125: You Can Have a Good Meal

125. "YMCA" by The Village People {#2; 10/78} [iTunes? Yes] {YouTube: YMCA }

When this song first hit the charts in October of 1978, I was twelve years old. And I didn't know that the Village People were gay. In fact, I'm not sure I even knew what "gay" was.

Is this because I was naive? Probably. Because I was sheltered? Definitely. Because I was a little stupid? Duh. Because I was a Mormon living in southeast Idaho in 1978? Of course.

Sure, I had heard the words "gay" and "faggot" and "queer" used as derogatory terms at school, but I didn't really know what they meant. (I was, on more than one occasion, called a "pussy" by some bullies, and I didn't know what that meant, either.)

As far as I was concerned, the Village People were a bunch of guys in cool costumes who sang fun songs. (I owned at least two of their 8-tracks.)

It's amazing how much gay culture has changed in the last 35 years. Back then, all I knew was that Freddie Mercury was fabulous, Paul Lynde was hilarious, and Billie Jean King was a better tennis player than Bobby Riggs. I didn't know and/or care what their sexual preferences were.

In one sense, it was better back then, because their sexual orientation didn't matter, just their talent did. Of course, that's looking back with rose colored glasses. The main reason the sexual orientation didn't matter is because they had to keep it hidden and not talk about it.

Things are different now. If the Village People were to start up today, everyone would know they were gay, even twelve year old Mormon kids in southeast Idaho.

Maybe we'll get to the point where sexual orientation doesn't matter, just the talent. It shouldn't matter. Talent is talent, whether it be Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Bono, Tom Brady, Angela Lansbury, Taylor Swift, Dave Barry, Arsenio Hall, Connie Chung, Robert Downey, Jr., Spud Webb, Kim Kardashian, Anderson Cooper, or Judge Judy, talent is talent and sexual orientation shouldn't matter. (Wait…Kim Kardashian? Talented?)

People

As far as the song is concerned, this is just a fun, fun song. Just a couple of months ago, at my niece's quinceanera, this was one song that the young kids and us old folks could all agree to get up and dance to. 

My question is, when I form the "C" from the "YMCA," do I do it so the "C" is turned so that I can see it, or so that people looking at me can see it? I really don't know.

COMING UP NEXT: Of lizards and long intros.