Wednesday, April 29, 2009

"I Will Not Be a Nasty Pig"

I find this whole swine flu hysteria maddening on so many levels.

First of all, every news organization is doing their best to scare us. No, to frighten us. Frighten us out of our friggin' minds.

Then, after we're all running into the streets so we can purchase masks before Walgreens runs out (P.S. They've already run out), the same news organizations have the nerve to say, "We don't want to scare anyone."

It reminds me of my ex-boyfriend smiling at me and saying...

"I didn't WANT to hit you. You MADE ME hit you. And I hit you for your OWN GOOD."

But more than that, every time one of these "possible pandemics" hits the airwaves, I can't help but think...

What if the media had done this kind of work when AIDS started killing gay men? Back before it was even called AIDS. Or GRID

What if President Reagan had led press conferences? What if the CDC had done their fucking job?

I'd have a lot of friends alive today. At least, that's what I think. At least, that's what I hope.

But it's foolish to hope or think about that. Because it didn't happen. Because AIDS was killing people who nobody cared about. And in 1980, who really gave a fuck if a faggot died?

I know, that's a lot. As my friend Angel from Angel's Crash Pad once wrote about me...

"You're so ACT UP! 
Once an 80's fag, always an 80's fag."

True, baby. Very, very true.

But at least I can watch these 70's PSAs, urging the public to get a swine flu shot, and laugh. I laugh the most during the second PSA, because when the voiceover says...

"Joe brought it home from the office. He gave it to Betty. And to one of his kids. And to Betty's mother."

...I imagine they're talking about the Clap. It's just fucked up enough to make me giggle.

Enjoy. And wear your masks...


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know you're trying to make a statement here, and I respect that - but I just want say...

RJ DANVERS RJ DANVERS RJ DANVERS Dirty Pig OMGWTF-LUAU!

Ok, that's out of my system.

Mark in DE said...

"What if the media had done this kind of work when AIDS started killing gay men?"

"What if President Reagan had led press conferences? What if the CDC had done their fucking job?"

VERY good points!

Project Christopher said...

First
I'm with GGYMETA - OINK to the Friggin "O"

Second
As a former health care worker I think it's funny.... that the masks don't do anything but keep the wearer's bad breath out of my face. So for that, I'm thankful!
(sick people should wear them, not well people)

Bea said...

"...then Betty gave it to her little chihuahua, then the chihuahua gave it to a stray cat, and the stray cat died, but not before giving it to a tiny mouse, who ran back into the country and gave it to a cow, and the cow gave it to a chicken and the chicken gave it to...A PIG!"

I like to watch that PSA with the gave-it-to in quotes, like this...

"Betty 'gave it to' her best friend Dottie."

Aaron said...

Stephen, I can't believe you found this!! I looked on YouTube for it and couldn't find it! I remember it when it was on TV...especially that creaky, Margaret Hamilton voice saying, "she died...but BEFORE...SHE...DIED...she gave it to the mailman, the butcher..." etc.

Even at that age, I could tell it was targeted to the nervous old biddies. And it failed. Even the nervous old biddies in my community could tell it was a crock of shit.

And that's when I learned what "camp" meant... ;-)

Prospero said...

Jesus! Did George Romero make these damned things?