"Words, words, words."

I have a little crush on the Theatre Editor from Time Out Chicago, Christopher Piatt.

His review of Rebecca Gilman's version of A Doll's House - - well, the one sentence review he gave me at Sidetrack right after he had attended the Press Opening - - is still to this day one of the funniest things I have ever heard in my life.

I've had a little crush on him since before there was a Time Out Chicago. Since before I knew he was a critic.

A certain blogger friend and I used to see Christopher at Sidetrack and pathetically flirt with him for months until one night, when we asked him what he did and he told us he was a theatre critic. We honestly didn't know he was a critic but I still felt like a whore for coming onto him. A whore in a good way, though

And as if he wasn't cute and funny and brilliant enough, it's articles and posts like this that really seal the deal. I agree with Christopher 100% on this issue...

"As has been reported, the outdoor production of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’s Ragtime that was supposed to play Wilmette’s Gillson Park has been scuttled because organizers were nervous about the inclusion of what responsible parties will only refer to as “the n-word.” The musical, based on E.L. Doctorow’s novel (originally staged by Steppenwolf’s Frank Galati), takes place in early 20th-century New England, and details, among other things, the woeful mistreatment and violent retaliation of the first generation of free-born African Americans. So, naturally, “the n-word” is in there.

"Cancelled because some P.C. parties feared the production’s amplification system would blast the offending word throughout the land, the Wilmette Ragtime is a poster child for hair-trigger liberalism run so far amuck it’s become unrecognizable. Music Theatre International, the licensing company that handles the rights to the material, rightfully refused to let the producers change the lyrics to something more innocuous.

"I’ve no doubt that the well-intentioned cultural programmers of the Wilmette Park District believed they were making the most pragmatic move when the show was axed, but Wilmette, a suburb heretofore unknown to most of the American theater world, just became the place where it was assumed the population couldn’t handle overhearing the lyrics of a Broadway musical. Whether or not this decision reflects the actual climate of the place won’t be a detail anyone considers, if the national media attention is any indication."

"The n-word" "The f-word." What are we? In the 2nd grade?!?

I've said this before on this blog - - words are words. The only power a word has is the power we give to that word. Plain and simple.

So tomorrow, if you see me watching the Gay Pride Parade, come give me a hug, pat me on the ass and say...

"Happy Gay Pride Day, you big fag!"

Nothing would make me happier.