Hairspray (Again)

5 11 2008


Last time I wrote about this movie it was about fat as non-standard, but here on this historic post-election day, let’s not gloss over the more traditional ways being different continues to be used as a weapon of mass destruction in our America.

I just recommended this movie to Lynn at Bore Me to Tears because both our states (CA and FL) banned gay marriage out of blatant religious bigotry last night, at the same time voting for Barack Obama as president. An unfortunate confluence of issues and unfortunate inconsistency of attitude, which doesn’t make sense to us, but maybe this movie can help us and our kids learn ways to restore the morality in moral outrage, and keep fighting the good fight .. .

‘Hairspray’ is about tolerance, integration and acceptance of others. The film uses the racial divide between blacks and whites but the subtext of the film is Heterosexuals and Homosexuals. ‘Hairspray’ viciously lampoons bigots and reserves specific devastation for Ultra-conservative religious zealots, figures of authority and WASPs. The satire is white hot (Alison Janney steals every scene she is in), the music catchy, the movie’s spirit is irreverent.

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7 responses

6 11 2008
JJ (13:59:53) :

In FL the reports are that black church-goers and hispanics voted both for Obama AND for the ban on gay marriage in the state constitution.

So my operating hypothesis for now, is that this is not so much a problem of bigotry and selfish intentions but more the kind of problem that could be addressed through better public information and education (in the broadest sense, I mean, not school-academics-testing but real public education on citizenship, law and public policy — and if we could ever teach and implement in government what we’ve learned in Logic of Failure research, what a revolution that would be!)

6 11 2008
JJ (22:32:27) :

Rolfe’s post on this is highly recommended, particularly if you count yourself a Christian or discuss such issues with those who do:
“How Many Souls Did You Save?”

7 11 2008
JJ (13:31:59) :

Gay singer Melissa Etheridge says fine, if she’s second-class citizen in CA now, she won’t be paying her very first-class taxes into state coffers anymore . . .
You Can Forget My Taxes

7 11 2008
JJ (13:37:09) :

Miami Herald editorial:

It was a disappointment, though, to see that the state Constitution now will enshrine the denial of rights for homosexuals, lesbians and other couples. Voters approved Amendment 2, which bans same-sex marriage. No Constitution should support discrimination, yet that is what this amendment does.

The idea that gay marriage threatens the institution of heterosexual marriage is a false argument that has gained traction around the country. Vague language in Amendment 2 could harm unmarried heterosexual couples who live together for economic reasons. It could make it more difficult for unmarried couples to be each other’s hospital advocate. And it could be used to force local governments to deny benefits to gay and straight unmarried couples.

There is talk of a legal challenge. We hope it goes forward. To deny a single group a right to do what everyone else can do seems to violate the U.S. Constitution’s equal-protection clause. . .

Yeah, what about that, you so-called strict constructionists?

17 11 2008
Is Love Despite Our Differences Moral, As Moral of Story? « Cocking A Snook! (13:50:48) :

[…] not just Hairspray and Juno as Snook has pointed out before. I’m talking kids’ movies too! But then we […]

1 01 2009
Lapping Up Milk « Cocking A Snook! (01:04:50) :

[…] call. Hairspray was enough of a history-hits-home eye-opener for him this year, and despite the underlying civil rights bedrock of both, there’s NO comparison in those two […]

4 06 2010
If Your Kid’s in Trouble at High School, Be Proud! « Cocking A Snook! (10:59:11) :

[…] was John Waters, the individual’s individual who made the movie Hairspray (snooked here). He’s got a new book out called “Role Models” and saidi that the individuals he […]

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