Newbie Experience- Entyce Goldlust

"I live like a rich spoiled brat... can't do that in RL!" - Entyce Goldlust, New Resident of SL

When you join Second Life and begin your new journey, it's often an overwhelming and addictive experience. SL Resident Entyce Goldlust shares her newbie experience with us.

Mistee Jaxxon: What first atrracted you to SL?

Entyce Goldlust: Well I joined on May 6, 2008. I guess that is my "Rez date" (the date you signed up to become a member, which is equivalent to your new birthdate). I came to SL because a friend of mine was up here for a while and he was always telling me about it but I would blow him off. LOL. Anyway he finally convinced me by telling me that there was a growing Black population on SL. He is white in RL (real life). He told me that he had run into Black people and they were cool. That intrigued me. So here I am.

Mistee Jaxxon: What have been your most amazing experiences?

Entyce Goldlust: OMG so many but I have to say that the most amazing was my first week on here! It was so crazy. My friend introduced me to a girl that takes picures on SL. Her prices were too much for a someone new to SL so she sent me to another photographer who is now my SL Dad. So in my first week I was adopted by my wonderful SL family. I have a sister LaLa, a Brother Lloyd and a Mom and Dad and a million aunts and a grandma too! It was great they just embraced me and made my first SL experience unforgettable.

Mistee Jaxxon: How did you choose your skin, your friends and your activities?

Entyce Goldlust: The friend that introduced me to SL, he took me around and showed me where to buy skin and hair and clothes and he gave me a crash course in SL nitelife which is what I do most of the time. LOL. He told me about all of the hottest clubs, he sent me the Landmarks. I learned so much in a small period of time. I was so lucky. He even helped me pick my name LOL. He left the game but he left me with a lot of knowledge and there is still so much to learn.

Mistee Jaxxon: What advice would you give to other newbies trying to become accustomed to SL?

Entyce Goldlust: I would say to be very outgoing and friendly. Don't be afraid to ask questions and well, it's all about getting a great skin and clothes. LOL. Make sure you decide if you will work or have a business so you will get that out of the way early. Also beware of unscrupulous contests and so called modeling groups that take your money. Make lots of friends (be choosey) and HAVE FUN!! I would also say if you are new to SL, look me up I'm newbie friendly!

Mistee Jaxxon: What is the biggest benefit of being in SL?

Entyce Goldlust: The people, the people and the people! They are great! Some of them are a little quirky but just like in real life you have to be careful. You learn a lot about business and you get to try your hand at being creative.

Mistee Jaxxon: How does SL affect your real life?

Entyce Goldlust: Well at first I didn't get any sleep. LOL! But I am learning how to manage my SL and RL.

Mistee Jaxxon: What is something that you do in SL that you can't do in real life?

Entyce Goldlust: OMG I just bought a piece of land that I named Entyce Isle and I am turning it into my little piece of paridise on SL. I rent a Beach house with 3 levels that I can change the texture of the walls, floors and windows whenever I want. I live like a rich spoiled brat... can't do that in RL! LOL!

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.

Being Black- My Choice

"If I could have chosen my skin color, I would have been Black..."- Jahman Blessed

If you're a fan of Afro influenced music on SL you've probably run into Jahman Blessed spinning the tunes at various nightclubs on the club circuit. As a highly sought after DJ in SL, he'll wave, dance and play your favorite requests from his personal collection of soul-inspired music.

His thick multi-colored dreads hang well below his shoulders. His creamy dark skin seems to shine beneath the club lights. What you can't tell by looking at him is the eery fact that in real life Jahman Blessed looks nothing like the man in the picture. His real skin is as pale as the average caucasion, but Jahman will not claim to be white.

On the very day that I catch up with him for a brief interview, Jahman says he has just experienced his first bout of racism on SL.

During a set as a DJ at one of the clubs he plays for, a club patron called him a n****. The club patron and was immediately banned by the club owner.

"I felt very angry about it," Jahman explains. "Inside we all have the same color. It shouldn't matter whether my skin is Black or white on the outside. Mama Africa is the mother of the human race and I care for my parents. All kinds of good music has their roots in Africa."

A 52-year-old man from Brazil, Jahman has had a healthy lifetime of connecting with his African roots.

"Growing up, most of my friends were Black," Jahman says. As an adult in real life and SL he often encounters narrow minded people who are conditioned to believe that Black people are inferior.

"When I meet a very discriminative person, I will often ask them, 'What will you do if you reach to your God before death and realize that he is Black?'"

Jahman counters the above statement by stating that he does not believe that God is Black.

"God has no color, but color has love. I only said that to give the person something to think about."

From the various shades of coa coa complected women to the unique styles of dress that represent the Afro-influenced lifestyle, Jahman is fascinated by it all.

"I didn't get the chance to be able to choose my skin color," Jahman explains. "On SL, I can. If I could have chosen my skin color, I would have been Black."

Second Life Kids- Little Black Girl

By Mistee Jaxxon

"Maya was a healing point for me honestly."

The first few days of her SL experience, MayaBallinger Vella was disgusted by the interactions she had with most of the adults on SL. She decided that she didn't want to be a part of that so she deleted her first account and re-emerged as an SL kid.

Maya is now a 7-year-old in SL and chooses to physically progress stage by stage through the human course of development, changing the shape of her avatar as she feels she is maturing.

"I love being able to choose how and when I mature," Maya says. "You plan everything in this game and I plan by how I feel. So when it's time to move on or past [a stage in life], I do. Someday I will be an old lady in SL," Maya giggles.

Today Maya is enjoying her life as a vibrant 7-year-old. Every Sunday she attends church at the River of Life Center and spends time with her church family.

While she doesn't have parents, at one point she did, but the tale that surrounds that adventure is a sad one indeed.

The 30-year-old woman from Pennysylvania came to SL over a year ago and quickly decided that she wanted to be an SL Kid. Before she deleted her first account she met her future parents PapiChulo vella and Jiji Ballinger.

When she re-appeared as Maya in a cute little dress and an angelic smile, both PapiChulo and Jiji embraced her as their own. Their family life went along well until Maya noticed how controlling and abusive her father was to her mother. She and her mother were forced to leave him and lived in several apartments that were unsafe and placed them in abusive environments.

Eventually, Maya and her mother Jiji bought their own land, to later have it stolen from them by Maya's aunt.

The drama associated with family led to Maya declaring her independence.

"As Maya I do not have to be commited to anyone," she says. "I protect myself behind Maya as not to be hurt in relationships.That is why I made Maya. I had been hurt badly in relationships in RL and some online. So Maya was a healing point for me honestly."

As Maya became more confident in SL, it has made her become more confident in RL and she was able to create another adult av to test out adult interactions once again. She now uses the adult av more often than she uses the child av, but each role has a permanent part of her SL existence.

As luck would have it, her adult av has found real life love through SL. Her adult av is now married to her former SL mother, who also created a new av in order to marry her.

Their relationship has exploded beyond the SL screen into real life. The couple enjoys co-managing their SL business, Little Jewels, a children's clothing store.

"The best thing about being an adult av is being married to Sun and having my own family," Maya Shares.

Second Life Kids- Little Black Boy

By Mistee Jaxxon

"Kids don't have drama"

Don't blink twice when you're out and about on Second Life and in walks a feisty 6-year-old with a sawed off shot gun attached to his belt. He's not Dennis the Menace, he's Cigahy Mayako, but everyone calls him Ciggy.

In RL Ciggy is a 24-year-old Black man living in Atlanta, but in SL Ciggy uses his child-like avatar to gain attention and smiles from everyone he
encounters.

He rezzed in-world on December 5, 2007 after a good friend joined the SL community and he wanted to keep in contact with her. When he first logged on, he chose a simple adult avatar but after meeting several child avatars, he wondered what it would be like to be a child in SL. A friend helped him by showing him how to create a child-like shape and he fell in love with the resulting experience.

"I guess it's because I'm a big kid at heart," Ciggy says. "Because a part of your real life is displayed in your av and no matter how old I become, I'll always be a kid."

Although there are many female child avatars in SL, male child avatars are few and far between. But why aren't there more little boys on SL?

"I think everyone has this image of themselves and how things are suppose to be," Ciggy asserts."You're supposed to do this suppose to do that.They are putting limits on their imagination and not trying anything different. Every [male avatar] has to be buff with tattoos and fitting caps."

Although Ciggy may be a miniature version of the typical gangsta with a defiant attitude, a blinged out necklace and a gun strapped to his waist, he also carries a lollipop which he sucks periodically during our conversation.

Since SL was created specifically for adults complete with sexual themes and adult interaction, what exactly can a kid in SL do for fun?

"Well I do have adult friends that I hang out with," Ciggy says. "Just because I'm a kid I'm not gonna to abandon them. But as a kid, no, I DO NOT have sex on here. I don't have a girlfriend either."

Ciggy says SL does have attractions for the kid at heart."I have a couple of people spoiled. They love my company so I tend to spend most of my time visiting and what not. But I like to have fun, I watch movies at the theater, bowling, racing, anything to keep me out of trouble."

There's lots of trouble to get into on SL for a kid who doesn't have parents. Ciggy wanted parents when he first became a kid av but his parents tried to give him rules that he did not want to follow.

"They started giving me guidelines and saying I had to cut my hair. They tried to take my guns too," Ciggy says. "And that's just not me. You want me to be something I'm not. So I'd rather not deal with that."

The half-pint with the long, dark permed hair giggles as he admits that there are a few occasions where he steps out of his kid av. "I'll be honest, 90% of the time, I'm a kid on here because I was an adult before I was a kid but, there are events where you can't be a kid."

He's talking about club events where promoters throw themed parties like, 'Best in Tattoo's' or 'Best in Boxers'. During these type of parties, Ciggy grows up just for a little while.

"For me personally, I like the attention, I'm known a lot of places and by a lot of people and most of them I've never even been introduced to," Ciggy reveals. "If you play a kid like you're supposed to, it might be one of the greatest freedoms you'll ever have because kids don't have drama. We just color and play that's it."