Great little clip covering the making of this week’s powerful episode of GLEE.
Love the Max Adler segment talking about his role in the episode.
Marriage News Watch – February 23, 2012
Interview with Max Adler from GLEE
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| Max Adler from GLEE |
[SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE MOST RECENT EPISODE OF GLEE]
Glee viewers were already shocked to see Kurt’s former bully Karofsky (Max Adler) pop up in last week’s Valentine’s Day episode, particularly since Karofsky pledged his love for his former victim.
But last night’s winter finale, “On My Way,” proved to be even more surprising. Spurred on by his own homophobic high school bullies both in school and online, Karofsky attempted suicide but was unsuccessful. Max Adler says he applauds Glee‘s producers for tackling such a timely subject: ” As an actor to portray this role on a show like this has been the most amazing opportunity that I could have asked for,” says Adler. “I was incredibly happy that they were brave enough and honest enough to go there because I think it’s a very prevalent issue now in the world.”
Here’s an excerpt of Max’s newest interview with Entertainment Weekly:
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When did you find out about the suicide attempt?
MAX ADLER: It’s always [in] the script. The kiss. The prom. The suicide. I just get the scripts and am delighted to get that script. I remember last year there were a bunch of interviews I’ve done where I said I could see this ending that way, like as a negative result. But I didn’t think they would go there. I think because the fact that it’s so prevalent in the news and it’s such an epidemic, it needs to be shown and it needs to be talked about. I think all our hopes is that it saves a lot of lives and, to the bullies, I think it sheds a whole new perspective on what their words really do to people.
Was there any concern that the twist was too dark? Or too heavy for Glee?
My thought was this: the show is about high school kids. At that time of your life, there are no decisions that have been made for you. You have so much optimism and hope and you do anything you want. Along the lines of the comedy/tragedy map, you also need to also, to gain perspective, show the struggles and the fears and the anxieties of people in high school. I feel like if you ignore one side and show the other, it’s not as rich and powerful of an experience. If everyone can see both sides, there’s an amazing window of perspective that opens up and you can appreciate one now that you see the other. I thought it was necessary to go here to contrast with what is normally seen on the show. At the end, there is a message of hope.
The scenes leading up to the suicide attempt were so intense and emotional. That must have been tough to film?
Yeah, incredibly tough. I’ve talked to so many people via charities, via Facebook, via twitter. I didn’t have Facebook when I was in high school. Bullying then was more of a hand-to-hand combat. You had to do it face to face and you saw the reaction and you could see the emotion. Now it’s become more of like a verbal sniper. There are people that can fire at you from all angles on tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and there’s no way to stop it. And you get deeper and deeper into this whole and it’s incredibly scary. For me, to experience that and walk a mile in someone’s shoes, it was incredible and it was an amazing learning experience. Was it easy? No. But valuable? Yes.
It’s amazing to think about Karofsky’s 180. You at first appeared to be a standard bully and now he’s this rich, shaded character.
When I was first cast it was just two lines and throwing that slushy onto Finn and that’s what I signed on for. Now to be in over 20 episodes and three seasons has been incredible. You’re right, it’s a 180 but you have to understand why and what motivates that. For Karofsky, back at McKinley he expressed himself by fitting into this mold and not being himself and bullying was his outlet. When that didn’t work, he turned to the sensitive, softer Gorilla-gram method. That didn’t work. That’s when the desperation sets in.
My dad always said to me that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. That always stuck with me. I feel like that what it is. You can have a few bad days but you gotta understand that there’s a whole future and a whole world out there that do accept you for who you are. That’s why we do what we do on the show is to make everyone realize that being who you are is one of the most beautiful things that you can do.
Do you think Karofsky is legitimately in love with Kurt? Or in love with the life Kurt leads?
Exactly. To me it’s never been lustful or sexual. It’s always been that connection of really admiring Kurt for being the only person Karofsky sees that’s truly himself. I think that’s so rare and for Karofsky to see that there’s just an incredible amount of respect and admiration. Kurt is like this beacon of hope and how it could be for Karofsky. It’s not so much he wants him in a romantic way. It’s always just a different need to have a genuine human connection with someone. That eventually is what can make Karofsky happy in the future, finding someone who will love him for everything that he is.
Mary Chapin Carpenter – “House of Cards”
I completely get this song and video.
I’m always in the mood for some Mary Chapin Carpenter. What’s surprising is how I’m still ‘surprised’ at how much I love her writing.
Federal Court rules Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional
U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White has ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies same-sex married couples federal rights, unconstitutional for violating the Constitution’s guarantee of equality:
Politico’s Josh Gerstein:
U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White, who sits in San Francisco and was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, issued the ruling Wednesday afternoon in a case involving federal judicial law clerk Karen Golinski’s request for benefits for her female spouse. White said the stated goals of DOMA, passed in 1996 and signed by President Bill Clinton, could not pass muster under a so-called “heightened scrutiny” test or even a lower “rational basis” threshhold.
“The imposition of subjective moral beliefs of a majority upon a minority cannot provide a justification for the legislation. The obligation of the Court is ‘to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code,'” White wrote. “Tradition alone, however, cannot form an adequate justification for a law….The ‘ancient lineage” of a classification does not render it legitimate….Instead, the government must have an interest separate and apart from the fact of tradition itself.”
Reuters’ Dan Levine adds:
“White, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, a Republican, issued a permanent injunction preventing the government from further interfering with Golinski’s ability to enroll her wife in the insurance program.”
“You’ve got hate mail”
SRSLY?
I actually got this in email today: an appeal from the “Family Research Council” – which has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. This is part of what they sent:
“They are trying to portray homosexual couples as holding the same values and commitment as traditional married couples–thus deserving of legal marriage.
I believe we can defeat the high-dollar resources of the radical Left’s funding of “The Commitment Campaign.” By God’s grace, we have used your donations in the past to defeat the Goliaths of the opposition. But if we ever needed your financial help, it is now–when marriage and religious freedom are on the line in 2012.”
Lord, help these simple people….
Governor of Hawaii will not defend same-sex marriage ban
In a news release today, the Attorney General’s office of Hawaii said it has filed separate court responses for the governor and Health Department director Loretta Fuddy to a lawsuit that challenges the state constitutional ban of same-sex marriages.
A new law passed last year permits same-sex couples to enter into state-sanctioned “civil unions” but the constitutional ban of marriages remains.
“Under current law, a heterosexual couple can choose to enter into a marriage or a civil union. A same-sex couple, however, may only elect a civil union. My obligation as Governor is to support equality under law. This is inequality, and I will not defend it,” Abercrombie said.
Fuddy said it is her job to administer the law now on the books and that is what she must do.
“The Department of Health is charged with implementing the law as passed by the Legislature.,” said Fuddy.
“Absent any ruling to the contrary by competent judicial authority regarding constitutionality, the law will be enforced. Because I am being sued for administering the law, I will also defend it,” said Fuddy.
The lawsuit was filed in November by same-sex couple Natasha Jackson and Janin Kleid after they were denied a marriage license by the Health Department.
Another plaintiff, Gary Bradley, said that he and his partner were the first couple to enter into a civil union in Hawaii but didn’t apply for a marriage license as it would have been “futile.”
Attorney General David Louie said his office will represent both Abercrombie and Fuddy in the lawsuit, despite their divergent positions.
Chippendales – “What I do”
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Tennessee Governor: “Drop the ‘Don’t Say Gay Bill'”
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (R) has told state lawmakers to drop the now infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill that has made nationwide headlines for the past few years.
The bill would make any discussion or acknowledgment of homosexuality illegal in Tennessee schools.
Yesterday a committee of state lawmakers put off dealing with so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation. That’s after hearing in private from an official with Governor Bill Haslam’s office.
The amendment that passed the state senate last year would limit all sexual instruction up through eighth grade to quote “natural human reproduction science.” Now some House lawmakers want to add some exceptions, or keep it from interfering with an anti-bullying law passed last year.
Asked about his administration’s reported intervention yesterday, Haslam told reporters he thinks there are simply better things for lawmakers to spend their time on.
“I’ve said before I don’t think that should be a priority of the legislature. I think there’s other things that we can and should be focused on right now, and I’ve been up front about that from the very beginning.”
With Tennessee’s unemployment rate higher than the national average, ranked 39th out of 50 states for child homelessness, plus being ranked 45th out of 50 states for state planning and policy, you have to wonder: is this the most important thing to be debating in Tennessee?
Gays hitting the haters where it hurts
Anti-gay New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has pissed off her hair stylist to the point where he’s officially abandoning the lawmaker’s hair.
Antonio Darden, a Santa Fe-based hair stylist, refuses to cut Martinez’s hair after learning that the Republican governor is against marriage equality.
“The governor’s aides called not too long ago, wanting another appointment to come in,” Darden said. “Because of her stances and her views on this I told her aides no. They called the next day, asking if I’d changed my mind about taking the governor in and I said no again.”
“I think it’s just equality, dignity for everyone. I think everybody should be allowed the right to be together. My partner and I have been together for 15 years.”
Darden says he worked on Martinez’s mop three times before he launched his protest.
(source)