Mar 25, 2009

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

A USA TODAY analysis finds that states where the percentage of "nones" — people who say they have no religion — is at or above the national average of 15% are more likely to push expanding the scope of marriage, civil unions or same-sex partner rights. -- USA Today

6 comments:

Anadæ Quenyan Effro said...

Hey Michael, hey. Wait a sec. Ain't that Maria quote from this show, hmn? Be that as it may, Victor/Victoria's, erm, uhm, I mean Mrs Blake Edwards's first debut to the cinema-coveting public WOULD'VE been Mary Poppins, which wuzz already in the can waiting to be released, but the (comparatively benign by today's standards) Hollywood big wigs had wanted to spring Sound of Music on an unfamiliar audience first. Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

Perhaps more interesting is that there is notable investment in the very films that cemented her alleged "sugary sweet" image, as much as, if not more, than in Victor/Victoria. The Sound of Music has long been a gay favorite, and its recent Singalong incarnation was originally created for London's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in 1999. Recent gender/cultural studies writers such as Stacy Wolf and Peter Kemp[41] have argued for a different reading of the image projected by her two most famous films, Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, as that of a transgressive, subversive and life-changing force, rather than a sugary nanny committed to keeping the traditional status quo. Stacy Wolf's book, A Problem Like Maria-- Gender and Sexuality in the American Musical[42], analyzes Andrews' unique performance style (alongside stars such as Mary Martin and Ethel Merman) and devotes an entire chapter to The Sound of Music, studying it within a queer feminist context, and shedding light on its importance among lesbian spectators.

Close quotes. I can tell ya Michael that at seven on a family outing to see the Disney classic at the 1930's temple of Art Deco, the world renowned Radio City Music Hall, there was this amazing choreographed paean to Slaughter on 10th Ave before the film, done by a seemingly naked male/female couple in body stockings under a breathtaking rotating backdrop of lit constellations under mosaic blue spotslight! Wow! Oh, and just guess whose movements this future Überhomo's eyes were watching more closely?

Definitely Nature, not nurture,
Anadæ Effro ( :-)}

PS ~ Mighty thanks for those links, the Alvin Miller one & the Jos Smith one, bouncing off of Pitch's one. Woe, Nelly!

Michael said...

Mrs. Edwards has always been a favorite of mine. That's a great wikipedia quote. You could (almost) view the Maria character (page boy haircut and tomboyish, playful manner) as a satyr-like character to the Von Traps - TRAPPED in a world of class and national obligations. Her other characters are similar - transformational.

Cheers, Michael

Esperanto Grrl said...

Who was it that said that religious types think about gay sex a lot more than gay men do?

Anyway, I've always thought at least Mary Poppins was one of us: at the very least bisexual. She wasn't married and had all these purely platonic relationships with male friends. Not that Dick van Dyke is exactly a sexual Tyrannosaurus Rex or anything. In conclusion, the most obvious lez since Wonder Woman.

Also, there's such a thing as an actor that because they get roles only in very wholesome movies, we never notice their sexuality. For instance, the first time I ever noticed that Christopher Reeve was a very shockingly handsome man was when he played Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina. Who could ever think a bad thought about Superman? Same with Julie Andrews (and also Hayley Mills, when she grew up) who despite their obvious glamour never received credit for being beautiful women.

Devin said...

Great stuff as always Michael!! I really enjoy reading Anadae's,Esperranto Grrrls and other comments also. I agree with her that religious types seem obsessed with sex-gay sex in particular more than our percentage of the general population would warrant-wouldn't they be better off saving "straight" marriages-what with adultery, domestic violence and all. I still laugh my ass off when one of these legislators or preachers (usually Republican) gets caught in bed with another man. This happens so often that nobody can tell me there is not some "shadow fighting" and self-hatred going on here! Hugs to you and Varen!!

Michael said...

EG - Mary Poppins was like the personification of an Acid trip! A spoonful of sugar? The "I love to laugh" song, with everyone floating on the ceiling, laughing their heads off, until they "came down"? Been there.

When I was about 15 years old my dad took me to a Julie Andrews movie, I'm sure without even checking out what it was about because hey, it was Julie Andrews, right? It was the Tamarind Tree, featuring our favorite nun slinking around in a plunge cut one piece with Omar Sharif!

Devin - Yup. Preachers and Priests are always getting the best gay bootie.

The Secret Sun said...

I think until Victor/Victoria Julie Andrews was every conservative Republicans' dream girl. Is it true her and Edwards were swingers?

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