Pretty small target. I don't bother getting het up over homophobic bloggers anymore -- you have to at least be published in a publication that also has a print version. (This appears to impose some basic standards of literacy.) Lynn Wardle, for example, is worth the trouble because he writes for National Review *and* gets published in law reviews.
The serious point to be made here is that, if a girl is "turned lesbian" by such a kiss, the only thing it could mean is that she was already a closeted lesbian, and the song helped encourage her to come out. I don't think it would work quite that simplistically, but if a song helps push someone in that direction, so much the better.
Katy Perry's song seems to be about porn lesbianism, by which I mean "lesbianism" as entertainment for heterosexual men. Someone who already feels same-sex attraction is not going to be encouraged by it; indeed, now she has to worry about all the essentially hetero girls who will think it's cool to kiss a girl without actually being interested in women for relationships. At least of the lesbians I know, they generally don't like being straight girls' "experiments."
Jill Sobule's take on the same title was much more adverting to genuine same-sex experimentation.
I should have known I would get myself in trouble when I violated my cardinal rule not to presume to speak for women on sexual orientation issues.
But I think mass media portrayals of lesbian and gay sexuality, flawed as they are, are an improvement over the previous "crime that dare not speak its name" culture.
An example of how flawed they are has become increasingly evident to me as I watch Will and Grace reruns. The four main cast members are paired off into male-female couples, even though they're not having sex. Hollywood has trouble portraying same-sex couples, without reference to heterosexual images.
Pretty small target. I don't bother getting het up over homophobic bloggers anymore -- you have to at least be published in a publication that also has a print version. (This appears to impose some basic standards of literacy.) Lynn Wardle, for example, is worth the trouble because he writes for National Review *and* gets published in law reviews.
ReplyDeleteIt's a cheap thrill, but I had a long day.
ReplyDeleteThe serious point to be made here is that, if a girl is "turned lesbian" by such a kiss, the only thing it could mean is that she was already a closeted lesbian, and the song helped encourage her to come out. I don't think it would work quite that simplistically, but if a song helps push someone in that direction, so much the better.
ReplyDeleteKaty Perry's song seems to be about porn lesbianism, by which I mean "lesbianism" as entertainment for heterosexual men. Someone who already feels same-sex attraction is not going to be encouraged by it; indeed, now she has to worry about all the essentially hetero girls who will think it's cool to kiss a girl without actually being interested in women for relationships. At least of the lesbians I know, they generally don't like being straight girls' "experiments."
ReplyDeleteJill Sobule's take on the same title was much more adverting to genuine same-sex experimentation.
I should have known I would get myself in trouble when I violated my cardinal rule not to presume to speak for women on sexual orientation issues.
ReplyDeleteBut I think mass media portrayals of lesbian and gay sexuality, flawed as they are, are an improvement over the previous "crime that dare not speak its name" culture.
An example of how flawed they are has become increasingly evident to me as I watch Will and Grace reruns. The four main cast members are paired off into male-female couples, even though they're not having sex. Hollywood has trouble portraying same-sex couples, without reference to heterosexual images.