Daily Candy had better watch its back. Cooper Smith Dallas’ gay PR king joins the trendy listserv game
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| SUBSCRIBE, BITCHES: On the 23rd floor of his downtown empire, Cooper Smith busts out his iPhone to flaunt his Gay List Daily site. |
More than 1,000 mouse potatoes are already in the know. That’s how many subscribers Gay List Daily has recruited. And in 2008, the number will probably grow exponentially.
In October, Dallas public relations honcho Cooper Smith launched a gay version of Daily Candy an electric weekday serving of all that’s fresh and queer. But that’s not all. Smith understood that Daily Candy’s phenomenal success is all in the way the e-mail blasts are written. The text has to be crisp, sharp and lively. And it has to satisfy a bitchy, know-it-all demographic: gay peeps.
For example, a write-up about men’s thermal shaving cream: headline “Lose the Beard (and we don’t mean Katie Holmes).” Spice up your lingo by visiting UrbanDictionary.com: headline “Become a Cunning Linguist.”
Try chef Doug Brown’s newest eatery, Cliff Cafe: headline “Sashay, Shante, Caf? Caf? Caf?.”
As the editor in chief, Smith supervises two gay contributors: Jef Tingly and Steven Lindsey. He says most stories are written two weeks in advance. And so far, the story that got the most circulation was a “If You Fry It, They Will Come” review of the State Fair of Texas: “And if you’ve lost your gag reflex, then good-ol’ standby Fletcher’s Corny Dogs are as hot and plump as ever.”
When it comes to decent recommendations, Dallas can use all the help it gets. While looking at the view from Smith’s gorgeous 23rd-floor office on Pacific Street, I ask him to recommend three places to shop in downtown Dallas other than Neiman Marcus or Crimson in the City.
“Can we include Victory Plaza?” he asks?
Sorry, but that’s not downtown.
But Smith is already gearing up for an expansion. In January, he’s launching a national “everywhere” edition. And a few months after that, he’ll start talking other cities, “most likely Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles,” Smith says.
Hey that’s the same thing that Daily Candy did.
To subscribe, visit GayListDaily.com.
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“‘SASSY STEVE’ HITS YOUTUBE
Meet the North Pole’s gayest elf: Dallas event planner extraordinaire Steve Kemble, pictured.
“America’s sassiest lifestyle guru” is definitely making spirits brighter this month. Earlier this week he launched “Sassy Steve’s Holiday Tips,” on YouTube.
Kemble promises a “high-style holiday tip” every day Dec. 1-25. And, girl, they are scream!
Working on the fakest “winter wonderland” set imaginable, Sassy Steve shimmies with the Sassettes five sexy Mrs. Santa backup dancers who bust those “Winter Talent Show” moves seen in the movie “Mean Girls.”
For Kemble’s first tip? Add frozen fruit to your ice-cube tray.
Then it’s another dance routine as Steve and the Sassettes groove to Pink’s “Get the Party Started.”
Daniel A. Kusner
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BRAVO GREENLIGHTS GAY VLOGGER SHOW, “HEY BITCHES”
This week, Bravo announced that William Sledd, pictured, will star in the reality pilot “Hey Bitches.”
Sledd is a 24-year-old Paducah, Ky., native best known for his irreverent Web commentary about pop culture. He currently appears on Bravo’s OUTzoneTV.com’s Web series “Ask a Gay Man,” where “Hey Bitches!” is his signature greeting.
With more than 80,000 subscribers, Sledd is garnering a strong following: Tony-winning actress Christine Ebersole is reportedly a fan. The pilot will follow Sledd as he contemplates making the leap from Paducah to the world of high fashion in New York.
Armed with a video camera, Sledd’s weekly vlogs tackle thorny fashion topics. He first made headlines one year ago when his eighth YouTube installment, exploring the world of denim, was watched more than two million times and quickly thrust him into the national spotlight.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition December 7, 2007