I went to Chop Suey tonight for the 9th Annual Valentine’s Day Bash with Dan Savage. The only instructions on the invitation: “Bring a token from a relationship gone sour and we’ll destroy it on stage in a sick and cathartic way.”

I was there with some new friends that had such a momento: a photo of a former friend with George W. Bush. Apparently this ex-friend decided she was too Republican to have friends that are gay, minority, or interesting, and simply disappeared from the group. Therefore “Jason” and Dan Savage took the photo, rubbed it around in their pants, shredded it, and handed the shreds out to the audience to floss with or otherwise destroy as they see fit.

Speaking of Dan Savage, I knew of him from his column Savage Love in the Onion A.V. Club, but had no idea the column started in Seattle in The Stranger. He gave an interview recently where he talks about the history of the column, as well as denigrating Valentine’s Day and advocating a male version of the holiday, Steak and a Blowjob Day. Sadly, I think gender equality has a long way to go before that dream is realized.

Update: In the news: Valentine’s Day Bash offers revenge for the brokenhearted