Men in Dresses
As we got silly in the last comments section, I started thinking about men in dresses. I have a completely rational crush on a trannie. I say rational because, well, I understand it. You see, I love Eddie Izzard. And I "get" why. Bear with me.
Above is Eddie playing it straight. (And watch his new show on F/X--The Riches.)
And here is Eddie playing it in drag.
Now, I have watched his stand-up act a thousand times on DVD--he's in drag. And each time, I decide he is more brilliant than the last. He was a huge proponent for the Euro, and he is brilliant when discussing economics. His stand-up is hilarious--in French or English. And he has a quick mind. So . . . you know, I sort of see past the lipstick and eyeliner.
And that, I have decided, is the wondrous thing about books. You see, I have an open mind. I can think a trannie is adorable. My friends are a rainbow of races and religions. I have more gay friends than straight. (And for the record, Eddie, trannie that he is, is straight.) I have friends from 12 to 82. But I know I'm not like everyone. I know this country is full of HATE and racism, and hideous preconceptions about people.
And so in books, perhaps, we can find ways to bridge that. In Diary of a Blues Goddess, my heroine's best friend was a drag queen. In Double Down, my heroine's best friend was an African-American ex-NFL star with a sexual secret.
I don't pretend that a book can erase people's prejudices, but it can shrink our world a tiny bit, can't it? I had several women write me after reading Do They Wear High Heels in Heaven . . . women who were in their own words "uncomfortable" around gay men . . . and say the book had sort of softened their views.
Ever read The Kite Runner? What an utterly brilliant book that perhaps made the world a little smaller. Books do it all the time.
Books and words have the power to hurt us. Look at the so-called "manifesto" of the Virginia Tech madman. Words aimed to hurt. But they have the ability, too, to make someone else--someone who might be from a walk of life, a race, a sexuality far removed from us--familiar. Unthreatening. Or, in my case, I can have a crush on a trannie. We can learn to love each other sometimes, through books.
Thoughts? Has a book ever opened your eyes to another world and changed you somehow?
Peace,
E
E
posted by Erica Orloff at 7:21 PM
7 Comments:
I'm a better looking girl than Eddie. :)
I'm colorblind. People of all races, religions, political backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc., have been my friends. I think I do pretty well in that regard, since I grew up with a grandfather who was the prototype for Archie Bunker. :)
Remarkably, though, even in 2007 and after all this country has been through, I still see plenty of racism and hatred on all fronts. It's really just ignorance, so maybe the right novels, movies, songs, etc., can help some. I hope so.
Jude:
Well, for every song that is about beauty and peace, there's a song about anger and hatred. So, I don't know. I know one reviewer read "Do They Wear High Heels in Heaven" and wrote that readers should "skip over" the gay parts. Like, WTF? So . . . you know, you have to be in the place to accept the message, maybe. But yes, the arts CAN help. No matter what your culture,race or beliefs, I would hope you could listen to Beethoven's 9th and feel joy.
E
If I write HA, I wonder if the same reviewer will want readers to skip over the religious fanatic parts.
Nah. S/he'll probably relish it.
Hi Erica! I'm pleased to say, my friends are a mish-mash of everything, just like yours. Variety is the spice of life, after all! *g
That's a great point about books helping to erase prejudice. I sure hope they do. In most of mine, there's some sort of "mixed race" romance going on. I've got that in quotes because I think "race" is just a stupid way to divide people based on looks alone. We might as well have divided by Blond vs Brunette, or Freckled vs Unfreckled.
Can't believe that crazy skip over the gay parts review. Who cares if someone's gay? My view is, if *I'm* not the one dating them, it's none of my business, in the same way that I wouldn't judge a friend for dating a "high-maintenance" girl or an "addicted-to-video-games" guy. Just because someone (or a type of someones) doesn't appeal to me sure doesn't give me the right to preach/convert/hate somebody else! Jeesh!
Keep writing, and viva la difference! =)
Hi Erica:
True. Only the two people in a relationship know what's really going on. In my first marriage, to the outside, all looked well, but inside, the man was punching holes in the wall every time he lost his temper. No way to live life.
E
This completely off-topic, but I finished The Roofer recently and loved it. You have a great way of giving even the most unappealing characters humanity, and inspiring compassion for them.
naomi:
Thank you very much. Those characters--a lot of them--are based on real people and I think my affection for them in real life showed through on the pages. That is my favorite book I've ever written, as brutal as it is.
E
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