In Defense of John C. Wright!

Point One: Every writer worthy of the name wants to go to Hollywood.With no exceptions. Writing on spec for the Colbert Report is laudable ambition. Laud Mr. Wright, and emulate! Point Two: The Golden Age was dull as dirt and I couldn't read more than fifty, a hundred pages through. I was laughing hysterically when I read his rough draft for a comedy sketch. The brilliant switch from end of time SF (aka advanced science=magic,)enabled his talent to flower.Point Three: When so many people are so concerned the US is engaged in multiple wars while the government funnels dollars by the trillion into certain banks and Wall Street firms, the importance of being both pure for God and respectable for society can easily be overlooked. Mr. Wright has an astounding ability to see the genuinely important issues of the day.

^^^Can't help it, I like my own jokes, even if I'm the only one laughing.

There's not much argument to take seriously. (Hal Duncan does some amusing overkill trying to do so on Notesfromthegeekshow.blogspot.com) The notion that homosexuality is wrong derives from religion, which means it should automatically be questioned as superstition. There is no rational argument against homosexuality anywhere, least of all here. Ethically speaking, sexual mores should address taking care of the children and STDs. That leaves a pretty wide latitude.

Equally, the notion that the networks are agents in promoting or retarding social mores on sexuality has two problem. First, the networks follow public mores timorously. Homosexuality is becoming more acceptable because society is changing. Fewer and fewer people are middle class by the old meaning of the term (mom doesn't have to work, own business, actually own home as opposed to struggling with mortgage and so on.) The lower classes we are all coming have always had less to lose by engaging in cheap indoor sports. Scientific progress in birth control has changed sexuality too. Plus who knows what else. There is little reason to think that television has or could played a major role in spreading new ideas.

Which brings us to the second problem with Mr. Wright's concerns. Namely, television relelentlessly advocates heterosexuality, constantly associating it with commercial products. Its relentless search for sex appeal likely does have a total cumulative effect. But in the opposite direction to what he fears!