Channel surfing at 1am last night, I stumbled across “The Normal Heart” with Mark Ruffalo, Jim Patterson, Julia Roberts, and a whole galaxy of gay stars. As far away from the inanities of Glee as one could get, Ryan Murphy directed this new film version of Larry Kramer’s 20 year old play with his unflinching and compassionate heart... instantly rendering my previous review of Maleficent trite. Like the TV Guide reviewer who invited a survivor of that era, and a young activist of today who hadnt even been born then, to watch the HBO premiere together, I felt as if I too was watching the past turn into the future.” The Normal Heart was almost unbearable to watch. I forgot what it was like, 30 years ago, the whispered but palpable fear when AIDS began to be regarded as a real modern plague sent to punish and cleanse the world of gays. One by one, my friends started to come out of the closet, or were outed. I lived in L.A. then, a cub-reporter for KHJ-Channel 9 Action News. I remember the shock I felt when a friend who was a star amongst us because he was a regular on CNN, sadly told me he too had been diagnosed with AIDS and had agreed to have his “ordeal” documented by CNN. I promised I would never forget him… and I haven’t… but today, for the life and utter shame of me, I can no longer remember his name! I watched him degrade before my eyes, a once handsome, buoyant, confident and articulate young man...and he became shrunken, wasted, hallow, and worst of all, scared, but still articulate. So many talented, creative, funny, brilliant men from the Arts were dying! On his last episode, he said something like, do something, now!... otherwise you will lose all the people who are the Spice of this bland world. As we all know now, AIDS is no longer terminal or fatal but manageable. But in the years Larry Kramer wrote of, you didnt know if you could catch it by simply shaking hands. The homophobia was inhuman. I cannot remember my friends name (although I promise I will before this day is out) but I do remember that on national television, he was dying but did not want to, and he could not stop himself from doing what so many of us were also doing: he cried.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 23:11:38 +0000
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