Friday, July 07, 2006
great French film, and gaydar
Mr. Pewterschmidt: Bah! Gay marriage! Next thing you know they'll want a vote!
Lois: ...certainly the love between a man and a woman should be sacred, but --
Mr. Pewterschmidt: Who's talking about love? We're talking about marriage!
Lois: Well, don't you love Mom?
Mr. Pewterschmidt: Come on, Lois, look at her!
Lois: So two straight people who hate each other have more of a right to be together than two gay people who love each other?
Mrs. Pewterschmidt: That's what we raised you to believe.
-Family Guy
Haha. Brilliant. And so dreadfully, hilariously true. Go watch the second half of the episode here: I'm not embedding it because it's a long clip and kind of ugly-looking on my page, not that my page was particularly pretty to begin with. But I do rather enjoy the pink lotus.
My brother and I watched an excellent French film last night called L'auberge espanol. I've been meaning to see it for years because it's about exchange students in Europe and since I was one not so long ago (has it really been two years?) I could probably relate. That and I have to pretty much salute the film for a pretty balanced representation of a gay character (ever noticed that the French word 'lesbienne,' sounds SO much sexier than its English equivalent?). My gaydar is scarily on these days, in fact I don't seem to be able to turn it off, ever, and the moment this girl (Cecile de France, who is a rather excellent actress) walked onto the screen I was telling the film's hero (though studies have shown he couldn't hear me) "better not get your hopes up, pal. This one likes girls." I was actually right, too, at least in the film's reality. Anytime you see a girl with short spikey hair who drinks beer, smokes, wears cargo pants, and is halfway intelligent, well, you remember what I said about stereotypes. Even the French film industry isn't immune to them.
Here's a photo of her looking decidedly girlier. I have to say I actually like her way, WAY better with short hair. For once I have to agree with Hayley and her short hair fetish. What do you guys think?
I suppose this leads me into a slight digression about gaydar.
Oh gaydar, how I love and hate you. Click that last link, by the way. Urbandictionary's definitions are hysterical.
I once asked Hayley if I set off her gaydar, or if I would have if she had just met me. She started whining and announced "THAT'S NOT FAIR! I already know you!" Haha. Giant. Cop. Out.
The only person who has ever told me that they knew I wasn't straight the first time they met me is Sophie's girlfriend Becky, who claims she knew right from the start, and was genuinely surprised to find out that I had a boyfriend at the time. But...hindsight is 20/20, and one can never really trust a claim like that when it's made after the fact.
Charlie, the Aussie I met in London in the spring, was I think a bit more honest. He was impressed that I didn't think he was trying to pick me up and thus didn't shy away from him when he started talking to me in our hostel. He continued being impressed for several days until I told him on a metal stairwell in a covered market somewhere in East London while we were eating Thai food that in fact I had a girlfriend back home and thus wasn't terribly interested in anyone trying to pick me up, male or female. He was, I think, surprised, and fascinated. Right, Charlie? This is a test to see if you're reading. You bloody better comment if you are!
And I just don't know what the rest of the world thinks. Being seen with Hayley might enhance people's analyses somewhat, but then again, who knows? She's a little more stereotypically GAY to the untrained eye, although once you get under the surface you realise that I'm actually a lot less girly in some ways than she is.
So....people who have met me in real life and people who have not -- do I set off your gaydar? Use your imaginations. This is not a perfect science, nor should it be.
I don't have any photos on this computer, but if you need visual aids, try perusing my archives. Go here, or here, or hell, even here.
And this is supposed to be fun, so don't take it too seriously. Try using percentages, or a 1-10 scale, or whatever strikes your fancy. I'm curious, and AS IF I have anything better to do with my Friday afternoon!
So enjoy, and keep commenting here. Your thoughts are always, always appreciated.
Have a nice day everyone.
-N
