Another Queer Jewish Buddhist

The Heinz Mayo Advertising Controversy

Queer activists around the world are up in arms about the craven response to criticism by Heinz in Britain. Seems they ran a TV spot with two men kissing, and there were some complaints. However, the activists are missing the point. No one cares about two men kissing in Britain. The real issue is that a Brit is kissing a blue collar, lower class deli worker. Love between the classes? That's unacceptable. Horrifying. Everyone knows that if a British man wants to have a homosexual relationship with someone of the lower classes he has to go to Germany (see Auden, Isherwood), Sri Lanka (see Clarke) or the US (Isherwood again).

Gray’s Papaya and the Presidential Election

I’m scared. We can’t have another 4 years of Republican Supreme Court appointees. We can’t have another 4 years of failed policies and incompetence. But I am afraid that is just what we are going to have. Why? Because every year there is an election, Gray’s Papaya puts a poster in their window supporting a candidate. And their candidate never wins. This window is an ill omen as far as I am concerned.

I have very mixed feelings about Obama. I voted for Hillary even though I didn’t like the idea of Bill Clinton anywhere near the White House. I don’t trust them. But I know what they will do. I don’t know what Obama will do. I like his words, his nuanced thinking, his understanding of complexity and his ability to speak up to the electorate. And then I speak to people of my parent’s generation. Men who surprised me by supporting Hillary strongly. Who are fed up with Bush and his ilk. These are men who fought in WWII and Korea. They didn’t like it when Michelle Obama used words that suggested she wasn’t proud of our country. They really didn’t like Wright. And up against McCain, these guys desert the Democrats. It’s quite clear Obama has the nomination. But it is also clear he will have a very hard task to win over some very doubtful people. I want him to win. But he’s going to have to ramp it up hard. And make people feel really comfortable with him. Because the American electorate elected Bush not because they believed he was better than Kerry (Gore doesn’t count, cause Gore won) but because they were more comfortable with him. A stupid way to choose a leader.  Almost as bad as hereditary monarchy. (Which you could argue Bush also represents, and Clinton does as well)

I don’t often write a lot about this sort of thing. There are others who do a much better job of it. But more is riding on this election than in any other I’ve seen. Time for Obama to stop simply repeating the word “change,” and speak in sound bite details for the news so our ADD citizenship can finally get it.   

Sunday Morning Cartoon: Alone

Gay science fiction animation — that brings together several things I love. This little film (cartoon sounds so dismissive really) brings E. M. Foster’s two-word message to humanity: “only connect,” to life in a sweet and sad way. I would almost say the aesthetic at work here is Japanese since the story is about the evanescence of connection, the beautiful sadness of it all. Alone won an award at the 2006 OUTer Gay and Lesbian SciFi/Fantasy Film Festival. I hope I see work as good as this next week at the NewFest LGBT film festival in NYC. I always go to the Saturday morning animation program. And if you’re in NYC, and you’re also a fan of this program, say hello when you see me.