissect the latest urban trends and stories. This connectedness propels the blog’s content into the realm of collective experience." LOL

P.S. Also weird to see what Bing chooses to break out as subtopics, or whatever you call these headers, when I just type in my site's name.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Remains of the Day (11/27)

Metrosource: You like me ... you really like me! Seriously, though, I'm very honored to be picked as one of the venerable gay magazine's "People We Love"

Back2Stonewall: FBI releases 2017 hate crime statistics and 57.8% of victims were gay men

Baseline: A surprise ATP top 3 earner for 2018

The Guardian: Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort held secret talks with Julian Assange in Ecuadorian Embassy

Instagram: In bed with Laverne Cox and her white cisginger boyfriend

The Washington Post: It looks like a big day for collusion -- no wonder Trump is raging

Abrams: "U.S. Open: 50 Years of Championship Tennis" makes the perfect holiday gift

Curbed: Lena Dunham lists airy Williamsburg condo for $3 million

Deep Dish: Feast your ears on the Ultimate 1987 Playlist

Dlisted: Does Amanda Bynes still want Drake to murder her vagina now that she's sober?

Gay City News: Trump asks Supreme Court to let trans military ban take effect

Greg in Hollywood: Tina Turner turns 79!

Towleroad: Gay-rights icon Harvey Milk to be remembered in candlelight walk tonight, 40 years after his assassination

Outsports: Serbian men aren't exactly known for their open-mindedness, so kudos to Novak Djokovic for rooting for a gay tennis player to come out

Boy Culture: Curbwear undies model Sean is a proud bottom and has the assets to brag about it

Gothamist: New video shows gorgeous Mandarin duck enjoying private downtime in Hudson River

New Now Next: Ross Mathews splits with partner of 10 years

OMG Blog: Spanish actor Jose Manuel Poga goes frontal in Netflix's "Fugitiva" ... during a gun fight

Hot Cat of the Day: "What? It wasn't me."

Tuesday, February 09, 2016

Online Buddies Acquires WickedGayBlog.com

Happy for my pal Dave of WickedGayBlog. Does this mean there's hope for a buyout of Boy Culture or KIT212 one day? :-)

From a release:

Online Buddies, parent company of the world’s leading gay dating website, Manhunt.net, and the dating app, Jack’d, is announcing its acquisition of WickedGayBlog.com, the popular online journal that has delivered news with a wicked gay twist for over nine years. According to Online Buddies
CEO Hector Camacho, the joining of the two brands will continue his company’s commitment to serving its audience of men seeking men with material they are interested in. It will also support Online Buddies’ brand building strategies and help to drive traffic to its dating website and apps. Online Buddies properties – including Jack’d, Manhunt, and the Manhunt Daily blog – currently receive two million unique visits daily.

“Blogging isn’t going away,” said Mr. Camacho this morning from the company’s Cambridge, MA headquarters. “It continues to evolve, delivering real value to the millions who prefer to get their news online.”

Online Buddies’ owner and founder, Jonathan Crutchley, was among the frequent visitors to WickedGayBlog.com. When blogger ‘Dave’ announced his plans to retire the journal, Mr. Crutchley contacted him with an offer to take it over.

“The process was seamless and in less than a month, the acquisition was completed,” continued Mr. Camacho.

“I started WickedGayBlog out of frustration that so many of my gay friends had no idea about equal rights measures, LGBT ordinances taking place across America, and the severe discrimination many of us experience,” said ‘Dave’ in a post to his readers. “I wanted to create a blog readers came to for photos but stayed at for information and lighthearted fun.”

As part of the acquisition, ‘Dave’ has agreed to remain as blogger of WickedGayBlog.com during the transition and to help find his successor.

The blog will be run by a newly created online media business group within Online Buddies, who will also manage the company’s existing and future online journals.

“We won’t be concerned with traffic or page views,” explained Mr. Camacho. “Instead, we will monitor our engagement rate. We want WickedGayBlog to continue to stimulate the eye yet provide vital information for our community. It will contain news, gossip, photos, scandal, and yes, sex; all with a wicked gay twist!”

Friday, September 04, 2015

kenneth in the (212) Turns 10

Just realized today is the actual 10-year anniversary of my blog, which is kind of a big deal seeing as it started on a lark with a quick post inspired by seeing two tennis hunks battling it out late at night at the U.S. Open and wanting to document it. It was a fitting debut -- tennis and hot guys continue to dominate my site -- but 23,719 posts and a memoir inspired by the blog later, it's almost hard to remember life before blogging. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by over the years. It wouldn't have been the same without you. xo