Liberals suggest that not much has gone their way over the past quarter-century or so. As they might tell it, ever since they catalyzed the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam and forced the political demise of Richard Nixon, not only have almost all of their initiatives been stymied, but a few of their accomplishments have been undone.
They are partly correct. In a narrowly political sense, America has moved to the right, notably on economic issues. Socially and culturally, however, the left has dominated the policy debate in at least one respect. The gay agenda is in full control. And the world of entertainment offers ample evidence.
Consider that on its fall schedule, NBC has removed "Frasier" from the primo 9 p.m. Thursday time slot and replaced it with the gay-oriented sitcom "Will & Grace."
"Will & Grace," which debuted in September of 1998, initially was less racy than NBC's typical hetero-driven comedies. It's made up for its slow start, however, mostly thanks to Jack, a flamboyantly gay character next to whom Will, who's also gay but more restrained about it, appears...normal.
In an April episode, Jack is at a bachelor party, where a female stripper gives him a lap dance. Afterward, worried because the stripper's efforts left him "excited the way three of the four Baldwins and one of the two Quaids get me excited," he looks at his crotch and yells, "What were you thinking?" Ultimately, he learns the stripper is a transsexual-in-the-making who, not yet having had all the requisite surgery, is still male from the waist down. "Thank God!" Jack exclaims. "I'm still gayer than Christmas!"
Two weeks later, "Will & Grace" mocked a group that tries to convert homosexuals to heterosexuality, portraying its leader as still gay, albeit in denial about it. And two weeks after that, Jack seeks help in marketing what he calls the Subway Tush, a cushion for seated subway passengers. An investor tells him, "We really love your product and we're prepared to back you 100 percent," whereupon an elated Jack responds, "Oh, my God, you wanna put everything you've got into my tush?" Tee-hee.
This smut is now the centerpiece of the National Broadcasting Company's Must-See TV lineup. Who says the militant gay agenda hasn't become mainstream?
The "gay moment," as the magazine National Review so aptly described it, is everywhere. For the last night of the all-important May sweeps, the WB network scheduled a gay doubleheader. At 8 o'clock, "Dawson's Creek" featured an on-camera kiss between two men - boys, actually, since both are high-school juniors. Then an hour later on "Felicity," two men were "married" in some sort of religious ceremony. They kissed, briefly, on the mouth. The wedding cake featured two male figurines.
Challenge the gay moment...and see what happens to you.
Some major advertisers are distancing themselves from Dr. Laura Schlessinger because she's had the nerve to uphold traditional views on homosexuality - biblical views which until recently were considered mainstream thinking in our society.
Last month Inside.com reported that one of the most mainstream of corporations, Procter & Gamble, would sponsor Schlessinger's upcoming syndicated television program. "If you look at our brands, which are targeted at women 18 to 49, and take a look at Dr. Laura, it's a definite fit," a P&G spokeswoman said.
But in the same article came this ominous comment from Scott Seomin of the gay activist outfit GLAAD: "If Procter & Gamble has bought [the Schlessinger] show, then it's bought trouble, too. Why would any company want to alienate part of its loyal customer base...?" (Should we next accept that Mr. Clean is gay?)
It took only a few days for P&G to say that it would not sponsor Dr. Laura's TV show after all. The company cited its unwillingness to deal with gay protests as the reason. Subsequently, United Airlines said its in-flight magazine would no longer carry ads for Schlessinger's radio program; Variety reported that AT&T and American Express also had decided not to advertise on her television show.
Dr. Laura is faring even worse in Canada. A private organization, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, has determined that some of her radio remarks condemning the homosexual lifestyle have been "abusively discriminatory" and are "more than a quarter of a century out of date in the opinion of the professional psychiatric and psychological associations." Consequently, Canadian stations airing Schlessinger's radio program will have to delete future such anti-gay content.
So perk up, you leftists. On one issue, you're not just winning, you're in complete control of the battlefield.