The first time I walked into the record shop on 25th Avenue in San Mateo I took a Mandy Patinkin album up to the counter. The owner, Tommy, took a look, frowned and said “No charge! But never step into my store again.” Then he laughed, not a Mandy fan! The album featured a histrionic song that screamed that the biggest problem in the world today is “Coffee in A Cardboard Cup!”
That song came to mind as I surfed the web recently. A Jewish newspaper reported that new Tennessee legislation could make Purim parades illegal. How could that be? Purim is a holiday remembering the crafty work of Esther and her cousin Mordecai to save the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman in ancient Persia. Haman’s complaint, back in the day, was that Jews were, to use a modern phrase, “too woke,” threatening the status quo. Haman, fortunately, was defeated and Jewish people worldwide celebrate that holiday with parades and festivals, wearing costumes that can get quite campy, even draggy. One Israeli rabbinic scholar explained that dressing up this way “breaks down barriers between people, creating camaraderie and friendship.” Tennessee’s and several other state’s proposed laws would make public performances in such attire, AKA drag, illegal.
One might think that given all the troubles facing our world today like daily mass shootings, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, bank failures, train crashes poisoning towns, homelessness, fentanyl overdoses and youth suicides, elected officials wouldn’t waste time crafting laws telling people how to dress, but apparently, folks doing drag is one of the biggest problems facing the world today. I could just as easily tell you that coffee in a cardboard cup is the problem, or, as the Austin Lounge Lizards comically opined in their hit song back in the day, we can blame our woes on “Teenage Immigrant Welfare Mothers on Drugs” (they’re to blame).
No, friends. When politicians and TV pundits are running around with their hair on fire about drag brunches, trans athletes and “Soros-funded liberals” (AKA Jews) you are being bamboozled. “There’s trouble, I tell you, right here in River City, with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for Pool!” One particular news network has devoted hours upon hours on drag story time and nearly ZERO time on the fact that they knowingly lied to their viewers about the 2020 election. They’re paying nearly $800 million for those lies. Will defamed drag queens get their day in court?
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A quick aside to anyone who truly is afraid that children are being harmed by seeing drag: As a childhood abuse survivor, these attacks on drag performers make me sick. Close your eyes and think of all the people convicted of sexual assault, rape, child abuse, and try to name one instance where the perpetrator was an out proud drag queen. And no, Shakespeare actors, Charlie Chaplin, the Three Stooges, Jack Lemmon, Jack Benny, Tony Curtis, Milton Berle, Flip Wilson, Bob Hope, Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Nathan Lane, Tyler Perry, Tom Hanks, Ru Paul and Dame Edna didn’t “sexualize” anyone. They broke down barriers between people and made us smile. Watch the Drag Isn’t Dangerous Telethon online May 7 for today’s stars.
On the drag laws, we may need to follow the examples of Lizzo at a recent Knoxville concert or Freedom Riders and Lunch Counter Protesters of the ’60s and descend on places with these laws, men dressed as Esther and women as Mordecai, risk arrest, and get states to abandon this stupidity. I haven’t done drag, but, when you attack drag queens you attack me. Those same drag-hating forces are also banning books. Support HRC, GLAAD and the ACLU who are fighting back nationally. Locally please support Coast Pride and the San Mateo Pride Center. Join me for the LGBTQ Book Club June 7 which in May is reading “Under the Whispering Door” by TJ Klune, a fantastic book about a lawyer who dies but isn’t ready to move to the next realm. He gets helped by a ferryman, a reaper and other friends in a magical tea shop. Spoiler alert — the book is very gay with a dash of drag and will certainly be banned. Free copies and a link to the club zoom are available at the Pride Center (sanmateopride.org).
We can also vote with our money to break through the noise of national media by subscribing to and supporting the advertisers of local newspapers like this one, where columnist Mark Simon satirically made it crystal clear what the trouble with the world is today, dogs in restaurants. Don’t even get him started on those pesky toddlers with their tablets at full volume. OK, time for a cardboard cup of coffee and a bite of hamantaschen.
Craig Wiesner is the co-owner of Reach And Teach, a book, toy and cultural gift shop on San Carlos Avenue in San Carlos.
Mark Simon is a veteran journalist, whose career included 15 years as an executive at SamTrans and Caltrain. He can be reached at marksimon@smdailyjournal.com.
explainhowthetraffic to redwood shores and san mateo will serve as a relief to fc and sm they will promote traffic up fc blvd. and through edgewater blvd. i saw that traffic as an officer was hit leaving the 101 to north edgewater. i stood and watched the officer direct traffic away from edgewater to 101 north. the cop re directed the cars drive north bound on 101. the kid who the cops said hit the motorclcle officer sued the cop and kid won and the cop lost it was his fault travelling 101 to san francisco i was relieved as i knew him he came from my neighborhood of friends of my kids...how do you continue driving whdn you rofficers blame kids and no themselves later the friend won the cop was found guilty. good job how many of these do we live thtrough as easy access when we have dishonest offcers blaming our kidsa..put that on amap linking the two districts.
What a breath of fresh air, intellect and wisdom, Craig! It is simply mind boggling to see what a certain cult resorts to, when they have nothing to offer of real value. Is it stupidity, dishonesty, or all of the above? We would all be so much better off, if only … yes, you know the rest!
Great writing but based on a false premise. Any sexualization targeting children is bad, including disgusting drag shows. The tyranny of a minority is at full display.
Mr. Wiesner – when we have folks attempting to cancel historic figures and their names, canceling fair competition by allowing biological boys/men to compete in biological women’s competitions, attempting to mandate experimental “vaccines” that don’t vaccinate, to name a few, why wouldn’t folks not want to have “drag” performances in front of kids? Maybe we can expand these performances to include exotic dancers, or firearms training or marksmanship performances? You may be okay with it but others may not be. Perhaps that’s why our system of government allows folks to choose the type of environment they want to live in, and which they feel are beneficial to their kids. As for voting with our money, more and more people are making that choice, including those leaving California for what they feel are better environs.
Just curious if by your comment about canceling historic figures, do you include canceling history in general like several Republican led states are doing to ban the teaching of slavery? Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah have enacted 11 of these bills, signed into law by their Republican governors.
As for the folks leaving California for other parts, the more the better.
BTW, we are still waiting for your final report on bamboo fibers. You have kept us in suspense ever since you promised the big disclosure 2 1/2 years ago.
Taffy, my friend, banning the garbage CRT curriculum (which is indoctrination, not history) isn’t the same as banning the teaching of slavery. You can conflate the two, but they’re nowhere close to the same, just as how folks ignorantly conflate “immigrant” criminals who illegal cross the border with legal immigrants. We can only hope all states cancel everything related to CRT – unless divisiveness is their goal. BTW, where IS your final report on bamboo fibers? You’re always begging for help, I’m assuming with sampling, but it’s been years. Don’t keep us in suspense any longer - are pandas following a healthy diet? Maybe less fake news next time and more fact-based dialogue...
Incredible writing, as always, Craig. We need to shift our discussions and fast. Kids aren’t dying from drag, kids aren’t dying from books, they are dying from guns, but apparently one side of the aisle will only protect children up until the point when it conflicts with their NRA donations.
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(9) comments
explainhowthetraffic to redwood shores and san mateo will serve as a relief to fc and sm they will promote traffic up fc blvd. and through edgewater blvd. i saw that traffic as an officer was hit leaving the 101 to north edgewater. i stood and watched the officer direct traffic away from edgewater to 101 north. the cop re directed the cars drive north bound on 101. the kid who the cops said hit the motorclcle officer sued the cop and kid won and the cop lost it was his fault travelling 101 to san francisco i was relieved as i knew him he came from my neighborhood of friends of my kids...how do you continue driving whdn you rofficers blame kids and no themselves later the friend won the cop was found guilty. good job how many of these do we live thtrough as easy access when we have dishonest offcers blaming our kidsa..put that on amap linking the two districts.
What a breath of fresh air, intellect and wisdom, Craig! It is simply mind boggling to see what a certain cult resorts to, when they have nothing to offer of real value. Is it stupidity, dishonesty, or all of the above? We would all be so much better off, if only … yes, you know the rest!
Great Column as usual. I wish you were published every Tuesday! BTW, I purchased my ticket for Sunday's Moment, I can hardly wait.
Great writing but based on a false premise. Any sexualization targeting children is bad, including disgusting drag shows. The tyranny of a minority is at full display.
Mr. Wiesner – when we have folks attempting to cancel historic figures and their names, canceling fair competition by allowing biological boys/men to compete in biological women’s competitions, attempting to mandate experimental “vaccines” that don’t vaccinate, to name a few, why wouldn’t folks not want to have “drag” performances in front of kids? Maybe we can expand these performances to include exotic dancers, or firearms training or marksmanship performances? You may be okay with it but others may not be. Perhaps that’s why our system of government allows folks to choose the type of environment they want to live in, and which they feel are beneficial to their kids. As for voting with our money, more and more people are making that choice, including those leaving California for what they feel are better environs.
Terence,
Just curious if by your comment about canceling historic figures, do you include canceling history in general like several Republican led states are doing to ban the teaching of slavery? Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah have enacted 11 of these bills, signed into law by their Republican governors.
As for the folks leaving California for other parts, the more the better.
BTW, we are still waiting for your final report on bamboo fibers. You have kept us in suspense ever since you promised the big disclosure 2 1/2 years ago.
Taffy, my friend, banning the garbage CRT curriculum (which is indoctrination, not history) isn’t the same as banning the teaching of slavery. You can conflate the two, but they’re nowhere close to the same, just as how folks ignorantly conflate “immigrant” criminals who illegal cross the border with legal immigrants. We can only hope all states cancel everything related to CRT – unless divisiveness is their goal. BTW, where IS your final report on bamboo fibers? You’re always begging for help, I’m assuming with sampling, but it’s been years. Don’t keep us in suspense any longer - are pandas following a healthy diet? Maybe less fake news next time and more fact-based dialogue...
Incredible writing, as always, Craig. We need to shift our discussions and fast. Kids aren’t dying from drag, kids aren’t dying from books, they are dying from guns, but apparently one side of the aisle will only protect children up until the point when it conflicts with their NRA donations.
Great piece!
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