Step By Step – Lundon Calling’s 167th Show

It’s pretty amazing to think that we’re already on the 167th show of Lundon Calling. I’ve had so much fun writing these critiques because it has allowed me to not only improve my critiquing skills but it’s given me the opportunity to listen and sometimes participate in great conversations with Ace, Lance and wonderful guests.

This show marks Lance’s return and we have Sean Chandler as a guest for a second time this season. The first major subject discussed was one that really hit close to home with me. Everyone participating in this show has had experience with writing, or at least enjoys writing and a significant part of the introductory conversation talked about being a writer and suggestions for people who are interested in enhancing their writing ability. While this conversation was rather small I think it’s important to focus on because there are a lot of people out there who have dreams and desires that never see them through because of their uncertainty. I think we should have talked about how becoming a writer or following dreams requires pacing oneself and understanding that every bit of success is rung of a ladder. I’d have to say that a writer’s greatest obstacle is admitting that they always learn new things and improve their ability regardless how advanced they think they are. Perhaps in the future Ace can open all that he’s learned throughout his numerous careers in a future show.

As noted in the show, many things have been happening related to the LGBT community. President Obama came out (no pun intended) and voiced his support of same-sex marriage not long after the vice president did. At almost the exact same time North Carolina decided to place a ban on same-sex marriage which makes around 30 states who’ve banned it. I’d like to connect this issue with Lundon’s numerous statements related to our country potentially attacking the LGBT community for being different. Does the President endorsing the freedom to marry mean we can breath easily? I don’t necessarily think so because we’ve seen him flip flop his agenda multiple times. With all the mixed press he’s been receiving it’s no wonder he hasn’t changed his mind. I just hope he doesn’t.

This whole issue over same-sex marriage sparked a discussion during the show that interested me, and it talked about party lines. Ace is a Republican and Lance as well as Sean are Democrats. But is there a common ground between the two? Obviously Ace endorses same-sex marriage and honestly just because a person is Republican doesn’t mean they can’t have more moderate – liberal views. Party lines are always becoming skewered because our country has pre-set notions of what makes a democrat and a republican. Maybe this is a sign that our party dichotomy is beginning to fade away. Perhaps in a future show this can be discussed, since we apparently have people wanting to hear more about politics.

Stay tuned for the critique for the next show!

Learning to Love – Lundon Calling’s 166th Show

Forgive me for not posting a review for the previous show my friends, I was experiencing a significant amount of technical difficulties, thankfully I was able to listen to the 166th show featuring writer Sean Chandler. Despite the numerous laughs wrought by this show’s discussion of male genitalia (actually genitalia in general) it was balanced out well with important discussions about family, the state of LGBTQ rights in America, and the support we receive outside our own community.

One of the introductory subjects that blew me out of the water was the fact that Ace was once apart of the Lawrence Welk Show! I spent the greater amount of my childhood watching the show with my grandmother and it is very fascinating to know that a good friend of mine was apart of that experience!

As discussed in past shows, the topic of “coming out of the closet” was brought into perspective. The role of family becomes a rather unstable variable that can go either way when an individual comes to terms with their sexual orientation. While some families take the change rather harshly, others find themselves growing closer to their loved ones. The point made in the show though conveyed the important point that beyond the immediate biological family, there is the family of our community. Even though we are a rather small community in this world we all can relate to one and other and it’s important to build off from that strength. Despite this sense of calm we find in our families, it’s easy to overlook the terrible things happening in many African countries to LGBTQ people. On many past shows we’ve discussed various occurrences happening in Uganda and other countries where the gay-equivalent of witch-hunts are being performed. It brings us back to the question of, “Could this happen in America?” Ace believes that it could, and I do agree with him. Which is why we always need to be prepared for whatever is thrown at us.

The ultimate theme of the show which I loved was learning how to love, regardless the person. Isn’t that what powers our lives? The sense of affection and affinity for our fellow human? All of this conflict in particular toward the LGBTQ community could be averted if we learned that love isn’t limited by something as mere as a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

Creativity Powers Culture – Lundon Calling’s 164th Show

The 164th show of Lundon Calling showcased Ace Lundon, the lovely Lance Helms who FINALLY returned, and the renown activist, columnist and writer Abby Dees. This show was not only informative but also quite entertaining.

Like in a few previous shows the mixed feelings related to the word “queer” came up on multiple occasions. It is easy to see how the word queer has transformed over the previous fifty years, ranging from a ripe derogatory comment toward LGBT individuals to a term used to encompass all the letters in the acronym in essence creating an entirely new all-encompassing group. Ace mentions the fact that he has received some flack in the past for using the term queer frequently on the show, which I can understand since queer used to be a popular word thrown around by bullies. But most of all I think people need to realize that our lexicon is constantly changing, the English language itself is molding into something different every day we use it and it’s important that people leave behind the derogatory memory of the word. The new meaning of “queer” brings the community a sense of commonality — Dees states, “What we all have in common with one another is that we’re breaking the rules about what boys and girls are supposed to do.”

Ace brings up an important point in the show where he discusses how he almost joined the military back in the day, but was denied. This happened during a phase in his life where he was still unsure about his sexual orientation. I find it a very common practice when an individual attempts to try and perform more societal-deemed masculine tasks. No doubt I’ve seen a lot of women do the same in order to orient themselves with a more feminine persona. But why does this happen? That critical phase between thinking about a person’s orientation and actually coming out makes the individual think they can change who they are by adjusting themselves to the specified gender dynamics that are expected of them. Perhaps during the next show we can talk about this because I think all LGBT people go through this sort of “gender identity crisis.”

Has our journey to reach equality been skewered by endless non-profits and benefit groups stretching any LGBT goals too thin? Abby thinks that we are burnt out by all the constant groups coming into existence every day and I agree with her. Activism requires focus in order for it to function. Not only that but in order to reach the goals we want we need to make our voices heard. The best activism is always a result of someone speaking out and making their opinions known.

One of the best ways of being an activist is partaking in the arts. By expressing one’s emotions through poetry, prose, art, or even music their opinions are no doubt brought out. Dees makes another wonderful comment about how “Art is the mirror for who we are.” Despite not having many politicians supporting the arts, we all have to remember that the arts are keeping our culture alive. We keep ourselves alive through embellishing our culture with creativity.

The State of the Community – Lundon Calling’s 163rd Show

The 163rd Lundon Calling show was definitely a treat when it comes to discussing not only issues related to sexual orientation, but also issues aimed toward religion and politics. Last week’s show was graced by guest-co-host Bridgett Wynn and guest Brett Edward Stout. Safe to say it was definitely a lovely collection of insightful individuals.

I knew we were going to discuss Florida law right off the bat when Ace mentioned the Trayvon Martin case. It seems as though Florida is pretty well-known for having infamous court cases aired on TV. In fact throughout the conversation a couple times Brett mentioned that the media usually gets one side of the story, while a different media venue gets a different side which both become misleading. We all remember how the news had non-stop coverage of the Casey Anthony trial, well it seems the Trayvon Martin case is turning into the latest episode of ‘the media can’t find anything else to talk about.’ Not only that but whenever we see politicians talking in media I’ve seen an enormous focus on extremely conservative people being promoted. Not only has the recent GOP been a rampant proprietor of such news but recent issues regarding evangelicals speaking out against same-sex marriage and Planned Parenthood is getting ridiculous.

My main question that I wish was covered more in the show is why the media is beginning to take more interest in extreme conservative individuals? This question weighs into the point that Ace tries to make about half-way through the show when he mentions the fact that the LGBT community in our country could face bad times in the future if we are not careful — things like the problems happening in Uganda and Russia could become an issue here. Is the media focusing on evangelical conservatives the first droplet of water that’ll start the downpour? Safe to say I think if anything extreme toward the entire LGBT populous happened here there’d be a lot of issue and controversy since we have a lot of allies on our side. It’s just a matter of how the future progresses.

The final bit of the conversation I’d like to touch on is a segment that Brett initiated through talking about the important political issues in the LGBT community. We’ve poured so much money and effort into legalizing same-sex marriage that we’ve forgotten about other issues that potentially poses a threat to us. What about our employers being able to fire us for being gay? That’s definitely an issue to consider especially when Brett pointed out the fact that more gay people would rather keep their jobs than get married. Not that same-sex marriage isn’t important but there are a lot of us gays out there who aren’t even in relationships, so what would be the point? Besides, how would we pay for our weddings if we lost our jobs due to our own sexual orientation? It’s definitely something to consider.

The Inside and Outside of Communities – Lundon Calling’s 162nd Show

Lundon Calling’s 162nd episode was definitely a wild ride when it comes to discussing numerous topics. Ace Lundon graced the show with his wonderful hosting along with guest-co-host Jim Koury sitting in for Lance and guest speaker Nathan Treanor. I have had so much fun doing these reviews for the show, it provides excellent reflection and contemplation about the different facets of life.

The first topic started with a bang when Ace brought up the fact that Arizona is a rather amusing state when it comes to politics. Apparently they are trying to pass a law aimed at online bullying (which is something you’d think I’d be all for) that criminalizes annoying and offensive people. How does a person define annoying or offensive though? I agree with everyone on the show that this potential law gives the government a bit too much power over people. Anybody could take something as being offensive or annoying.

The conversation quickly transitioned into how we cope with our lives and I think it was a good follow up especially since we, as a community, have to cope with a significant amount of oppression from outside communities. I think the best way we can cope is to build bridges between one another, granted that was never really mentioned in the conversation but that is my own conclusion. We learn about ourselves through not only our experiences but being aware and open to other people’s experiences.

Amidst both Ace drinking whiskey and Nathan enjoying some wine the conversation took a rather fascinating turn when discussing the 90 gay males who were stoned to death in the Middle East. Everyone on the show came to the conclusion that newer generations don’t realize how grave our situation could become when it comes to dealing with homophobic people or religious extremists. Being an individual from the 1980’s generation I can say that I do understand the severity regarding how our existences could quickly change. Again I think lumping an entire generation into one stereotype isn’t necessarily the most logical reason for people’s ignorance. There are simply ignorant people out there, there’s many in my generation and younger generations who are not.

The final facet of the conversation I’d like to focus on is everyone’s consensus to legalize drugs like marijuana. While I can see that the economic benefits would be great I can understand why it is illegal. Marijuana is not necessarily physically addictive; however, it is psychologically addictive. I’ve seen people become so engrossed and obsessed with getting their next hit that they simply do nothing but wait day to day for their next high. So while it can be medicinal, while it can benefit our economy it is illegal for that reason I feel.

What Makes an Activist? – Lundon Calling’s 161st Show

Lundon Calling’s 161st episode sure was eclectic when it comes to the content discussed between host Ace Lundon and Guest-Co-Host Jim Koury. It was lovely getting to hear Jim’s particularly dashing voice for the first time. (wink face). And where the heck has Lance been? We miss you!

After the first 15-20 minutes of random discussion between Ace and Jim the meat of the conversation sparked when the use of the word “queer” was brought into the light. No matter what sexual orientation we are we hear this term thrown around a lot regardless it being used as an insult or a compliment — in some instances merely as a descriptive noun notating a rather large group of people. In fact in many situations it has been included in the large acronym used to annotate any lifestyle contrary to heterosexuality: LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer). Queer is often used for individuals who do not associate themselves with any sort of sexual orientation, in other instances it is just another term for being homosexual. I think it should have been discussed as to what differentiates the different meanings of this word since it is used so much in and outside of whichever community it is associated with.

The next significant turning point in the discussion was Ace’s contemplation about the failings of various activists. What makes an activist last, and what makes an activist lose their bearing in the community and fade away? Ace uses his example of why Lundon Calling has lasted four years and says that an activist much reach out to other people and focus on them instead of focusing on themselves. Most activists who fail end up being too engrossed with their own success and name which leads them down a path that does not benefit them in the end. I completely agree with Ace on this because for the longest time we’ve seen activists rise and fall because of their own self-focused intentions.

The next phase of the conversation contained a lot of discussion about every person having to deal with being alone at one point in their life or another. Ace knows this since his lover crossed the other side many years ago; however, Jim mentions that he is beginning to think about what his life will be like when his family is gone. I think everyone has an inherent fear of being alone, but Ace comes to the conclusion that in order to value life to it’s fullest a person needs to experience what it feels like to live on their own — which I agree with.

The final segment of the show consisted of a lot of discussion about the state of politics today and how it is so propelled by money. With all these super packs and massive influxes of donations, has an election turned into the highest bid? Or has it always been this way? It sort of makes me wonder why we vote if a person being elected is the highest money maker. Excellent food for thought!

The Confines of Relationships – Lundon Calling’s 160th Show

When can a person say that they know the person they’re in a relationship with? Ace Lundon posed this question on the 160th show of Lundon Calling and it remained a common theme throughout the first quarter of the discussion. The conversation sparked when Ace asked whether or not Lance felt as though he knew his significant other after being in a 2-3 year relationship. Lance said that he did; however, Ace stated afterward that it takes even longer than that to actually become completely acquainted with a person. Then again, do we really ever become fully acquainted with a person? Regardless, I think it depends on the individuals involved — some people hit it off instantly, others it takes awhile for that sense of understanding and trust to kick in.

Amidst the conversation about relationships, Ace and Lance came to the conclusion that many relationships are initially based on some sort of sexual attraction. I agree and disagree with them. It is common for a sexual attraction to be the spark that lights the fire, although there seems to be some people whose attraction initiates through an interest in personality. Even I have had relationships like that before. So while I do agree that sexual attraction can play a major role in how relationships start, I do not think it is the only variable involved. Personality, life experience and perception also play a major role.

One facet of the conversation really peaked my interest when Ace and Lance began discussing the role of drugs in our society, with a particular focus on marijuana users. At one point during the discussion it is mentioned that such drug use should be legalized since ‘stoners’ really pose no threat to society. While I do agree, I will say that they do pose a threat to themselves at times. I’ve known some people who’ve grown psychologically dependant on drugs such as marijuana. While it is not physically addictive, it is psychologically addictive which could lead to other health and mental complications. Even though legalizing drug use could improve the economy immensely we must realize that there is likely be a flip-side to that coin.

It seems that the conversional ideology Christianity remains loyal to could be the reason why so many people are growing weary of the religion. Lundon and Helms discuss whether or not the religion would be more appealing if there was no cause to reach out and convert others into the religion. I completely agree with both Lance and Ace regarding this subject because the whole religion dictating everything dilemma especially with our particularly theocratic Republican Presidential Candidates is becoming tiresome.

The final major subject during the show was the conviction of the man who exposed Tyler Clementi’s sexual life to the world. Ace presents the question of whether or not this man’s act was a hate crime. Lance doesn’t necessarily think so, and I partially agree with him. First of all, this act has happened many times in the past and wasn’t necessarily labeled a hate crime — and we don’t really know the intentions behind this person’s actions. Now if he did it just out of sheer spite of Tyler being a homosexual, then yes I would consider it a hate crime. Though if he did it because he thought it’d be funny then I don’t think it’d be considered in the realm of hate crime. It’s a fine line, and difficult to define but it honestly depends on the context in which the act was committed. The act could have been stopped with some better judgment, unfortunately Tyler’s supposed inadvertent killer may not have been thinking clearly.

Stay tuned for the next Lundon Calling Show!