David Levy, composing for JewishBoston.com, recently challenged us at JWA to touch upon the gender/sexuality dynamic associated with 2nd City’s brand new video clip show, « Sassy Gay Friend.  » He had written:

There is an extended tradition in Judaism of imagining various variations of y well known tales, from rabbinic midrash to contemporary novels. Comedy troupe The 2nd City has tossed their cap in to the band this week with A youtube that is new video their « Sassy Gay buddy » series.

If you’ren’t acquainted with the show, it began many months ago as a goof in the fate that is tragic of lots of Shakespeare’s heroines. Maybe, the videos advised, Ophelia, Juliet, Desdemona together with sleep might have had happier endings when they just had a BFF to guide them far from difficulty. (we are going to keep it to JWA when it comes to inescapable deconstruction of just what these videos say about sex and sex. )

If that is a challenge, I accept. When you look at the videos, Ophelia, Juliet, Desdemona and Eve are each going to make a move stupid when their « sassy homosexual buddy » steps in, speaks some feeling into them, and saves a single day. Into the movie below, the sassy homosexual buddy prevents Eve from eating the apple.

My, my. How to start. « Sassy Gay buddy » very demonstrably plays on stereotypes — the label that homosexual guys occur to become ladies’ « sassy gay buddies » in addition to label that ladies are, since it is over and over repeatedly stated when you look at the videos, « stupid bitches. « 

The first issue here could be the assumption that exactly just what each one of the ladies do is stupid. Like, being murdered by the spouse, killing yourself, or eating the apple. Why don’t we keep in mind why these ladies have actually in certain method been abused, used, tormented, or tricked, and calling their actions « stupid » seems a little like blaming the victim.

The 2nd issue is the the presumption that homosexual males are experts at being females.

They are better at it because, well, they’re maybe not females. They can see these scenarios more demonstrably simply because they don’t possess « brains crafted from rib.  » Also they are in a position to see these circumstances obviously because they’ren’t right males and as a consequence sidetracked by intimate attraction to females. They exist to teach women (and men on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) how to be « better » straight people since they occupy neither space. This really is demonstrably demeaning to right women and men, but additionally to homosexual males. In this label, homosexual men occur simply to assist right people, and are also therefore paid down up to a role that is supporting frequently desexualized in order to not be threatening (think Stanford on Intercourse additionally the City).

Finally, we hate the expression « stupid bitch.  » The sassy homosexual friend makes use of this to Juliet and Ophelia, after which turns it in himself into the videos about Eve and Desdemona. The expression « stupid bitch » is vile since it invalidates females as real people dxlive free webcams who have genuine desires, issues, psychological state dilemmas, or views. He is stating that ladies don’t possess legitimate known reasons for acting how they do, they simply operate crazy because they’re « stupid bitches.  » By calling Juliet and Ophelia « stupid bitches,  » their alleged sassy friend that is gay the despair and heartbreak (as well as the misogynistic and paternalistic forces oppressing the ladies) behind all of their suicides because well, silly. Using this method, he could be not only women that are insulting but whoever has ever struggled with despair and thoughts of committing committing committing suicide.

All of that being said, I really enjoyed these videos plenty. Extremely unpleasant yes, but pretty funny too. That is the benefit of comedy — it plays on terrible stereotypes, is usually pretty offensive, and then we like it. Simply glance at Joan streams, Sarah Silverman, and a variety of other comedians that have made us laugh with extremely innapropriate humor.

The most useful section, I think, could be the one about Juliet. Enjoy!