Second Style Magazine Publisher: Being Black Is A Benefit

"I love the way the darker tones look with a lot of the really popular color palettes.."- Celebrity Trollop- Publisher, Second Style Magazine

Who always has the skinny on the latest fashion designs sweeping over sims in Second Life? Of course it's the publisher of Second Style, SL's hottest fashion magazine.

When I caught up with Celebrity Trollop, the force behind the SL publication that receives nearly 60,000 unique visitors to their web properties which includes Second Style Magazine, Men's Second Style (blog for all things male fashion), Second Style Fashionista (women's fashions), a podcast "Stylecast" and a Second Style Fashion Network which is a federation of top notch fashion blogs that cover a specific niche like hair, freebies, shoes, and "sexy stuff" their fashion magazine, various blogs and spin off fashion publications.

Back in early 2006, Celebrity rezzed in-world and immediately became a fashion magnet. She admits spending up to $150 real life dollar per month, dressing up her avatar. She decided that she needed a way to keep track of all of the new releases that she wanted to check out, so she started blogging about them. Only 10 days after she launched her fashion blog, she had a private meeting with Second Style's magazine's Josie Hamilton. In preparation for the launch her magazine and Josie needed an editor with a detailed fashion sense to pull together all of the editorial. Celebrity agreed to do it.

When Josie decided to take a break from SL, Celebrity jumped in and purchased the publication turning it into a landmark Second Life publication. But, just how are the Second Life fashion trends created in a virtual world where anyone can virtually become a stylist?

"We have a monthly staff meeting where Iris Ophelia, who is my managing editor, collects ideas for upcoming issues from our whole staff," Celebrity says. "I'd say we have a pulse on what's popular and stylish in SL during any given month with our amazing staffers."

Over the course of her career as a fashion guru on Second Life, Celebrity's avatar has undergone a dramatic change that may reflect her love for her personal beauty icons Tyra Banks, Iman and Naomi Campbell. Her 'tan' has deepened significantly, and is now considered to be an Afro-inspired skin. Celebrity, who is a white male in real life says that there is a pronounced benefit to wearing dark skin in the fashion world.

"To be honest I love the way the darker tones look with a lot of the really popular color palettes," Celebrity reveals. "What makes silver and gold metallics pop? Dark skin. What kind of canvas plays off bright neon colors to stunning effect? Dark skin. Now, since I've made the choice to be dark skinned in SL, I'd have to say I've become more conscious of the fact that there are a lot more pale skin tones around me."

"My true feeling is that being Black in Second Life has only been a benefit to me," Celebrity continues. "I love how my avatar looks and I get tons of compliments, seriously, look at my flickr page, on the way I style her. As far as experiencing "blackness" in SL, I'm not really sure that I have. I can't say that I've had anyone overtly change the way they behave around me since I've switched skin tones that I've noticed. Most people accept your avatar as she is, whether she's a plywood box or a dark skinned fashion model.

The Barbosa Brothers- SL's Biggest Names In Adult Entertainment

"If they pay for it, we'll be whatever they want us to be." - Maleek Barbosa


Question: Which SL career will allow you to earn up to $8,000L over a two hour shift?
Answer: Male Exotic Dancing

I caught up with SL Adult Entertainment icons, brothers Maleek and Rashawn Barbosa and asked them give us a little peek into their exotic dancing empire. The RL brothers from Philadelphia agreed to dish the dirt on what it's like to be the most requested male dancers in the virtual world.

"Well, when I was little my Mama had a boyfriend and he was a stripper." Maleek explains. "So when she would come home she would get on the phone and tell her friends about how good he looked and what he could do. I always wanted to be a stripper since then, but I couldn't do it in RL, so I decided to do it here."

Maleek, who says he is a police officer in RL, joined SL first and then introduced his older brother Rashawn, an accountant to the lifestyle. A month after they adopted the surname Barbosa Maleek joined Club 24K as a dancer and Rashawn also became interested in dancing as a career. A year later, they now do private shows, bachelorette parties, intimate massages and act as escorts if need be.

The Barbosa brothers say they can bring in as much as $8,000 Linden per show and they perform about 20 shows per month. During the Spring and Summer months, their show demands can sometimes double due to the amount of people marrying on SL. It seems that every woman wants the Barbosa brothers to perform at their bachelorette party.

What makes the Barbosa brothers so unique? Some say it's the way they interact with the crowd during their shows.

"I know what women want to hear," Maleek says. "And I tell them. I love women and I respect them, but I tell them the truth."

From spiraling pirouettes to booty claps and screaming orgasms, the Barbosa brothers have taken the Male exotic revue to another level. Maleek's "member" is fully interactive. One click and audience members can stroke, suck, pinch or even kick him in the groin area. If Maleek is fully aroused, he can even ejaculate on surprised guests.

No, the Barbosa brothers' shows are not for the faint at heart.

Their personalities are playful, yet business-like. Rashawn, 29, seems to be the laid-back brains behind the business while Maleek, 28, is more of a jokester. He even showed up to the interview stark naked and performed his saucy, sweat inducing dance while we chatted.

"I'm a performer," Maleek announces. "I'm like Michael Jackson and he's Tito. It's a party wherever I go. You see me butt naked right now? That's how I roll."

"They already know they're going to get their money's worth in the end," Rashawn says. "There's not a single performance where we don't get invited to a private get-together after the show."

These private get-togethers upon special request have increased the Barbosa's wallet size significantly. The amount of money they make from these trysts has led some to believe that they are high-end male escorts.

Maleek replies to the rumor, "If they pay for it, we'll be whatever they want us to be."

The Barbosa brothers say they will never stop dancing as long as they are on SL. They do have other interests like becoming real estate developers and they believe their consistent income from their exotic dance revue will place them in a position to achieve their dream.

SL Careers- Exotic Dancer

"It's only pixels."- Porsha Gears, SL Exotic Dancer



It's late on Friday night as SL Resident Porsha Gears replaces her glamorous day-wear with a hot and sexy police uniform and heads out to Club Def.

Porsha isn't on duty protecting the premises, her plans for the evening are even more exciting. Porsha is an SL Exotic Dancer.

She works the pole and swings those hips, batting those brilliant brown eyes at club patrons while adding the sizzle to the Club Def's hip hop atmosphere.


But Porsha isn't the only one hot enough to use her virtual assets to sustain her virtual lifestyle, many more women are joining SL and using their dance skills to bring in the Lindens.

The 23-year-old graduate student from New York joined SL after hearing about it in one of her classes.

"The SL experience began as an experiment. It has turned into a bit more than that," Porsha says. "I began with viewing this from the perspective of virtual social spaces- right. But it's become much more than that. I belong to several communities here in SL."

Besides meeting people and hanging out with her SL friends, Porsha admits that she has a shopping habit that costs her between 500 and 1000 Lindens per day.

"I don't think that's a lot. I love fashion!" Porsha admits. "I think it's fun, plus there are tons of stores in SL."

If you're really a part of the SL community, you have a home that you own or pay rent for and you have to change clothes everytime you go out. You can either get a job on SL or buy virtual money (Lindens) with your real money to pay for the things you want to do.


Being an SL exotic dancer supports Porsha's SL lifestyle."You can make as much as you work, but it really depends on the club and the club's patrons," Porsha says. "Some clubs people do not tip, whereas others, the owners make sure you are taken care of. But the most I have made is 1400L in one night and it does support my lifestyle. I'm living rent free right now in a house so, no worries."

There's no real danger involved with being an exotic dancer, according to Porsha. It's all about the image, she says.

"As I get dressed I wonder if my gear is too whorish, then I remember that it's only pixels. But the cutier the outfit hopefully the better the tips. In SL we don't dance as an art- we dance and we have the responsibility of looking good. When I hop on the pole it's fun, I enjoy it. It's exciting and the added benefit is that it helps pay my SL bills."

In real life men have typically turned their backs on women who dance at clubs but Porsha says that men embrace the career choice in SL.

"Guys are always tryin to holla- after all it's SL. I mean I've had several guys who are looking for SL slaves and they want me to do it-- but I'm not that girl. I've met guys that just want to chat and be friends, some that want the red light special --- again I'm not the red light special girl," she says with a laugh.

"I don't really have to work in SL," Porsha explains. "I do it because it's fun and I like the people at the club I'm working for."

Porsha tosses her head back and grins. "Dancing is fun! Want a lap dance?"