Gay men need a “Second Thought” on quick-hit hookup culture, according to creators Art Bezrukavenko and Chris Stanley
What would happen if gay men forced themselves to spend quality time with the strangers they hooked up with on Grindr—the apocalypse or love? Content creators StanChris (aka Chris Stanley) and Art Bezrukavenko are betting on the latter in their latest collab, a nearly 7-minute silent short film titled Second Thought.
We know what you’re thinking: this is not a porn video. While Stanley and Bezrukavenko might interview OnlyFans stars for viral clips, Second Thought leans more toward Hollywood.
The premise of Second Thought is a tale as old as time: Stanley presumably asks Bezrukavenko to meet at a brewery, which might first seem like a date, making you wonder if you’ve been transported back to when condoms were a thing.
However, it’s just their meeting spot. The scene quickly cuts to them getting into bed, with a sex scene rating akin to a Taylor Swift music video. But hey, it’s YouTube!
Bezrukavenko wakes up and goes on his merry way, but not without blocking Stanley first—the drama is real. Ironically, the film’s production forgot how real-life Grindr works! Stanley receives a notification that the profile blocked him as if the app would ever hold your hand so delicately through rejection and provide closure.
Nah, honey, that sucker’s profile would’ve disappeared so fast that your lubricated sheets would be the sole evidence you didn’t have a wet dream.
Here’s the pensive part: StanChris replays an alternate life in his head where the two twinks feed each other french fries, share secrets, go for ice cream, and hug on the boardwalk in the rain. Apparently, that’s the equation for their connection to last 30 years later.
Seeing an elderly version of the twinks riding a bike while the other holds on from behind on a skateboard isn’t quite clear whether it’s supposed to be a justification for dates or a cautionary warning. (Certainly a broken hip liability.) It depends on how you feel about catching feelings—not even DoxyPEP can help you.
Second Thought is poignant for several reasons. Primarily, it’s timely considering many are waging war against the apps, claiming the endless swiping has ruined dating. The situation is so dire that speed dating is back in style—at least for those who aren’t advocating for celibacy.
Gay men are not immune to the tides of culture and the negative impacts of endless gratification at our fingertips. We’ve become accustomed to treating each other like eggplant and peach emojis with limbs. Orgasms are great—really, absolutely great!—but many of us can identify with the hollowness inside that can only be filled with the company of another human.
Second Thought is a reminder that younger gays might be missing out on the magic of a night on the town with a new object of desire and how quickly those feelings can escalate.
Still, if you prefer the magic of a glory hole over romance, it’s worth watching because it’ll most likely be the longest you see twinks go without speaking.
Think about it: Do you want to be exclusively “dickmatized” by the idea of an app for the rest of your life, glued to a Ferris wheel of horny strangers (and liars who don’t know how to measure), or explore another side of your humanity?
If your casual sexual encounters aren’t resulting in meaningful connections (and that’s a problem for you), maybe don’t just meet at the brewery, but sit down for a beer… more realistically, vodka soda.
