Best. Gay. Week. Ever! The Politics of Same-Sex Kissing!

THIS COLUMN IS 100% ANGST FREE. AND MADE FROM 100% ANGUS BEEF. MMMMM!!!!
Okay, folks are going to be arriving soon to read this week's column and I've got to get ready. So where did I leave that flipping bottle of Prozac? Can't have a repeat of last week after all.

So the Prozac's not under the True Blood extended scene of Sam's dream sequence with Bill that Alan Ball sent over. And it's not under the hate mail from Ramin Setoodeh either. (And I really need to do something about that ticking package he sent.)

So where the eff did I leave it? Because after the last BGWE, I really can't be all grumbly or I'll have fewer readers than Setoodeh. Well, okay, no one could fewer fans than he does, but still. Come on, come on! Where is it! They are going to be here any minute it!

Found it! Crap! The damned childproof lid won't come off. Arrghhh... And here they come. Hurry! Hurry! Got it! Now where is my lemondrop? Ah, here we go! Let's see, I think I'll take three this week. Now think happy thoughts. Kittens, puppies, babies, butterflies...

One of these pictures doesn't belong...

Oh, hi! You're here! Welcome to this week's BEST.GAY.WEEK.EVER! which is devoted entirely to bunny rabbits, butterflies and .. vicious boxers. Ooops. Better take one more Prozac. 

That's better. So off we go!

A KISS IS JUST A KISS. EXCEPT WHEN IT ISN'T
Same-sex kissing was in the news this week for several different reasons. The New York Times wrote about all the celebrities locking lips with the same gender and how it is often done for very calculated reasons such as generating headlines, communicating a certain hipness and so forth.

The NYT article also addressed the Hayes/Chenoweth liplock during the recent Tony telecast which was a direct response to Newsweek and Ramin Setoodeh. That kiss was unusual as it involved a gay man using a kiss with a woman to send a message instead of the usual female smooches to get press or the guy smooches, often played for a joke. 

Chenoweth and Hayes, Carrey and McGregor

It gladdened me to see the writer conclude all of this same-sex kissing is becoming rather cliche and boring, as it means that shock value is wearing off. Don't get me wrong; I think it's been great to have Ewan McGregor kiss Jim Carrey on a red carpet, but I'll be glad when that is no longer noteworthy. 

And speaking of guy/guy kissing, UK actors Danny Miller and Marc Silcock Emmerdale kicked off a bit of a tempest when they both gave recent interviews discussing how they felt about having to kiss each other as part of the burgeoning romance between their characters on Emmerdale. Both men are straight and each expressed some discomfort over having to kiss another man.

They look pretty convincing to me

This is hardly the first time straight actors have discussed their feelings about kissing another guy for a role. Jason Lewis once said having to kiss Matthew Rhys on Brothers & Sisters "scared him," something which I took him to task for saying. 

My thinking on this has actually changed and I feel bad about jumping on Lewis. Do I wish more straight actors were like McGregor who thinks nothing of snogging a bloke? Sure, I do. But the fact of the matter is that it's mostly a straight world and most straight guys never really think about kissing another guy. And when they do, it not surprisingly causes some of them some trepidation.

But what really matters is that those who do feel some discomfort not let that keep them from doing their job. It would annoy me to hear that an actor actually passed on a job because it involved kissing a dude, something we used to hear a lot more ten years ago. 

So, as long as straight actors don't go around spitting and wiping their lips as they talk about how disgusting it was kissing a guy, and/or trying to make sure everyone knows they are 100% straight, I think we should cut less experienced straight actors some slack. After all, both Miller and Silcock are doing wonderful work on Emmerdale and I think it is quite clear their hearts are in the right place whenit comes to our issues. And look what a great ally Jason Lewis has turned out to be for the GLBT community. 

Next page! What the *#@! is he doing on the Power Rankings!