Feud with The Crockhead

He would probably disagree with me on this, but... Wait, of course he would disagree with me, that's the nature of the erstwhile relationship... But, I believe the schism in the friendship between me and the Crockhead boils down to differences of taste and judgment. He played judge (perhaps a frustrated career turn?) and called it criticism. Whatever. The gap was too wide to bridge between what he considers good art, "masterpieces" even, and what I see as uninspired product, between what he sees as profane nonsense and what I see as rich craft and inspiration.

So, we don't speak.

But I did post something on his website this morning, since I am stuck in a high school classroom for the next four hours, subbing in a physics class where the students are self-contained and I have the Internet at my disposal.

He had posted his musings on Larry Craig and using public toilets. I commented the following.

The reason I'm reading A Crockhead Abroad today is because I'm subbing in a high school classroom for the next four hours with no students and nothing to do except use this computer.

Plus, I've been wanting for some time to comment about the use of the word "gay" and how it has mutated in the last so many years. The Larry Craig incident inspired much reflection.

Craig said famously, "I am not gay. I have never been gay," as though "gay" was something one could take on and off, like a dress.

Much, if not all, of that restroom flirtation etiquette and language probably came as a surprise to non-gay people following the Craig incident. That's probably why so many gay people think of non-gay people as oblivious in general. They can't read the codes of nonverbal communication all that well.

There's a graffito inscribed on a UI dorm wall, "Homophobia is so gay."

I observed a group of middle school black boys talking during a study hall. One walked past the other and gave a little punch. The other said, "You're gay," and it was just the common discourse. One hears similar talk in popular movies, straight guys joking with their friends by calling them gay -- 40 Year Old Virgin famously has the "I know you're gay because..." scene, also in Superbad, and many other movies.

To be called gay no longer carries the stigmatic weight it once did. Of course, if the taunt is actually true, maybe it has a little more sting. But even so, there is some affection in the word used in the popular discourse.

Homophobia is so gay.

Actually, one can't define what calling someone gay means any more. Just like Larry Craig saying "I am not gay. I have never been gay." It is nonsense.

He has had and clearly sought to have more sex with other men. But he's not gay.

Because gay doesn't mean anything anymore. Or, rather, nobody knows what it means.