The Casting Couch
“How old were you when you lost your virginity?”
“Thirteen.”
“Tell me about that experience.”
She told her story—some convoluted lie about stolen glances, unkept promises, fumbling hands. She told her story to the stained couch, the pre-framed department store wall art, the segmented bodies skittering about in the darkness behind his office walls. And as she spoke he let the camera pull in close, pan down to the hem of her skirt, linger on the flash of red lingerie peeking through folds of plaid…
Waiting for Godot is Gay
Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot has been mired in controversy since its opening night. As the story goes, the play’s first performance in 1953 was met with jeering and anger from the audience. “This is not theatre as we know it,” remarked one critic. Another dismissively characterized Waiting for Godot as a play in which “nothing happens, twice.” Nowadays, the piece is widely regarded as a masterpiece of absurdist theatre; however, critics remain staunchly divided in what, exactly, they think the play is trying to say. Here, I want to advance a somewhat controversial perspective: I think Waiting for Godot is a kinky gay love story.
What is Pornography?
How should we distinguish between art and pornography? The question might appear frivolous at first glance; however, I would argue that this particular philosophical conundrum has acquired urgency in our current political climate, with fascism, prudishness, and moral panic on the rise around the world.