http://brettberk.com Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:40:44 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The Gay Uncle read in the paper today that school districts all over the country are dropping or seriously curtailing their programs. Many are doing so because of huge budget deficits--this despite all the federal stimulus money that has become available--while others cite nonexistent issues like Swine Flu as ... http://brettberk.com/2009/07/02/summer-brain-cramp/ All this talk about Gays and Pride and Gay Disney Princesses (see posts below) reminded the Gay Uncle that he's covered some of this ground before, prompting him to re-read his seminal piece "Beyond Heather Has Two Mommies", a survey of current offerings in media portrayals of gay and lesbian ... http://brettberk.com/2009/06/29/beyond-heather-has-two-mommies/ The Gay Uncle recently read a research study examining the role and prevalence of heterosexual romantic love in Disney's top-grossing G-rated movies from 1990-2005. (Here's a synopsis of the article, the entire piece can be downloaded by clicking the link at the bottom of this post). And he ... http://brettberk.com/2009/06/28/disney-straight-and-narrow/ The Gay Uncle, while gay, does not love parades; they sadden him. Neither does he love the claustrophobic feeling of being pressed up against a bunch of defeated, suburban queens, walking up the vomit-stained sidewalks of his neighborhood in blazing hot summer sun (or torrential downpour) while said invaders ... http://brettberk.com/2009/06/27/happy-pride-faggots/ To memorialize the death of Farrah Fawcett, the Gay Uncle presents you with his homage to the transformative power of her image as read through the lens of 1970's adolescent queer sexuality: his first published short story from back in 1996, "Farrah". Check it out. http://brettberk.com/2009/06/25/farrah/ It's a movie that's at least peripherally for kids, which the Gay Uncle believes affords him the opportunity to cross-promote his humorous review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at Vanity Fair.com. Check it out. http://brettberk.com/2009/06/23/more-than-meets-the-eye/ Some lesbian friends recently came to visit the Gay Uncle and his boyfriend at their house Upstate. And guess what? They're trying to get pregnant! This is good news for Gunc, as it means at least one more guaranteed sale of his book. But instead of ... http://brettberk.com/2009/06/23/the-new-eugenics/ The Gay Uncle's second favorite newspaper journalist, Heidi Stevens, is starting up a new feature in the Sunday Tribune newspapers. It's a column where parents write in with questions, and then other parents chime in with advice. (And then an expert--like Gunc--comes in and provides two more cents.) ... http://brettberk.com/2009/06/18/tribune-writer-seeks-parents/ Stumped about what to get that special daddy in your life? Worried that a manscaping kit, three pairs of boxer briefs, and a gift certificate for a facial might give him the wrong impression? Wishing that he was just a little...smarter about the whole fathering thing? Well, there's ... http://brettberk.com/2009/06/17/oh-daddy/ The Gay Uncle read a report the other day about how some holdout school districts are giving up their strict tracking systems--in which children are graded and then grouped by ability throughout their tenure in a school--and all he can say is, Finally. While he sees some value in ... http://brettberk.com/2009/06/16/off-the-tracks/