..breaking barriers

Okay.. I have another problem... well its perhaps not as much a problem as it is a habit... No.. not really a habit.. its more a form of social protest... Yes that's it! Social protest. I'm all about breaking barriers and making a difference. (stop laughing) My issue... Segregation...yes.. Segregation is still quite alive and real in today's world...especially in the social scene. Let me elaborate for you...

I am by no means a club hopper.. but I do every now and then like to get out, let my hair down and hit a trendy lounge for a drink or three. Now some of these places that I frequent have what seems to be more and more common.. a famed V.I.P. room...

Personally, I don't really see the point of a V.I.P. room.. I mean think about it, what is really the purpose besides creating another revenue stream for a venue to siphon extra dollars away from its patrons under the illusion of exclusivity and prestige? Moreover, who doesn't think they are a V.I.P. anyway.. didn't we all watch enough Sesame Street in our youths to get the lesson that everyone is important, or was it special? or maybe beautiful? However the song goes, I just don't see the great need for the separation.

Anyway, last Friday, we (my happy hour crew) headed over to a lounge to keep the party rolling. Of course, unbeknownst to my crew, I engaged in my protest ritual -I entered the V.I.P. without any form of stamp, wrist band or other visual seals of approval. Most times, I just walk by the bouncer getting the nod of acceptance. Other times I simply smile and briefly chat with the bouncer and am soon thereafter allowed entry. =-O Now, most of my friends, with the exception of J-Lam, do not realize that I do this whenever there is a V.I.P. room in my vicinity. Actually, I specifically do this in DC because I feel like a VIP room in any club/lounge here is particularly absurd. NYC, LA, Miami I sort of leave alone, not that I agree with the concept... but DC? c'mon... why the separation? Can't we all just party together? sheesh..

Okay... so now you are wondering. WHY.. Why on earth do you feel so compelled to engage in such antics? There is no simple answer for that. I guess its my pinko, socialist method of creating more egalitarian society.

So for those of you who have never been to a V.I.P. room here in DC this is what you've missed..

1. Sometimes the scene includes a minor celebrity or an athlete (typically a bench warmer with plenty of unfounded ego and at-ti-tude to share -leaving one to wonder which came first the bench time or the drinking habit?) surrounded by a crowd text book shameless groupies drinking top shelf liquors at the bar.

2. Most of the time the scene is a bunch of guys who are desperately trying to emulate the above, but, not surprisingly, miss the mark and end up looking like total low budget rap video goobers.

3. Generally, the V.I.P room is just a smaller, less crowded version of whatever the rest of the club or lounge.

Now I will admit, that when the rest of the venue gets too crowded for me, the comfort of breathing space VIP room is a welcomed escape. Guilty as charged.

However, I tell you this with great confidence and authority -me being a partier on either side of the velvet rope, the VIP room experience is greatly overrated... you are NOT missing anything... trust me.

Besides that, the way I see it, any room that I am in IS the VIP room -if you don't know now you know. :-)