Not Kevin Spacey. And that's a good thing.Since I have to replace the seal on my toilet today and, oddly, am not particularly enthused about the prospect, allow me to waste some time here ranting instead.
Over at www.expatriato.blogspot.com , our dear Muscato points out yet another profile of Kevin Spacey that tiptoes around his possibly poofiness cause, you know, innocent until proved, “Mr. Spacey does not comment on his private life,” it’s all just malicious rumors, yadda yadda whatever. As Tallulah once said “I don’t know, he’s never sucked my cock.” Personally, I don’t need his mouth wrapped around my manmeat to make the leap that a man of his age and background with no visible female attachments is, oh I don’t know, GAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAY.
Ahem.
But this isn’t really just about him. It’s about me, of course. Isn’t everything? It’s about the damage that your life led in the closet does to my life led outside it. An important way in which homophobes have their fear and loathing of gay men (that would be me. Hi!) reinforced is by a lack of exposure to us. The less contact they have with queers leading lives out of hiding, the easier it is for them to convince themselves we don’t even exist and therefore our demands for equality are unwarranted. It’s like seeking protection for leprechauns.
So. Gays in highly public arenas (Oscar winning actors, for instance) could have a beneficial impact on breaking down that invisibility by stepping up and saying “I suck dick. Mmm, it’s tasty.” I understand they have no real individual obligation to do so. I’m explaining why I don’t respect their choice not to.
Oh, it’s their personal life? Please. They’ve chosen to enter a profession that features photos of Brittney Spears’ vagina. How much privacy were they hoping for?
Yep, it’s frightening to announce that you’re a perv, and when you’re trying to get started in that field the last thing you need is one more obstacle. Got it. But one of the reasons being gay is an obstacle is the closet of actors who’ve made it, like Spacey. OK, it’s chicken and egg, gay actors have to hide because there are no roles for gay actors because gay actors are in hiding. So Will on Will and Grace is a straight man; and Heath Ledger plays Ennis and grants detailed interviews about how icky it is to kiss Jake Gyllenhaal (ingrate); and all the other scraps of gay roles go to straight actors in a kind of sexual blackface. And even in 2008, you can still see polls of people who claim they know no gays or lesbians. Of course you do sweetie. His name is Kevin Spacey.
Isn't it true. And he is just one of many in Hollywood. One of many...
ReplyDeletewhen I first moved to the Castro and met so many openly gay men, i felt like their bravery in stepping beyond societal and family judgement to accept and embrace who they were, gave me strength to do the same for myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure his choice has made his life its own Hell of hiding and fear. Not that that excuses him, just that he's created his own living punishment. I wouldn't be him, with all his fame, for anything in the world.
You penned this with an equal balance of wit and disgust. I like that.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how many times I've said "I suck dick. Mmm, it's tasty," both aloud and in my head since reading this post. I can tell you it has not yet failed to amuse.
ReplyDeleteNot that the eloquent point of this post hasn't stuck with me as well.
Miss J knows a certain Mr. B who was an extra on the Spacey-directed "Albino Alligator". Mr. Spacey invited young and handsome Mr. B to his house- ostensibly to discuss Mr. B's film acting career. When Mr. B arrived at the manse of Mr. S, Mr. S was sporting a silk robe and nothing else. When Mr. B protested he didn't swing that way, Mr. Spacey explained that every great actor needs to experience being with a man. Mr. B opted to skip that experience.
ReplyDelete