Over winter break, as I was listening to a local hard rock station one evening, the disc jockey decided to give out some tickets for the upcoming New Year's Eve bash. But instead of awarding the prize package to any particular caller, he decided to give it to the winner of the "Name That Homo" game.
The DJ turned down the background drumbeat to play "All By Myself" and within minutes people started calling in. Someone decided to "take a stab at it"-the DJ promptly warned the listener to be careful where he stabs it. And after more "stabbing" by clueless callers it turned out that neither Richard Marx or Barry Manilow sang the song. It was Eric Carman.
I suppose that I should first clear up any creeping misconceptions. I live in a booming Southern city with a metropolitan population of over 700,000 and a fair share of relocated yuppies drawn in by the local economy (it's the price of progress). And, no, this radio station isn't run by a bunch of inbred rednecks. Instead, it's the official flagship station for the local NFL team, the home of a widely popular syndicated morning radio show and the most listened-to FM radio station in the area.
Still, probably as a result of my broad Duke education, I honestly couldn't believe what I had just heard. So I called the radio station to check out whether any listeners had complained so far.
"Nope, not one," said the DJ.
We chatted for a while and it turns out that this game had been on air for over a month-the only related calls the station received were listeners shocked that someone had the guts to put this game on radio. No listener thought the game inappropriate enough to call and complain-everyone who called offered their support and urged the DJ to continue.
But here's what I don't get-why would one have to have guts to air such things? How was this guy turning into a hero of the masses? And what's wrong with putting the stupid guessing game on the airwaves anyway?
Now, I don't doubt that "Name That Homo" further entrenches stereotypes about gays. I'd even agree that the game helps maintain the traditionally rigid notions of male sexuality, which have so far proven quite deficient in facilitating understanding between the sexes. On top of this, as any frustrated woman might tell you, threatening a man's sexuality as soon he expresses, acknowledges or demonstrates the slightest comprehension of deep emotions bodes ill for his ability to effectively communicate with the women in his life. But three hours of football tend to have that effect, too.
Still, beneath all this, there is no hate, explicit or inherent, in "Name That Homo." Sure, there is a certain air of disapproval, but any reasonable person should expect this: Homosexuality is not as easy to accept as race because it entails a specific type of lifestyle. Societal specifics, genetic predisposition and cultural trends aside, being black, white or Asian has no discernible effect on someone's interests and behavior. But being gay does because it carries with it a difference in the most fundamental of preferences-sex. And it shouldn't surprise anyone that many people find that hard to deal with.
But buttering over these differences with strict rules of decorum seems to me like a step backward if our goal is to create an environment where everyone is accepting of everyone. While I'm optimistic that someday most people will view sexual orientation as a dimension of taste that affects the private life, the truth of the matter is that such a day is far off-and I'm sorry to say that no politically correct campaign will bring it about sooner.
"The Clinton years are over," the DJ told me. "There's going to be some backlash from the political correctness of the '90s.... People are tired of watching their P's and Q's."
The statement above typifies the problem: More and more people are coming to view political correctness as a chore and not as a matter of mutual respect. Perhaps this is why a DJ who markets his controversial personality can be viewed by some as a savior of free speech.
I'm not sure what the future will bring, but I do think that if political correctness is crammed down people's throats some serious backlash will occur. Views change slowly and norms cannot be internalized without letting time grind them out-you can't force true tolerance and understanding on people, because they have to realize it themselves.
In the end, I think the solution lies in letting people speak their minds, name those homos or whatever else they find funny. And while that may be easy for me to say-I'm a white heterosexual who's never been on that side of the fence-I think it must be understood on some level that for many people it takes a lot to see past stereotypes and become accepting of others.
But this day will come. As interaction between people increases and there is greater discussion of these issues, the real changes in norms and opinions will slowly follow.
Marko Djuranovic is a Trinity junior and health and science editor of The Chronicle.
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