Frank Rich on Rekers and the Rentboy

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/15/10 at 10:44pm

Frank Rich, in rare form on L'Affaire Rekers.

Thanks to Rekers’s clownish public exposure, we now know that his professional judgments are windows into his cracked psyche, not gay people’s. But there is nothing funny about the destruction his writings and public activities have sown. His fringe views have not remained on the fringe. His excursions into public policy have had real and damaging consequences on a large swath of Americans.

The crusade he represents is, thankfully, on its last legs. American attitudes about homosexuality continue to change very fast. In the past month, as square a cultural venue as Archie comic books has announced the addition of a gay character, the country singer Chely Wright has come out as a lesbian, and Laura Bush has told Larry King that she endorses the “same” rights for all committed couples and believes same-sex marriage “will come.” All of this news has been greeted by most Americans with shrugs, as it should be.

Oh and feel free to repost Jo-Vanni's pictures in this thread.


Frank Rich: A Heaven-Sent Rent Boy

Updated On: 5/16/10 at 10:44 PM

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 5/15/10 at 11:07pm

"Thanks to Rekers’s clownish public exposure, we now know that his professional judgments are windows into his cracked psyche, not gay people’s. But there is nothing funny about the destruction his writings and public activities have sown."

"The crusade he represents is, thankfully, on its last legs."

We can only pray, Mr. Rich. We can only pray.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/15/10 at 11:51pm

But the rear-guard remnants of the Rekers crowd are not going down without a fight, and their focus on Elena Kagan has been most revealing.

Awwwwwww naw heeeeeeeeeeeee dih-hinnnnnnnnt -- snippety snip snap SNAP.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 5/16/10 at 12:06am

Tee-hee! It's a testament to how late it is that I totally missed that.

(I have some coworkers that I'm going to start referring to as "Rear-Guard Remnants".)

ETA - because I got sent to HR the last time I referred to them.

Updated On: 5/16/10 at 12:06 AM

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 5/16/10 at 12:17am

One of the best things to ever happen in journalism was Frank Rich transferring from theater criticism to political/social commentary - by doing so, he raised the quality of both areas.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/16/10 at 12:40am

He definitely raised the bar on political commentary, but I'm not sure his successors at theater criticism are better.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 5/16/10 at 3:36am

I sometimes wish he would come back and weigh in on the current theater scene every once in a while. His political commentary is brilliant.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 5/16/10 at 8:18pm

I love this man. As always, he is spot on.

Hot Seat, a compilation of his Times theatre reviews, should be required reading for all current and future drama critics.