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More Tales of the Ignorant and the Hypocritical

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ednbarby:
OK, so I'm at a bar last night to listen to my friend Suzanne who sings in a band.  It actually was a very nice bar - big, newly refurbished, clean, lots of TVs with sports on, nice bartenders.  But I digress.  A friend of her husband comes in to listen, too, and asks if he can join me.  Nice guy, it would seem.  Friendly.  Laughs a lot.  Fairly witty.  Between sets, she and her bandmates - another girl and a guy - come over and sit with us.  We're chatting, and Suzanne says, "You wouldn't believe what it took for me to get Barb out here to see us.  I had to promise her I'd watch "Brokeback Mountain" with her next week."  Now this is partially true - it so happens she had mentioned to me in passing that she still hadn't seen it and was meaning to rent it sometime, but it would have to be when her husband is out of town because he's "out of control with his homophobia" (nice).  So I had said, "Well, you're welcome to come over and watch it with me sometime."  One thing led to another...  So, anyway, I guess she thought this would be a good conversation starter, and she's always loved a good argument, so maybe she was hoping to start one.  The other girl in her band goes, "I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard nothing but good things."  The guy in her band (and God bless him) goes, "I've seen it.  Very good movie.  They were robbed at the Oscars."  The other guy goes (cringe), "What I don't understand is how a movie about two guys who bust up their marriages and wreck their families gets so much critical acclaim.  I mean, what kind of family values is that teaching?  It's promoting adultery."

 :o

I didn't know where to start.  So I jumped in hip-deep.  I go, "Oh, God.  You're a Republican, aren't you?"  Everybody laughed, including him.  But then I said, "Lemme ask you this:  Did you see "Out of Africa?""  He goes, "Yeah."  I go, "Did you think that was Best Picture-worthy?"  He goes, "I guess, yeah."  And I go, "And you don't think that was promoting adultery?"  He goes, believe it or not, "No.  Not like that.  There were no children involved."  I go, "First of all, if you'd seen the movie, you'd know that only one of the two guys ends up getting a divorce, and even so, they don't get together as a result.  They don't get together because one of them as a child was shown the body of a gay man who was tortured and beaten to death by his father, who probably did the job.  He's been taught to hate anyone who is gay, including himself.  The other guy ends up getting beaten to death because he is gay (I said this after the band went back to do their next set, so I didn't spoil it for my friend).  You wanna tell me how that promotes adultery?"  He goes, "Well, OK.  I see your point.  But they got married based on false pretenses, right?"  I said, "You gonna tell me no straight people ever do that?  Didn't Karen in 'Out of Africa' marry entirely for convenience?"  He goes, "Yeah, but they should have just stayed single."  (Just like a Republican - leave your teethmarks in that dead argument.)  So I said, "Are you married?"  He goes, I kid you not, "Well, no.  I'm divorced and I have two young boys."  I was speechless, so I just gave him the old Jack Twist, "Hmmmmm...." looking him dead in the eye.  He laughs and goes, "Touche."

Game, set, match.

Ellemeno:
"Touche" is such a satisfying response to hear.  People should use it more (when talking to me).  ;)

Good work, Barb.

ednbarby:
Thanks, Clarissa.  I seriously fear for those boys, though.   :-\

fernly:
Way to go, Barb! :D  Guess we can hope that he'll go home and mull over some new ideas, maybe let some of them sink in. And as far as your friend's husband...
One mind at a time, sometimes...

Been meaning to ask - the words under your avatar - are they original? They're so right.

vkm91941:
OMG...CHEERS to you Barb, YOU are my new hero of the day!  :D   wonderful story, you certainly gave him something to think about.

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