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JustPlainBill's avatar

The Guardian's Eve Barlow mentions that Dana International won when "Boys Don't Cry" was still a year away (1999), but seems to have forgotten big hits like "The Crying Game" (1992), with the androgynous Jaye Davidson revealing her(him)self near the shock ending. Such things may seem to burst out of nowhere, but it usually turns out that something has been crawling around unnoticed under the carpet for years--it just takes awhile for it to find the edge and emerge into the room.

While there are certainly behaviors that repel me, I nevertheless think consenting adults should be free to act and present themselves as they will among themselves, as long as I and my family are not force fed those standards. What I personally find most disappointing and not just a little distressing is what it says about the suggestibility of such a large percentage of the population. The Eurovision crowd is large and enthusiastic, and so we see that such a great number can be led to believe certain things are not just acceptable but laudable.

With virtually all of the contestants trying so hard to be edgy and diverse, it leave us to ask "diverse from what?"

Paul E's avatar

I remember an incident when I was in maybe 9th or 10th grade in the public education system maybe 45 years ago. The young males in the classroom were asked a question - "Are you a lady's man or a man's man?" I didn't really know the answer. But I did puzzle over it. It took a few years for me to come up with the answer. Late bloomer and all, the real answer was closer to being - "I'm just a kid and not even that smart of a kid either, (not implying that I was a goat,) but How could I know?" Evidently, I didn't remember from health class the year before that I had sit through a whole period dedicated to the size of the male penis. Evidently the youths these days are much smarter. Its either that or they have a much better education. I'm glad that we didn't have live models in health class when I was young. Scarred for life is a real thing. Switzerland's Nemo maybe is the modern genius and might be grateful that 'their' educators have advanced beyond stinkbug. I don't see it.

Here, late in my life, the programming is still being questioned and I'm not sure how I'll end up. I'm not sure if the 'kids' these days have a chance or not, but I do know that they will have to bear the costs (fruits) of their education in one way or another.

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