You should have been reading one of your nightstand books; then we would never suspect that you do channel surf through that drivel.

I utterly DESPISE that show... and I'm gay.
I get so ridiculously tired of them playing up the campy stereotypes... there is a fine line between poking satirical fun at stereotypes and hyping them up. The show reminds me of "Friends"... how it can be set in a diverse cosmopolitan city, and yet it is so devoid of any... ummm... "culture". It is vapid, sterile... and very boring.

For the record... no, of course the plight of African-Americans and Gay-Americans (a joke... I literally cringed when former New Jersey governor used that as a cover for his corruption) is NOT the same... but there are SOME parallels on PARTICULAR issues (eg. read up on the stated reasons for segregated military and the ban on gays, or read up on the reasons some people used to justify bans on interracial marriage... no I don't expect you to agree, but at least see the parrallel).

As for the Badlands nightclub... I've been there with a group of black friends, as well as my partner who is black, and never experienced any problems at that particular club... that said, it doesn't suprise me... there absolutely is racism within the gay community, no doubt about it... i know my partner has experienced similar incidents at different clubs...
an interesting book to check out is "One More River to Cross" by Keith Boykin... he tackles racism in the gay white community, and homophobia in the black community (yes, yes, I know... none of these groups are monolithic)... interesting perspectives from a man who struggles with issues in BOTH communities.

By the way, since you are commenting on bad pop culture... have you seen the truly horrendous series "Revelations"? I was curious to hear the opinions of conservative Christians on that one....

When did YOU come out as [gasp] BLACK?

Actually kinda mocha.
[I am coming out mottley]

I've watched a few episodes of "Making the Band 3", so I won't fault you for the Will & Grace thing.

Weak political propaganda delivered in the form of lousy jokes backed up with a laugh track. State-run TV in Iran and North Korea is funnier than this.

And American networks wonder why they are losing their audiences to cable, the Internet, and DVDs.

Watch "Third Watch". It's well written and well executed and actually makes you see the characters as possibly real people.

I'll be really impressed when Hollywood does a show about Ex-Gays living healthy normal lives persecuted by Gay bigots............just like real life folks!!

"I'll be really impressed when Hollywood does a show about Ex-Gays living healthy normal lives persecuted by Gay bigots............just like real life folks!!"

Riiiiiiiiiiiiggggghhhhhht.....
There are more ex-ex-gays than there are "ex-gays living healthy normal lives."

I get into a lot of trouble for saying Black and gay rights are not equal.

I get into even more trouble for saying Black issues don't mean "people of color" issues.

How about ex-blacks leading normal lives - like in Santa Maria?

Walter, you are hilarious.

Dark Star, I get in trouble for the same thing.

Jab, while I have to respect your point of view, I will never see gay rights and civil rights as the same. They simply are not. Heck, apples and oranges have parallels. Both have skin. Both are sweet. Both grow on trees. Both bear seeds. Both are fairly round. Both yadda, yadda, yadda. However, they are not even remotely the same once subjected to a more critical observation.

I can't even begin to wrap my head around the notion that the two "struggles" are equivalent in any way. Forgive me if this sounds patronizing in any way, but my closest male cousin is gay. I love him to life (not death--there is a MAJOR difference). I'd defend him with my life. However, I don't agree with his lifestyle at all.

Being Black and gay is not redundant. One is a gift from God. The other breaks His holy and righteous heart. I may never get my cousin to understand the error of his lifestyle choice, but that doesn't stop me from according him the respect he is due as a human being.

There was a similar (non-funny) joke on another sitcom some years ago. It had a formerly major star whose name I can't recall, and I don't think it even lasted half a season. Her name is right on the tip of my tongue.

Mark La Roi-I'm so with you about 3rd Watch. It's great. You do know this is the last season?

I just found out Saturday after watching my tape of Friday's show. Star Trek Enterprise, now this. Why must they cancel all my favorites??

(If anything happens to "Iron Chef" [the original] you'd better put me on suicide watch!)

One of the love/hate aspects of Third Watch is their ability to make characters seem so real that for most of the regulars, even if you didn't like them you understood their compulsions. They seemed to shy away from pushy moralizing too. Not that I have a problem with a firmly stated point of view. I just like how they normally allow you to make up your own mind with a realistically portrayed event.

"(If anything happens to "Iron Chef" [the original] you'd better put me on suicide watch!)"

LOL! That's how I felt when Homicide:Life on the Street was canceled. I'm still not over that.

Albertadude: don't count on it happening soon. Not because those people aren't out there...but because of the fact that the world isn't supportive of the idea that being gay is neither normal nor healthy.

Alex: A "few" episodes of making the band 3? Riiight. One word, twoo syllables: Jason. Saw him on the clips...not since Michael Jackson has there been such a confused person on television. He makes me want to throw my tv.