It Was Better On The Hellmouth

We watch a lot of tv here in The Burrow and the fortuitous mash up of this past weeks tv lineup had some enlightening comparisons. So, if you'd allow a little ranting from this angry nerd I'd like to take a moment to juxtapose two of my favorite shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Glee, and how they dealt with similar issues across the span of 12 years. In fact- there was a single episode of each show that so strikingly mirrored the other that I was PHYSICALLY UNABLE to not rant. (The episodes in question are Buffy's 2nd season's Phases and Glee's 2nd season's Never Been Kissed. *** SPOILER ALERT FOR BOTH SHOWS!***)

I'm not an academic but I am a queer person who loves pop culture and has been wishing and hoping for a show that has as many gay themes as Glee has. I was ecstatic with Kurt's first season coming out episode- especially with the way they are writing his father. As the second season progresses, however, I seem to find myself getting angrier and angrier after each episode.

But somehow I never leave Buffy feeling the same sense of betrayal and disappointment. Let's take a look at the episodes in question and the themes they share.

1.) Closeted Gay Bullies

Both shows feature bullies who, it turns out, are only acting out aggressively to cover their own closeted homosexuality. Both bullies eventually get confronted and end up outing themselves in different ways. Let's take a look:

(Yup, folks, that's a Thumbs Up.)

(Rape Kisssss!!!!! Not Okay!!!!)

Buffy's bully pulls this 24hr 180. The next time we see him he's picking up a girl's dropped schoolbooks and thanking Xander for helping him come to terms with the truth. Ok, so Xander's homophobia is kind of an issue but over all the episode has a positive message. Glee's bully freaks the fuck out, violates poor Kurt and continues being a jerk. Awesome.

2.) Inappropriate Kissing and How to Handle It

Willow wants to kiss Oz- secretly to make Xander jealous- but when she comes on to Oz, he turns her down. Articulately. In Glee? Neither Kurt or coach Beist has been kissed by someone they like. When they confide in Blaine and Mr. Schu respectively, the characters get different responses.

(Willow's face reads: "Wow, I'm so impressed with your able to articulate your feelings."*)

(Kurt's face reads: "Damnit, Blaine, I don't want a sandwich, you jerk. I want you to kiss me already.")

(Mr. Schu's face reads: "I'm gonna have to kiss this woman in order to keep her from quitting and leaving me terribly guilt ridden.")

Oz tells Willow that he wants their first kiss to be perfect- and he says it in a way that diffuses the situation and makes her feel wanted. I think Glee's images speak for themselves.

(*Okay, technically this scene is from the episode "Innocence" but still.)

3.) The Fight for Feminine Identity/Strength

Each show also highlights a female character who's femininity/strength is questioned. Glee's butch football coach, Beist, is made into an anti-sex symbol while Buffy is confronted by an uber-masculine hunter who vocally doubts her ability to defeat a roaming werewolf. (Yeah, the shows are a little different- but the comparisons hold!)

(Buffy beats the hunter's evil shotgun. Superman style.)

(Beist get's a hug. All better!)

After safely capturing the werewolf and proving her abilities, Buffy even gets a chance to show off her strength. Beist gets her femininity (and her JOB) handed back to her by an uncomfortably awkward Mr. Schu and a handful of jacket-clad, pop singing and dancing highschool boys. Uuuuuugh.

In the midst of the "It Get's Better Movement" we are calling on pop culture to help us provide queer youth with alternative images of sexuality and to give them hope for the future. But tv is not getting better. From what we have seen here, it's getting worse. We are too rushed to acclaim anything gay on tv that we often miss what's really going on. Yes, we have more gay characters on television than were available in Buffy's hayday. We had Ellen, we had Will and Grace and yes, we have Kurt. BUT- We need to be having new conversations- not worse and less nuanced versions of the conversations we were having more than 10 years ago. Was the Hellmouth in 1999 really that much better than Ohio is in 2010? Ouch.

"Teach Me to be an Activist:" What YOU can do about Marriage Equality

I received an email today from a good friend who was grieving over the passage of proposition 8, the amendment to the California constitution that stripped gay couples of their right to marry.  The amendment reads: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California"- and it completely overrides the recent CA Supreme Court decision that marriage rights between same-sex couples were a "human right."  In her email, my friend said that, upon hearing the decision she cried and called out to friends and family:  "teach me to be an activist.  What can I do to make that small difference?"

As I crafted my response, I realized that I wasn't only writing to her; I was doing the research for myself and for all of my friends who had been expressing the same reaction over the past few days.  (Tears, then anger... we're working through the stages of grief...)  So, with the thought of many of my closest friends in mind, here are a number of ways to be an activist about this.

(*A note of warning:  sorry for all the links!  But they're to some integral stuff, I promise!  Also, my copy and paste function doesn't work in this browser for some reason, but the link tool does.  Go figure.*)

1.  Go to one of the many many protests being organized all over the country!  Tell your friends!  Print posters and hang them EVERYWHERE!  Post blogs!  Send text messages!  Get out the... uhm.. anger?  (Providence, Chicago, Boston, Prescott AZ, Baltimore, Manchester NH, DC, Ithaca NY )  I cannot believe the number of protests that are scheduled for Saturday!  At least one in EVERY STATE!  I don't think I've ever seen a better organized protest campaign.  Anyway, for links to more cities, posters, video advertisements and anything else about the protests check out the Join the Impact website!  (Also- anyone know how to ensure that your local protest gets news coverage?  Is it possible to just email your local paper or news station with a heads up?  I don't know, but I'm it would be great for the ultimate size of this event to be properly publicized for once.)

(get your poster-paints and big-gay-flags outta the closet- we're goin' protesting!)

2.  Never stop being angry at the Mormons.  Never.  (They bankrolled most of the $ spent on the campaign to pass prop 8.)  In fact, I've even heard rumors on a queer boycott of the state of Utah.  Seriously!  I don't know if that's really practical, but for what it's worth, I'm not going to Utah for the forseeable future!  Take that!  

(Seriously, guys.... no Romney, ok?)

3.  If moving to California to join the fight there is not quite possible for you right now, check out the marriage equality status of the state you're living in.  Unless you live in Massachussets (or sort-of Vermont and New Jersey with their "civil union" versions,) your state probably has some dubious laws that are being tirelessly fought by some very weary non-profit people.  Look 'em up and go help 'em out.  (Even if it just means sending them a coupla' bucks or showing up to events they organize... they need participants almost as much as they need volunteers.)

4.   Stay informed in upcoming months about national and local political stuff about Marriage Equality.  I've heard that 2010 is the year to overturn the California decision, but 44/50 states have laws on the books than negatively affect gay marriage.  There have got to be things in the mean time that we can do.  I suggest listening to pundits like Dan Savage (of the Savage Love column and podcast) and watching the ever-HOT Rachel Maddow, and of course Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert...  and any other national or local news sources you rely on.

(why-oh-why won't they let her wear her glasses on the show?!? Soooo hot....)

Please please please let me know if there are any other things that anyone can think of to do to be of use on this (and any) issue!  I would love the blog to be much more interactive... with comments, clearly, but also with guest writers on related topics and maybe even actual discussions of issues.  So please, talk to me, people!  And...

Get off the internet, I'll meet you in the streets!!  (City Hall, Saturday, 1:30-4pm.  I'll be the really gay one.)

Closer to AWESOME!!

Ok, guys, sorry for the delay.  Even as it is:  artists are such slackers!  Apparently, nobody took any photos of the event!  (Which is a lie, but I'm trying to get over it.)  Anyway, here's what I've got:

The Closer to Fine show opening went AMAZINGLY!  Melanie and myself worked diligently all day thursday night making hella-gay cupcakes 

(Dexter is a crazy-cupcake maker extraordinaire!  Total powdered sugar count:  12 cups!!)

and all day thursday hanging up the art.  

(Thanks so much to Sheila, Caroline and Ketch!  Our art-hanging heroes!)

But when evening came,  everything came together! 

(Even the cupcakes were gay!)

(Co-conspirators, co-curators, co-hotties at large!)

(Ted, Sarah, "red-hat", Lexy!)

(Sarah and Lexy love art.  And cupcakes.)

(Ketch= overwhelmed by art and awesomness.)

(So many people that we had to congregate outside!)

We estimate that almost 100 people passed through over the course of the evening!  So, thanks so much to everyone who came by to show their support for all the artists!

Queers and Feminists: please report to the front desk

(The Oldest Lesbians in the books...  this is literally the first picture on nytimes.com tonight.  Yes!)

On this, the first night of legal Gay Marriage licenses in the grand state of California...  I propose a way to interact with similar history in a manner that doesn't require you to move to CA and get married or even spend a lot of money on cake like the BBC thinks that all gay Californians are now doing.  (Although, cake can be included... I am never one to stifle creativity.)

Melanie Frazza and I have finally gotten our stuff together enough to finish the Call for Entries for our upcoming Art Exhibition focusing on Queer and Feminist History that we have decided to call (what else)  CLOSER TO FINE!  

(To see a decently sized image of this poster, go to:  http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v292/ns_dreads/CloserToFineCallHistoricL.jpg )

All right- I know perfectly well you can't read any of that.  But basically, we are looking for "works inspired by events in or aspects of Feminist and LGBT/Queer histories.  This includes but is not limited to the histories of Feminist and LGBTQ subcultures, individuals, communities, and issues that these communities have faced."  

(The Stonewall Riot... you know you've heard of it somewhere...)

Now, c'mon folks, I know perfectly well that some of you people already have work that fits this criteria and that you would LOVE to send us a submission, right??!?  (See, I knew it!)  In order to submit work please send the following information via email to:  mjfrazza@hotmail.com (or to me at nora.renickrinehart@gmail.com):

1.  Name of person or groups, address, email address and phone number.

2  Title, media, and size of an already completed work. -OR- A short description of a work that will be completed.  (Any sketches or drawings would be helpful.)

3.  A short description of the work, the historical aspect it involves and why that part of queer or feminist history is important to you.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS JULY 7TH!! 

The show is going to be held at the Philadelphia Padlock Gallery (www.padlockgallery.com) August 29-31.  The event for the show (which is going to rule) will be held on either that friday or saturday.

Please please please send any questions or comments my way!  We are really trying to make this a great event, but in order for it to go swimmingly we need help from YOU!  The Community!  Hope to hear from you all!