Picture it: Small town, Oklahoma... April 30, 1990.
I think one of the little bright spots of my youth in Oklahoma was the series "Designing Women". This show ran from 1986 to 1993, and I don't think I missed an episode. I've known lots of gay men who followed that show back in the day. I don't know why... maybe it's a combination of gay men identifying with divas (Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Streisand, Cher, Callas) and our appreciation for southern women (Scarlett O'Hara, Tammy Wynette, the cast of Steel Magnolias, all of Del Shores' work).
Richard Dyer suggested that some gay men have historically identified with these women because marginalized groups have always gravitated toward an identification with these cult icons in an effort to ease the sting of social otherness that was so very characteristic of the day to day lives of gay men (at least until very recently). Wayne Koestenbaum, in his fantastic book "The Queen's Throat: Opera, Homosexuality, and the Mystery of Desire", posited that the social marginalization of gays facilitated identification with Maria Callas and her tumultous, tragic career and life.
Dyer and Koestenbaum make good points, though they ignore the fact that gaiety can't be painted with a broad brush... I know a couple gay men who dislike musical theatre and diva worship intensely. So I'm just not sure that we need a "queer theory" approach in this case. Maybe the reason why I loved this show so much was the fearlessness inherent in these characters. This was something that I was trying to develop in myself at that time in my life, so I guess it stands to reason that I'd enjoy the show and identify with it. It's also true that sometimes the enjoyment of a television show is due simply to good writing, excellent ensemble casting, and timely social relevance.
This is one of my favorite scenes in the series. When I think of this show, this is the first scene I think about. My family still to this day says the immortal line "I love knowledge... in fact I yearn for it... "
