As Jezebel pointed out: "When Stereotypical American Clown Father appears in a commercial for
some housekeeping chemical, it's usually to demonstrate his utter
incompetence (dads don't clean, silly! they spill rib juice all over the
couch as they slip into a meat stupor over the course of a lazy Sunday
afternoon) and promptly exit stage right, a freshly chastised goon." So it is great to see a dad who is not just a competent parent and housekeeper but also one who loves playing with his daughter. Maybe it's the fact that he embraces both the sheriff and princess roles his daughter plays that makes seem possibly be a little bit cowboy and a little bit queen himself.
This is the least obvious. There are no specific gay signifiers in the commercial. Still... Well, it pings my gaydar.
Am I reading too much into these? Am I just so used to seeing the TV trope of the heterosexual fathers being bumbling idiots that if a father shows a modicum of competence, I think he must be gay? That would be a sad statement. Maybe it's the absence of wives/mothers in the commercials that raises makes me look twice at them; however, there are like a million commercials of moms and there kids with no dad in the immediate picture, and I don't read them as lesbians. Perhaps the fact that same-sex couples raising children have been so much in the news because of the recent advances in Marriage Equality that I'm beginning to see them in the broader culture.
Finally, I'd just like to say to each of these three dads: If you're single and looking for a co-parent for your adorable child, call me, maybe?
Long story short: It came up in Facebook conversation today that a friend didn't know who Judy Collins is. I said:
"A good rule of thumb: Every guest host of The (original) Muppet Show should be at least vaguely familiar to people of our generation. Judy Collins totally hosted and sang 'Send In The Clowns' with a Muppet circus in the background."
I had a really strong memory of that number, but it turns out my memory was somewhat wrong. I remembered the circus performers as puppets, and I thought there were more circus acts. In particular, I was sure there was a high-wire performer. It turns out, there are only clowns and they are some of the least puppety Muppets ever. They are really dancers/acrobats/mimes in masks.
I was confusing this number with Melissa Manchester singing "Don't Cry Out Loud" on The Muppet Show which features the same (kind of creepy, to be honest) clowns, but also has the puppet on the tightrope that I distinctly remembered being in the Judy Collins number.
I can't believe my memory is failing me like this. It's a slippery slope from confusing Judy Collins' and Melissa Manchester's Muppet Show appearances to no longer recognizing family members.
Here's a little antidote to the Valentine's Day romance fest. Cher's "Dark Lady" is really the 70's version of "Frankie & Johnnny". I would like to point out that this "music video" appeared on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour--which means it was on during primetime on CBS. It's hard to believe now what 1970's television was like. I'm not saying this isn't entertaining (because, well, obviously I find it fabulous). It's just amazing to me that this was one of three choices Americans had for televison viewing whe it aired. Anyway... Enjoy!
Okay, I guess I'm supposed to warn you that this post contains a spoiler, so stop reading if you haven't already seen episode 6 of season 3 of Downton Abbey.
There's been plenty of discussion on the Interwebs about the historical (in)accuracy of
One of my best buddies, Brendan, turned 30 today. In honor of his milestone, let's take a quick look back at the year of his birth, 1983. First, you must check out "Fads & Trends in 1983". Not only is it full of great trivia (Ocean Spray introduced the juice box in 1983), the web page looks like it might actually have been created in 1983. Seriously, go check it out.
"Every Breath You Take" by The Police was the #1 song of 1983.
I bought Syncronicityon vinyl in 1983 and listened to it pretty much no-stop that year. Still, in retrospect, the big story in pop music was the year's #2 song. Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" was the second single from Thriller. In addition to being part of the the best-selling album of all time, "Billie Jean" is one of the most iconic music videos ever.
Vanessa Williams became the first African American Miss America. As you may remember, that her reign ended when nude pictures of Williams were published in Penthouse. So, one outdated, sexist institution got rocked by a "scandal" created by another outdated, sexist institution. Vanessa Williams being the fabulous diva that she is went on to have arguably the best career of any former Miss America. Seriously, how many other Miss Americas can you even name?
Terms of Endearment won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1983, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi was the top grossing film. However, for me, as a young gay coming of age, there is one moment of 1983 cinema that stands head and shoulders above the rest.
By the way, I saw Risky Businesswith my parents who would not allow me to see violent movies but didn't bat an eye at one that featured prostitution and sex on public transit which partially explains why I love my parents so much.
On television in 1983, there was this on Saturday mornings:
When I was ten years old, my mother and I made a date to watch Bette Midler: Ol' Red Hair Is Backtogether. Somehow, in the middle of Iowa in 1977, she had become a Bette Midler fan. When she saw the commercials for the television special, my mom thought this would be the perfect way to introduce me to The Divine Miss M. I have a distinct memory of sitting in our TV room when this opening number began and laughing with my mother and loving it all.
No good, self-respecting gay is supposed to give any credit to the idea that mothers make their sons gay. However... I mean, really... How unhappy could she have been when I came out?
