Brody's Scribbles... Is It Finally Okay To Be A 13-Year-Old Sissy?

Mike Albo   Photo Courtesy Of Joe.My.God

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) June 15 | Perusing through Joe Jervis' Joe.My.God website yesterday, as is my daily habit, I ran across a bit on performance artist & writer Mike Albo who had written an Op-Ed for the New York Magazine.  Entitled: The Twinkle Takeover: Gay (and Gay-Seeming) Boys on the TV and at the Mall, it appeared to be a satirical & humorous look at a new cultural standard for portraying Gay youth on television as well as societal perceptions of the 'new' Gay norm.  

In his Op-Ed, Albo wrote;

Is it finally okay to be a 13-year-old sissy? From the feather-cuffed, drama-filled Olympic figure-skating competitions to the unashamedly oddball high-school TV show Glee, being young and gay suddenly has a place in pop culture that isn’t cruel or tragic. In our world of niche-entertainment marketing, gay boys are becoming a viable demographic, up there with tween girls and security moms. Call them Twinkles: preteen boys who may not know they are gay yet, or may not want to say they are gay yet, but who have a gleam in their eye and a definite sensibility. Twinkles proudly prance, unashamedly emote, high-kick, jazz-hand, belt out “Paparazzi” with piano — everything a gay kid used to do in his bedroom with the door shut.

I'm not sure personally that I honestly like nor am comfortable with that label of 'Twinkle' at all. Now, I would agree, especially after seeing quite a number of youth at this past weekend's Capital Pride Event here in Washington holding hands, cuddling, and being openly affectionate, that popular culture through the medium of the mass media & the internet has played a role in changing perceptions. It's just that I am extremely displeased with particular stereotypes as being the set model for youth to admire/adhere to, or even emulate. Along these lines Albo did note:

The twinkle’s market power has not been scientifically measured, but their consumer presence is getting noticed.

"Young males today are shopping more than any other generation before them," says Mike Gatti, executive director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, a division of the National Retail Federation. "In the last year or so, we’re seeing a proliferation of merchandise targeting young men — clothing and also things like skincare, lotion, and hair products aimed at 12- and 13-year-old boys. We’re also seeing young boys buying things that cross traditional gender lines."

Beyond the money to be made with this market, there’s the telling fact that sensitive wizard role model (albeit heterosexual) Daniel Radcliffe is going to be appearing in a PSA for gay-youth suicide prevention. 

"Pre-Internet, a Twinkle would have had a very difficult and potentially dangerous time finding his peers," says David Kleeman, president of American Center for Children and the Media. "With hundreds of TV channels and in-game advertising and Internet adver-gaming and product placement , there are virtually infinite options to target the real niche groups of kids who are most likely interested in what you’re selling." 

And to reassure them that they are far from alone.

Now, I'm not alone in that assessment judging from the comments both at Joe's site after the article and on the New York Magazine's site. Here's a sampling:

JMG reader:

rufescens says:

“When I look at gay characters on tv, MOST of them seem stereotyped to me. Mike Albo's point that gay youth are becoming accepted in our culture is moot for me when I consider that it comes with an expectation as to how these gay youth should act. People who bend these stereotypes may not be accepted, and are hardly visible in popular media.

Another JMG reader stated:

Rich says:

“This sounds like more pseudo trendspotting. Band/choir/drama geeks, gay or straight will never be cool or much of a marketing target. I could imagine that being like the kids on "Glee" is not fun for a lot of high schoolers.

Then these from the New York Magazine readers:

By ravewulf on 06/14/2010 at 7:20pm

Yes this is all well and fine, but I can't wait until we can have a lot more "masculine gays" without "threatening" the masculinity of straight men. The masculine, more rugged gay guys are what appeal to me. Give me some gay hunks and jocks over twinks any day.

By dc10001 on 06/14/2010 at 5:30pm

Boy. Y'all people are...'sensitive'

God makes sissies
Those who can't deal with their special talents taunt them.

'twinkles' seems an affirming, cute, funny alternative to 'sissy'

GET OVER YOURSELVES

Finally this, which I personally feel really states it best from JMG reader David L. Caster who writes:

“Your point is well taken, [Clay] Advertising imagery has a profound influence on societal norms, but generally lags the social climate for a variety of reasons, chief among them the desire not to offend the mainstream consumer. To me, the best thing that can happen is for us as a species to become more secure and comfortable with our bodies and permit the natural development of sexuality without all the shame and ignorance we seem to be lugging around now."