The Gay Uncle read from his book at the Children’s Museum of Manhattanyesterday. The event was well attended, and well received–by the people in the audience, that is. Apparently the (wo)man upstairs was not so pleased at the idea of having a Swish Tío tell “normal” folks how to raise their kids, and responded with a typhoon. Coincidence? Evidence thus far points to “no”. But more readings will ensue around the country over the next few weeks. We’ll have to wait and see if natural disasters follow G.U.’s path.
Sitter Scare
The Gay Uncle has been trolling the blogosphere recently, getting acquainted with the many parenting sites out there, which–not exactly being “in the demographic”–he’s never read before. While fascinated by all the delightful sounding recipes for “Russian Casserole” and “Vegan Pancakes” and by the myriad war stories of moms (and one or two dads) locked in brutal wars of attrition with their children over pretty much any petty issue imaginable, he’s really just looking for reviews and comments on his own book. While these have generally been overwhelmingly positive (thanks much to all the fans!), there has been an intriguingly consistent strain of critique: many people seem to resent or oppose G.U.’s suggestion that they occasionally get out of the house, and appear to have a real issue with the idea of EVER leaving their child with a babysitter.
Just to clarify, Gunc does not advocate pulling a total stranger in from a park or under a highway overpass to take care of junior. In the book, he outlines a complex process for finding an appropriate caregiver (Chapter 1) as well as describing a clear rationale for why leaving the house is important for parents as well as for their child’s optimal development. But there seems to be a national assumption that if you invite the nice teenage neighbor girl who you’ve known all her life into your home, she will immediately transform into a Satan-worshiping succubus, and will beat, belittle, and otherwise abuse your child. When he was a New York City preschool director, the Gay Uncle hired all sorts of teachers who, on first glance, may have seemed questionable–a pink-haired male Cherokee performance artist; a brittle upper-class woman from Bombay; a formerly homeless African American lady with tangled dreads; a fast-talking, chain-smoking, aging punk chick–but who he could tell, from interviewing them, calling their references, and observing them interacting with his students (all of which he recommends you do before hiring a sitter), understood how to speak and be with young kids, and had an inner sense of balance, caring and kindness. Think about your favorite babysitter from childhood. If you met her now, you might not hire her on first sight. But wouldn’t you be making a mistake?
Maybe this creepy caregiver consternation is shared only by a vocal on-line minority. G.U. is aware of the fact that our national news media certainly has a tendency to privilege stories of children-in-peril, often to a debilitating effect for new parents, who end up fearing that diddlers and kidnappers lurk around every corner. He is simply trying to empower people to break out of that cycle. Remember, you are not a perfect parent. Your child is not perfect. None of us is perfect. (Not even the Gay Uncle!) So you’re never going to find a perfect babysitter. But if you use the method outlined in the book, Gunc firmly believes that you’ll be able to find a number of them who are perfectly good enough.
Radio Day
You can hear your favorite Gay Uncle on Marconi’s wondrous wireless device all day long today. Just tune in to one of the myriad stations around the country on which he’ll be interviewed and listen to him make a total fool of himself.
Beyond Pink and Blue
The Gay Uncle was on the radio for the first time last night, peppered with questions for the sake of the “listeners” of OUT-Q, Gay Satellite Radio. He was quite certain how to respond to campy remarks about Liz Taylor’s knee replacements, and the near-successful stealth gay takeover of network television programming in the ’70’s, when everyone was either unaware or just too high to care. But he was less certain of how to react to the idea–presented by one of his interviewers–that a gay uncle’s job, when dealing with his butch lesbian friend’s kids, is to provide education in things “pink and girlie”. Now G.U. can swish with the best of them, but he’s also a gender constructivist of sorts (he’s been working on a new book about the subject called “Beyond Pink and Blue”) and thinks that part of the fun of being gay comes from questioning gendered stereotypes–gay, straight, or otherwise. He thus sees a role for himself in the life of his nieces and nephews beyond simply Hair and Makeup. He loves old trucks and gardening; attends drag acts and drag strips; collects 19th century English transferware and 21st century indie-rock. He sees life and gender as multivalent, in part because his lifelong work with kids has shown him that we all start out thinking that way.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Before he forgets, G.U. would like to wish a happy #9 to his #1 niece.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY “AMBER”
Best Review So Far!
The Gay Uncle wants to send a big shout-out to his new best friend Kyleen in the state of Indiana who expertly summed up his book. G.U. is particularly fond of the middle sentence. Go Hoosiers!
“He had many useful tips on getting your child to eat at the table,try new foods, potty training and much more. He has a crass tongue and a slightly odd sense of humor but it kept you reading. It was definitely interesting and as long as you can laugh at yourself as a parent this is the book for you!”
Super Gay Uncle Tuesday
Okay, people. The day has arrived. The book is in stores, and so the media blitz begins. Watch for ads on TV, radio, newspapers, bus shelters, and (in cities with clear weather today) sky writing! Oh, and be sure to check out the promotional Gay Uncle piñatas they’re installing–along with a bin in which to burn the book–at Christian Living Stores nationwide! Why all the promotion? To get you to BUY THE BOOK. It’s just a click away.
Threesie, Twosie, Onesie…T-SHIRT CONTEST
In preparation for Super Gay Uncle Tuesday (GUG’s pub-date: March 04, 2008) the Gay Uncle has been working with his marketing and publicity people to create compelling promotional items. His requests for posters, fliers, business cards, e-vites, and a royal purple sash have been fulfilled (though his bejeweled tiara and scepter combo is still “awaiting approval.”) G.U. discussed these items with his lovely and insightful editor H- over drinks in Midtown the other night. “I saw a onesie that read I Love My Gay Uncle in a gift store in Chelsea last week,” she said. “Maybe we could do something like that, but for adults?” “An adult-sized onesie…?” Gunc responded, suddenly finding H- compellingly kinkier than he’d previously suspected. “No. T-shirts. We could make kids’ ones too.” G.U. considered this. He was not sure any child would want said message on their clothing once they–or their peers–were old enough to read. But he figured, why not? So for his first interactive B.L.o.G. feature, he’s now hosting a Gay Uncle T-Shirt Design Contest right here on this site. Post your suggestions in the COMMENTS below. First (and/or best) idea wins an autographed copy of the book, a free shirt, and the bowl full of pennies his boyfriend Tal has been collecting for the past 12 years.
Sleep Sickness
The New York Times ran an article in the Dining section today about a couple learning to cook silently so as not to wake up their baby. The Gay Uncle supports the idea of kids being allowed to sleep. Without it, they become cranky and irritable. And after being deprived for a few days, they start to hallucinate, which makes them super-whiny, and is really hard on their tender brains. But G.U. also fears that the behaviors described in the article reflect a problematic issue in contemporary child-rearing. He feels that children should learn to adjust to normal adult noises and sleep through them, and they can’t accomplish this if the adults around them are always tiptoeing through the eggshells. He’s not asking that babies be expected to slumber through a Bad Brains show in your crowded basement, or the the three disc set of the original Battlestar Gallactica series played at volume 9 on your new surround sound home entertainment system. Just typical human behavior–chatting, drunkenly knocking into the furniture…cooking. The parents G.U. knows who lived their life normally when their child was a newborn now have kids who sleep through arguments, parties, and even the noisy clatter of pasta making. While baby’s nightly sleep and normal adult time are both important, they are not mutually exclusive. Take a long-term perspective. After all, your kid is going to be around for a while and the patterns you set up early on will carve out the neural pathways they’ll use for their entire life.
Dairy Queens
Moving directly from the frigid depths of winter, to the balmy breezes of the Florida Keys, The Gay Uncle received a missive from his sister Roxy early this morning, describing an example of P.P.A. (Poor Parenting Activity) at the local Dairy Queen. Apparently one of the many diva-moms down in Key West very pointedly used her bratty child’s whining to solicit a line-cut from an ear-drummed patron, and–as if taking cut-sies wasn’t bad enough–she then appropriated the last of the cotton-candy flavored sprinkles. The Gay Uncle’s well-behaved niece Amber, who was waiting patiently for said topping, was disappointed. Now, giving in to whining is a big G.U. no-no (see Whining in the book’s Appendix). But, perhaps more importantly, any improper ice-cream-related behavior is heinously outré in a tropical climate. Sensing that they’d been doubly wronged, sis Roxy rolled her eyes at Diva-Mom and leaned down to niece Amber. “Uncle Brett would have a field day with this,” she said. Amber nodded, then squinted at her mother. “Mama, what’s a field day?”