Point 202: someone submitted a very bad Google review.

[solacesoul]

4 months ago, an “R Gueirra” posted this really brutal review of Point 202 (inexplicably labeled as “Termas e Academia Ibiza”) at Google Maps in the reviews section:

”Black Travelers and Black Queer people AVOID; this is a racist establishment that is hostile and abhorrent towards black foreigners. The amount of open racism towards people inside this establishment is a disgrace; given that these establishments are marketed to be inclusive to all. White customers are allowed to enter and pass and treated totally different. They assume in Rio that all blacks are uneducated, poor, and servants for white men. The behavior from the reception was unprofessional and 100% racially motivated. Blacks are only good in this establishment if they are commodities being sold to white men. The owner would never communicate with black customers and looks down on them. I hope that the management educates themselves on the definition of racism and discrimination. It’s a reason why it’s hardly any black customers inside. Blacks should avoid this establishment if they care anything about their life.”

Far be it from me to discount anyone else’s negative experience. He must have left bad enough of a taste in his mouth to feel it necessary to post and warn others. But as a regular, longtime (decade-plus) black / Afro-Latino traveler and patron of these “South of The Border” establishments, including this one, I’ll just say that this reviewer’s experience at Point 202 has not been my or my traveling friends’ experience.

Racism and colorism and classism do exist in Rio, Brazil, and all parts South of The USA, and often manifests itself ways differently than are seen in the US. I don’t know what this poster experienced or witnessed, but most likely it was not much different from what he would encounter at the other clubs and saunas like Club 117. The owner Junior, like many Brazilians who grew up in or around poverty, makes initial sweeping class assumptions about color and race, but most traveling black and brown North Americans and Europeans would be far removed from those class assumptions from Brazilians. To put it bluntly, that traveler of color with the American “blue passport” and a 5:1 BRL:USD currency conversion is going to be treated a lot more kindly than the kid from the favela in Jacarepaguá.

So… “hostile to black foreigners”? Seems like a reach, to me.

And sometimes, as I have semi-regularly witnessed, some customers / clients (of ALL races, colors, nationalities) can be obnoxious, entitled, arseholes. Not to say this is what happened here, but let’s not act like “the customer is always right” (as was mistakenly the motto of 20th Century Western retail, pre-Karen). 

Edited June 23, 2023 by solacesoul

[+ Lucky]

@solacesoul Did you respond to the Google review or post one of your own there? I can see that you didn't give it a thumbs down!

[SouthOfTheBorder]

who knows what happened. 

the assumption seems to be the reviewer is from the US, although nothing says so & there are no details re: reviewers profile. 

let’s state the obvious - queens can be vicious & delusional and I wouldn’t put it past some to post something like that vindictively for some perceived slight, or it could be 100% true.  and Brazilians are racist - so there’s that

I mean look no further than the shenanigans & duplicity that routinely plays out here - some with multiple aliases, nonstop reporting to mods to censor and lots more shady shit.  

 

[+ Lucky]

1 hour ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

 shenanigans & duplicity that routinely plays out here - some with multiple aliases, nonstop reporting to mods to censor and lots more shady shit.  

 

You kid, right?

[+ José Soplanucas]

13 minutes ago, Lucky said:

You kid, right?

Check his posting history. He displays the same duplicity he is denouncing here, and I suspect this is at least the fourth reincarnation of someone who used to say he was teaching in NYC.

Of course, I may be wrong. I am often wrong.

[solacesoul]

5 hours ago, Lucky said:

@solacesoul Did you respond to the Google review or post one of your own there? I can see that you didn't give it a thumbs down!

As I mentioned above, I am not going to discount his own experience (or his own perception of it).

I’m also neither going to lie and state there is no racially motivated preference in any business establishment in Brazil (or anywhere else, for that matter), nor going to exaggerate with the reverse and state that any and every perceived slight or disrespect is racially motivated as well. 

I’ve also never directly responded to another’s review of a business establishment that’s not mine, and don’t understand why I should start now.

But if that’s your thing — have at it. 

[+ Lucky]

6 minutes ago, solacesoul said:

I’ve also never directly responded to another’s review of a business establishment that’s not mine, and don’t understand why I should start now.

I would suggest that this very thread you started is a response to his review.

[solacesoul]

3 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

the assumption seems to be the reviewer is from the US, although nothing says so & there are no details re: reviewers profile. 

You seem to have missed some clues that the review is most likely from the US. 

— His only other Google Review is a business establishment in the US with a 202 area code, a car detailing service.

— His usage of the terms “black” and “queer”. Arguably, this is less indicative than the first, but these are more Western-embraced terms than not — the latter being far more embraced in younger than older generations.

But would it matter if he were not from the USA, and were, say, from London, for example? 

[solacesoul]

7 minutes ago, Lucky said:

I would suggest that this very thread you started is a response to his review.

Not a direct response, as I stated (not suggested) above. 

[solacesoul]

3 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

let’s state the obvious - queens can be vicious & delusional and I wouldn’t put it past some to post something like that vindictively for some perceived slight, or it could be 100% true.  and Brazilians are racist - so there’s that

Yes. Both of these things can be simultaneously true.

[SirBillybob]

36 minutes ago, solacesoul said:

You seem to have missed some clues that the review is most likely from the US. 

— His only other Google Review is a business establishment in the US with a 202 area code, a car detailing service.

— His usage of the terms “black” and “queer”. Arguably, this is less indicative than the first, but these are more Western-embraced terms than not — the latter being far more embraced in younger than older generations.

But would it matter if he were not from the USA, and were, say, from London, for example? 

Having also reviewed 202 with 1 star, the reviewer, possibly a DC guy viz his oil change waxing satisfaction this month, reviewed 117 with 5 stars accompanied by smirk emoticon during the same time frame. Can’t rule out a plant, perhaps, maybe, or bitterness about Copacabana pistons. 

It’s Barbosa’s business and his biz-wacks, as is the long time map-pin label duality. The ‘Ibiza’ upset is not nearly the 1600BC Minoan eruption.

Barbosa may be able to locally detect the degree to which the original review, ostensibly written in American, is auto translated to Portuguese for whatever Brasileiros care about, or take with/out salt grains, these Google comments. Albeit some 1,000 sets of eyes on it and 1,500 on 117 thus far?

Who knew male escort venues were tracked far more than auto detailing? 

Edited June 23, 2023 by SirBillybob

[SouthOfTheBorder]

2 hours ago, José Soplanucas said:

He displays the same duplicity he is denouncing here, and I suspect this is at least the fourth reincarnation of someone who used to say he was teaching in NYC

no doubt your opinion is bc I questioned your porn god 

and, nope I joined here in January 2023 - first time member, altho I did read the forum before

usually the people using aliases have exact same writing style, not hard to identify the culprits 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

37 minutes ago, solacesoul said:

But would it matter if he were not from the USA, and were, say, from London, for example? 

you indicated the poster was American based on exchange rate comment 

might just be a disgruntled Canadian ? (from Montreal) they’re quite tricky, as you know 

[solacesoul]

7 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

might just be a disgruntled Canadian ? (from Montreal) they’re quite tricky, as you know 

I see what you did there.

I doubt there are many melanated Québécois with an axe to grind for 202. And the infamous non-melanated one seems to like it very, very much.

[SirBillybob]

While on the topic of race and desperate misanthropic spin-doctoring … 

Attention: NCIS Copacabana Dream Team:

I have not come across any comments from self-identified Québécois or residents of Quebec that posted positive notes about this Point 202, assuming (irrelevantly) it is mislabelled as Ibiza Gym. Additionally, no Canadian to my knowledge has explicitly posted data regarding ethnic admixture. Consequently, any Canadian posting material may not be ruled out as having some component of First Nations ethnicity, or some other non-Caucasian element. 

Take me, for example. I am Canadian, born in the extreme far north, not Quebec, first Euro tongue English, decades later loosely appropriating Quebec status viz residency. Assigned to class action residential schools trauma sequelae assessments. Many direct lineage biological ancestors past century or so died of Spanish Influenza, or tuberculosis. Both parents orphans. 

Therefore, ignorant manipulative commentary about both positive regard for an obscure Copacabana venue and racial background can be but construed as fake news. If you have a basis for imputing racial background to a Canadian poster on this board's history or for attributing a robust fondness for a particular escort venue to a Canadian (or Quebec province) poster on this board’s history it would be interesting to review. 

0 starz. Crap meter 10/10

You can always re-convene or discuss it on Queerty or at this supper club’s convoluted jazz and razzamattazz, also accessible by the faux multiple-specialty physician that presumably spearheaded trash-talk about a fellow he catfished, along with ID rep thievery, in to the murky backchannels of complex message boards. Because that is a major source of this polluted stream that took an upscale patient and strategic NCIS analysis 3+ years to draw out of a shell. With, I might add BTW, a serendipitous wheel-greasing from Zé here around Easter. 

Wonders and blunders never cease. Anybody I have a care for knows the story. I got what I wanted and needed.

~An amused, unsurprised Canadian, killing a bit of time before StJDeB stripper night in 🇨🇦 

Edited June 23, 2023 by SirBillybob

[SirBillybob]

10 hours ago, solacesoul said:

4 months ago, an “R Gueirra” posted this really brutal review of Point 202 (inexplicably labeled as “Termas e Academia Ibiza”) at Google Maps in the reviews section:

”Black Travelers and Black Queer people AVOID; this is a racist establishment that is hostile and abhorrent towards black foreigners. The amount of open racism towards people inside this establishment is a disgrace; given that these establishments are marketed to be inclusive to all. White customers are allowed to enter and pass and treated totally different. They assume in Rio that all blacks are uneducated, poor, and servants for white men. The behavior from the reception was unprofessional and 100% racially motivated. Blacks are only good in this establishment if they are commodities being sold to white men. The owner would never communicate with black customers and looks down on them. I hope that the management educates themselves on the definition of racism and discrimination. It’s a reason why it’s hardly any black customers inside. Blacks should avoid this establishment if they care anything about their life.”

Far be it from me to discount anyone else’s negative experience. He must have left bad enough of a taste in his mouth to feel it necessary to post and warn others. But as a regular, longtime (decade-plus) black / Afro-Latino traveler and patron of these “South of The Border” establishments, including this one, I’ll just say that this reviewer’s experience at Point 202 has not been my or my traveling friends’ experience.

Racism and colorism and classism do exist in Rio, Brazil, and all parts South of The USA, and often manifests itself ways differently than are seen in the US. I don’t know what this poster experienced or witnessed, but most likely it was not much different from what he would encounter at the other clubs and saunas like Club 117. The owner Junior, like many Brazilians who grew up in or around poverty, makes initial sweeping class assumptions about color and race, but most traveling black and brown North Americans and Europeans would be far removed from those class assumptions from Brazilians. To put it bluntly, that traveler of color with the American “blue passport” and a 5:1 BRL:USD currency conversion is going to be treated a lot more kindly than the kid from the favela in Jacarepaguá.

So… “hostile to black foreigners”? Seems like a reach, to me.

And sometimes, as I have semi-regularly witnessed, some customers / clients (of ALL races, colors, nationalities) can be obnoxious, entitled, arseholes. Not to say this is what happened here, but let’s not act like “the customer is always right” (as was mistakenly the motto of 20th Century Western retail, pre-Karen). 

FWIW, a good counter to the suspect review could be wordsmithed from various sections of the original commentary.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

1 hour ago, solacesoul said:

And the infamous non-melanated one seems to like it very, very much.

evidently - I wonder if they like him tho ?  reports are mixed 

I’m guessing the verbal gymnastics are not a plus 

Edited June 23, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[SirBillybob]

18 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

evidently - I wonder if they like him tho ?  reports are mixed 

Anybody can say or write anything. Take for example the introduction of this thread. A mirrored parallel of distortion. The thing is, can a story be backed up or is it just backed up? 

What reports are you referring to that are not a dizzying degree of separation from reality?

My Convoluted Reasoning and Abject Pomposity meter is off the charts reading  these posts. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by SirBillybob

[solacesoul]

14 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

evidently - I wonder if they like him tho ?  reports are mixed 

I’m guessing the verbal gymnastics are not a plus 

To be fair, there are a number of clientes that are not exactly favored in those spots. Verbosity is only one drawback. 

[solacesoul]

36 minutes ago, SirBillybob said:

FWIW, a good counter to the suspect review could be wordsmithed from various sections of the original commentary.

For the third time, I’m not interested in responding to someone else’s bad experience, as they perceive it. I only posted this here for discussion’s sake, not to defend or attack the original reviewer’s position.  

[SirBillybob]

45 minutes ago, solacesoul said:

For the third time, I’m not interested in responding to someone else’s bad experience, as they perceive it. I only posted this here for discussion’s sake, not to defend or attack the original reviewer’s position.  

I read you. Settle down. It was a compliment, part of the discussion. I actually previously mentioned it would be the purview of the venue owner. If you wanted a focused discussion why did you get suckered into colluding with another poster’s tangential obsessive boilerplate hounding? Your OP was objective and did not crawl out from under the baseboards. Subjective vendettas just cancel out the impression of objectivity. Nobody put you behind enemy lines as far as opinions about your potential role in mitigating the negative 202 review. Admittedly, I don’t see all contributors posts.

Who relates to the topic? Moi. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by SirBillybob

[SouthOfTheBorder]

32 minutes ago, solacesoul said:

To be fair, there are a number of clientes that are not exactly favored in those spots. Verbosity is only one drawback.

right - like the arriving gringos rushing to saunas with no douche. it happens as they say 

probably worse than any meandering soliloquy meant to impress 

Edited June 23, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[SirBillybob]

57 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

right - the arriving gringos rushing to saunas with no douche. it happens as they say

Or with bachelor’ette’ douches travelling in packs, club-wide and platform-wide alike.

Signed: ultra taciturn ‘lone wolf’ infrequent hooguy club attendee.

Edited June 23, 2023 by SirBillybob

[solacesoul]

17 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

right - like the arriving gringos rushing to saunas with no douche. it happens as they say 

Sucks to be them, I suppose.

#BottomWorldProblems 

[SouthOfTheBorder]

47 minutes ago, solacesoul said:

Sucks to be them, I suppose.

My sympathies are with the garoto(s)