Thursday, February 08, 2007

All the girls seem to like you

Are you loving Ugly Betty as much as I am? It's funny and sweet and the cast is phenomenal from top to bottom. I can go many television seasons where nothing tickles my fancy like this one. In the lean times, thank the lord there's Phil to back into. I mean fall back on. There's a breezy interview with Betty's Mark Indelicato in USA Today that is worth a read. As I suspected, he kind of IS Justin Saurez, but even more amped up, if you can believe that. It's refreshing to see how this boy of a different stripe is confident and comfortable and most of all, supported.

The queer cup overfloweth in today's McPaper, as there is another article about how gay teens are coming out sooner, and to greater acceptance, to family and friends. Of course, some asshat from Family Research Council gets to add his two cents:
Homosexuality is harmful to society, and young people have no business committing to a sexual identity until they're adults.
I'm beginning to think groundless and ridiculous quotes like that may help more than hurt. Straight or gay, who didn't recognize sexual feelings before adulthood? When he makes assertions counter to that, it makes people suspicious of anything else he says. Maybe the numbers bear that out. From 1982 to 2006 the number of people who felt homosexuality was acceptable went from 34% to 54%. Ch-ch-ch-changes.

12 comments:

freakgirl said...

I love Ugly Betty. I love the nephew, too. A friend of mine thinks that it's "inappropriate to sexualize a child that young." I think he's insane. There is nothing sexual about that child. He's just a different kind of kid. A FABULOUS ONE.

I wonder if my friend is projecting, as his son is prone to dancing around in capes and costumes and has expressed some interest in knitting. :)

Michael said...

I totally agree that it's nothing about sexuality and everything about personality. I think anyone who's really watched the show realizes that they've been very respectful of the character and the child actor.

What's inappropriate is making a child feel bad about himself for his natural interests, actions, mannerisms, inclinations....

Michael said...

Spoken like a boy who played with Barbies, right?

freakgirl said...

"What's inappropriate is making a child feel bad about himself for his natural interests, actions, mannerisms, inclinations...."

Sing it, sister.

Jen said...

Heh, would anyone ever accuse a show of "sexualizing a child that young" if the boy were portrayed playing little league and coming home from boy scout meetings? Not too damn likely. And yet, a queer gender identity is often viewed by homophobic adults as necessarily sexualized. Ludicrous.

Yeah, there's often a lot of overlap, but gender identity and sexual identity are simply not the same thing and it does no one any favors to conflate them.

Michael said...

Yeah. What she said!

One of my favorite scenes with this kid is when Justin comes downstairs dressed for Halloween at school. "Who am I?" he asks. "You're a sailor!" they reply. "No, I'm Gene Kelly in 'On The Town'!" Then he starts the tap routine and sings:

New York, New York, it's a helluva town: the Bronx is up and the Battery's down

Anonymous said...

"no business committing" ha! As a teenager if i had accepted or understood myself then i wouldn't be struggling through the "mid-life commitment". Albeit a relief. Idiots.

I have to go and see this Ugly Betty yet.

Like the little David Bowie ending honey "Ch-ch-ch-changes" exactly!!!

Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware
of what they're going through"

We are quite aware of what we go through asshat from "Family Research Council"

Good morning Michael darlin'xx

The Other Andrew said...

Ugly Betty starts this Sunday night here in Oz, and I can't wait!

Anonymous said...

Oh TOA i am soooo jealous Hedwig AGAIN! Wish i could go...

freakgirl said...

Jen, exactly.

Moominmama said...

yet another TV program i've never seen. *sigh*

still, i second what Jen says, just on general principle.

Anonymous said...

Take some time busy man, read your mail hmmm... i know ya don't know why ya don't, but come on have a go :)