PAGEANT'S MAIN DRAG

New York Post ^ | 11/28/2003 | HEIDI SINGER and TATIANA DELIGIANNAKIS

[HarleyD]

Drag queen Harvey Fierstein was sadly mistaken if he thought he could ride with Santa dressed as Mrs. Claus in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, organizers said yesterday.

The Broadway star caused a ruckus when he bragged he would portray Santa's better half in the 77th annual parade, which went off yesterday with beautiful weather and packed crowds.

[HarleyD]

"But organizers maintained he was scheduled to portray his "Hairspray" character, Edna, dressed as Mrs. Claus

Even this was more than we could bear. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been degenerating for years but this was the last straw. For the first time that I ever remember we chose NOT to watch the parade. Perhaps this is our "NEW" family tradition.

[yoe]

.........I thought that spot would be open for Bishop Robinson...........

[Savage Beast]

I have no interest in transvestitism (and frankly, drag-queens creep me out), but this sort of thing has always been a part of popular culture, from Milton Berle's cross-dressing (which I never found amusing) to Dame Edna (whom I have never found unamusing). Why is this a problem?

[HarleyD]

"Why is this a problem"

Milton Berle's routines (which I never found funny either) were comedy routines. This is not meant as comedy.

[TomB]

But organizers insisted Fierstein was stepping all over a sacred tradition, not just because he was imposing his political views on a family event but because nobody - nobody - gets to ride with Santa as he brings up the rear of the parade.

A rather unfortunate choice of words, considering the topic.

[baltodog]

Milton Berle did not cross-dress as a precurser to a diatrabe on gay marriage.
I'm only 41 years old, but I don't really recall too many comedy routines from classic television that had to do with gay marrriage (which I find very freaking amusing).

[TomB]

Why is this a problem?

One is a comedy routine, the other is a political statement.

The actor wrote in Wednesday's New York Times that he would portray Mrs. Claus and used it as jumping-off point for a discussion of gay marriage.

[Cicero]

Having gone to a boy's school, I'm quite used to the idea of men dressing up as women, which we had to do whenever we put on a play. I remember appearing in one play as a Middle European peasant woman--I forget what the play was about.

It was also traditional for men to dress in female costume in our summer fancy dress show. One of my contemporaries annually played the part of one of the snootiest women in our summer community, and it was always very funny.

That's quite a different thing from today's in-your-face political demands from the homosexual activists. There's just no comparison.

[Savage Beast]

Why is this a problem?

"One is a comedy routine, the other is a political statement."

I think you're right, Tom.