methodwriter85

If I were a student at Penn State, I would seriously transfer to another school.

Yeah, but we're also coming up on the Bush administration and 9/11. Religion is going to be hard to ignore considering the way the Bush administration was propped up by the religious right, and the anti-Islamic sentiment that sprouts up because of 9/11.

Mark, can I request you adding in some Jewish people and Muslims at some point? Maybe some Wiccans, Buddhists; etc etc. I'm sure a cosmopolitan school like Harvard-Westlake would have a wide variety of backgrounds represented. It just kinda came to me right now that, barring Jackie, we've only ever met Christians and Atheists. At least that's what it seems like to me. And it seemed weird to me- I mean I went to a crappy public middle school in a state people like to call "backwater", and I knew Jewish kids; I knew Muslims; I knew what Ramadan was because there were kids celebrating it. It just kinda seems like the kids don't have any friends with different religious backgrounds and that seems false to me. Of course, to be fair, we haven't gotten to know their friends that well yet. One of the big differences between Brad's generation and Will's generation is the increase of Muslim presence in the United States, mainly due to the big increase in Indian immigration that started in the late 1970's/early 1980's, and really kicked up force between 1995 to 2000.

Some more riot footage:

There is anger and outrage. In support of Joe Paterno. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeCEEdyk7c4&feature=related "We want Joe! We want Joe!" The speech at the end was really heart-warming, wasn't it? It's basically a rallying battle cry. And a party.

The Penn State Coach is planning to resign at the end of the season amid the child abuse sex scandal. http://abcnews.go.com/US/joe-paterno-penn-state-president-graham-spanier-sex/story?id=14913848 It's amazing to see Penn State melting down like this. This is making what happened with USC look like a tea party.

I went to a performing arts high school. Being bisexual for a girl was considered cool, because it made you seem open, hip, and open to whatever. But I remember this one girl complaining about how, when it came to most "bi" girls, they were fine with kissing but got screamish any further than that.

My sister used to do rave promotions back in 2000-2002-ish for Philly, so the first scores of gay men I met were basically the drugged out raver twink types. I've met more diverse guys since then, but the drugged out twink type has definitely endured as a stereotype. I had this conversation with a 19-year old twink who told me about how he likes to do blow to keep him amped up for go-go dancing in gay clubs in Pittsburgh, and I just thought, "Wow, you're so Queer As Folk and it's 2011. Some things remain." I don't think it's so much not being in L.A. for me; it's more that my basic social circle doesn't really include many people that are over 30 so I haven't really seen what you're talking about yet. The average age of the people I hang around is usually somewhere around 20-22 years old; I'm nearly 26 and I'm usually at least five years older than my average friends. It's seriously weird to think that I'll be thirty in just four years and one month. Crazy. I swear I was 21 just yesterday.

They're also a lesbian couple in a soap opera. You gotta keep that in mind. Stable couples like Claire and Jack don't get a lot of story time, because stable, committed relationships aren't exactly the stuff of soaps. And it's been telegraphed since Millenium that Jeanine isn't the most stable of people, so it's not like it came out of nowhere. For me, when I was 17, I saw a gay public display of affection that made me feel a lot better about being gay. I wrote about it, and it was posted on the I'm From Driftwood site. (I do NOT look like the guy the artist drew there; however he got the college gay couple pretty spot on.) http://www.imfromdri...from-newark-de/ There was just something about seeing a gay couple, on a pizza date like any other college couple complete with a chaste, affectionate kiss, that really made me realize that I wasn't doomed to life as a Queer As Folk circuit boi because I was gay. It was a normalization of my feelings outside of watching Jack on Dawson's Creek, I think, and that's why I really appreciate gay PDA's outside of the gayborhoods. I'm betting I'm not the only gay former teenager who was positively influenced by seeing a masculine-looking couple being affectionate with each other in public. I'm not saying you NEED to be that way, but it's great to see that gay couples who want to be affectionate with each in public can do so without getting bashed. At least in certain areas.

Right. I'm just saying that Will's going to meet guys that are openly gay like he is, and I've found that guys who have always been pretty open about their sexuality tend to expect the same from their boyfriends. I just can't see Will putting up with a total closet case in the long-term, who doesn't just deny it in public but denies it in private as well. I like Tony as a character; I'm just not into him being Will's boyfriend. At least for now. When they're both in their 20's and Tony's comfortable with his sexuality, I think it could work. It's interesting watching Mark, who came from a very homophobic generation that came of age in the 1980's, writing from the point of view from a generation of guys who are increasingly okay with the various spectrum of sexuality, to the point where more and more guys can call themselves "straightish" without a sense of shame or fear, and where more guys have positive coming out stories, or were basically never even in the closet to begin with. Adam Phillips, the author of Cross-Currents, has talked at considerable length about the subject, noting how it contrasts even from his own not-so-distant adolescence.

Yeah, because being two loving parents who clearly adore their daughter to the point where they're hilariously over-protective while being in a committed marriage that isn't made spicy by "openness" is REALLY pandering to the gay stereotype. They aren't butch. But they DO counteract the Queer As Folk stereotype that all gay men are slutty twink circuit bois who only live for the next trick and would rather die than turn 30 years old.

Alright, that's a good point. I think I'll qualify it to say that JJ is comfortable about coaches, judges, and officials, but he's not so good around people his own age because of the lack of typical teenage socializing. JJ can handle superficial acquaintances; probably not so good on serious friendships/relationships. In any event, JJ has been consistently written as being somewhat immature for his age, and I think it's fine for him to be that way. JJ should grow up on his own schedules; besides, if he were totally mature and self-assured, what kind of character growth could Mark write for the guy when it's his turn for a story circa 2006?

I don't see how JJ is "running in place". He's being a brat, but so is Will. It's normal. They're 14 years old. JJ should grow and develop at his own pace, rather than try and race to adulthood like Will did. I like that Mark's allowed JJ to grow up at a slower pace than he had Will and John grow up; it feels realistic to have the varying rates. My voice didn't drop until I was 16

Alright, so with Tiffany's baby we officially have a 5th generation in the story, while Madison adds to the 4th. I like the choice of Madison. Very period.

Thank god it's just "Irish" twins instead of Irish triplets or quadruplets. I think it would have been a bit too much for them to handle, especially since it seems like Jeanine and Tiffany are dunzo.

Doesn't Missouri tend towards more conservative? And judging by his background, I'm betting serious money he went to an homophobic all-boys Catholic school. Of course it'd be harder for Tony to deal with being gay. Not to mention that he basically blames his dad being a gay slut for dying on him when he was 3. That said, I'm hoping that Will is finally getting the inkling that Tony is NOT real boyfriend material, at least for now. Other than attending a college 700 miles away, it's going to take him a LONG time before he could comfortably hold a boyfriend's hand in public. Will, I can't see him really being cool with that. Especially since it looks like guys at Harvard-Westlake are fairly open about being gay, and there he could meet a boyfriend who isn't going to flinch if he tries to take his hand in public. (There's something to be said about the fact that Will's of that generation where you can start seeing guys being openly affectionate in public, in places that aren't actually the gayborhood.) PrivateTim mentioned JJ running in place, and I thought that was something to think about. Does JJ really need a major emotional growth spurt right now, especially since he's not the narrator? JJ's 14 and in 9th grade. JJ's also in a sport that doesn't allow him to socialize much; therefore somewhat inhibiting his social skills. Him being immature works as a good balance and dramatic foil to Will's precocious maturity. Will's on one end, physically and emotionally, on the growth development spectrum, whereas JJ's on the other side. I think it works well to keep JJ as still being a little boy while Will's already grown into a young man. You get both sides represented- the guy you knew in 9th grade who seemed more like he should have been in 11th or 12th, and the guy in 9th grade who seemed to be very much still a little boy, both physically and emotionally. I'm sure when JJ is 18 years old and graduating from high school, he'll think about what he was like when he was 14 and cringe, like most of us. There's one incredibly embarrassing 9th grade yearbook picture floating around out there. Let's just say the 15-year old me thought it would be really cool to have a picture taken of me meditating. It wasn't. And it showed up in my senior yearbook. Ugh.

Chapter 44 -When Tiffany's son is born on Will's 14th birthday. There's a reason I picked this tune. Brownie points to whoever figures out why. -When Will and Tony have their magic kiss. "Under the Milky Way" by The Church -When Tony rants at his father for giving this deal about liking guys to him. Will, run. Seriousy. Run.

Since we're starting in on JJ's junior career in figure skating, I thought it'd be cool to start a thread with videos and such relating to the world of figure skating. Here's a video where a reporter talks with the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, which is pretty well-known and currently the National Collegiate champs. I like this video because it reminds me of the cheesy promotional stuff that Daisy mentioned as being a big part of figure skating, with the girls cultivating this image as helpful, sweet girls with a squeaky-clean image. And I like at the end where they discuss how they put together their routines, as well as where the girls cheerfully tell them how many hours they put into figure skating with nary a frown on their face. To contrast that, here's a more candid video, from skaters Melissa Bulanhagui and Haley Dunne. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU28UUsjG2E I like that this talks about how they deal with injuries and such, and the general up's and down's that come with this world.

When I think of Mouse from Be Rad and Man In Motion, I think of Kyle Gallner from Veronica Mars and The Haunting in Connecticut. He has that "wounded little boy" look to him down pat. And Kyle's good-looking, but in this really quirky, slight body kind of way, which seems right for Mouse.

I'm curious- what would your size and build have to do with what people perceive about your party affiliation?

Damn, it makes me want to take a trip out to New York City so I can see the boat dock!

Sterling Beaumon? He was on an episode of SUV once. Lost fans might know him as Young Ben. I think he's a nice-looking kid, but in a geeky and very preppy WASP way. Like he should have grown up in the early 80's instead of the 2010's. Plus, I mean, his name is Sterling. Seriously. Almost as elitist-sounding as Alistair. This is a more recent picture of him. He's now 16. I think this kid could have totally rocked the early 80's prep look back in Mark's day.

Broadway/Times Square is the coolest thing you'll ever see. Oh, and FAO Schwartz Toy Store. They have cute guys standing out front dressed as toy soldiers.

Okay. Here's where, yet again, I am JJ in many ways. I grew up with older sisters that were pretty protective of me, and with a mom that was pretty permissive and didn't do much to reign me in. Long story short, being treated like a little boy by my family enabled me to enage in a lot of immature behavior for far longer than I should have, and I think it's the same deal with JJ. He's so coddled by everyone that it's hard for him to take personal responsibility for his own actions. I think that's what JJ was attempting to do by turning Ryan in for the bullying- apart from currying favor with Alistair, JJ thought he was doing the independent and right thing and taking proactive action there.

Just as an aside- it really is funny that both you and I tried to think of Disney actors when it came to casting guys like JJ and Alistair. Before Lucas Till I was really set on Sterling Knight for JJ, but Mark didn't seem all that enthused by Sterling. I was thinking WB/CW guys as well. I got Wade aka Nico Tortorella from his very short-lived stint on the Mischa Barton modeling show from '09. Matt aka Evan Wadle...I think I just saw his pictures posted on a gay website. I was orginally thinking Kellan Lutz for Matt, but Mark wasn't feeling that so later I hit on Evan. I pretty much had Sean Faris as Will picked out like two years ago. It seemed obvious. JJ took the longest; Colton Haynes as John Hobart was probably the easiest pick I've made that hit the target right on the first try. Colton Haynes I remembered from his stint on "The Gates"- and come on, a guy that combines "cute" with "unbelieveably gorgeous" that well would just have to be Jack and Claire Hobart's son. I find this pretty fun because eye candy is never a bad thing, and because it's a fun guessing game. And because it makes me remember when I used to put up pictures of David Boreanaz, Chad Michael Murray, Nick Lachey, and Jason Behr on my bedroom walls and computer screen.