Since our trip to Sweden, Marvin has not quite been the same. I was unaware of all the big changes going on in his life until about two weeks ago when we met up for lunch. Turns out he burst forth some good news to share with me, but he made me promise to be quiet about it until he was ready to say it in his own words. As so often happens with Marvin, good news becomes, well, not bad, but not quite good either.
See for yourself and give Marvin some comments to help him on his journey.
Oh, and I retired Homo No Mo just in time! Now you can see, Straight to Heaven, an ex-gay parody in musical form that was presented at the GCN--Gay Christian Network Conference 2007. Hilarious!
In the Love in Action ex-gay residentatl program, Friday night was movie night. Yeah, we got to see one movie a week in the form of a video (they didn't have a DVD—it was over 10 years ago). In the following YouTube video I reveal the secrets behind watching films in the Big House. Find out what's in, what's out, and why Biblical films were banned!
Ex-Gay Watch posted this VERY FUNNY music video that finally explains how it is that "the gays" are destroying marriage.
And I posted this before, but here is the entertaining trailer for the film, Chasing the Devil: Inside the Ex-Gay Movement. The man talking about zebras with the cat trying to steal the shot is my father.
Just when you thought it was safe to browse YouTube, Marvin strikes again. I should never have gotten him that video camera for Christmas. He keeps sending me files to edit and post for him (he is still skittish about the Internet ever since his whole demonic virus hard-drive meltdown.
In his latest installment he informs us that he is under demonic attack as a result of his recent holiday, um Holy Day message. To make matters worse, he tries to be sensitive this year towards his parents and buys them the "perfect gift" for Hanukkah.
He asked me to tell you that he is willing to take on your questions about faith, morality, demons or even his own life. In his own words, "I'm an open book." God help us all. Marvin Bloom Under Attack!
Some of you know Marvin Bloom very well. He was an audio blogger here for several months and shared his own special mix of wisdom and passive aggressiveness. He has been hiding out for over a year, but has made a special appearance for Christmas. Really no words can properly describe the madness and sincerity of Marvin. You will just have to experience it yourself. Of course I told him I would share all messages that you have with him. He will not venture onto the web himself ever since an unfortunate incident with a demonic virus that he downloaded onto his hard drive. But that is another story.
Well that is the sort of way we used to refer to Halloween during my Pentecostal Christian days. (Although growing up and gorging on candy, I felt like hurling demons.)
In Memphis lots of the conservative family churches held "Harvest Parties" on Halloween for fear of giving the devil a foothold if the kids got too ghoulish. And I am sure some of you have heard of the Hell House craze blazing across the US scaring the snot out of kids in hopes of bringing them to Christ.
She recalls the church group her parents joined in Oregon, where instead of Halloween celebrations they held an annual Hallelujah Party with kids dressing as their favorite Bible characters. (Even at 11 she had a nonconformist streak: “All the girls wanted to be Mary,” she says, laughing. “I went as a leper!”)
I just e-mailed her to see if she had any of those torn and dirty rags to lend me this year.She replied,
we would be such an awesome halloween couple - you as lazarus me as a leper, both removing our rags....
perhaps we could do some kind of interpretive dance around this? ;)
Art by Quakers fills my life today. Some months ago Robert Batson, a member of Hartford Friends Meeting (aka Quaker), exhibited some of his work at the meeting house. The art captured my attention, and I purchased piece. Today I brought home the 18"x24" Untitled painting by Robert. I love the colors and the use of space and the emotions, some contrary, that piece expresses to me. (click on it for larger view) Then after meeting we had our monthly potluck lunch where I met a visitor, a retired high school art teacher. Sadly I did not catch his name, but he offered to draw something on my journal cover. He created this dove. Finally while sitting with Jamie Taylor, a Friend from meeting, we chatted about literature and art (and a thousand other things. A PhD candidate doing research in public policy and homelessness, Jamie embraces many interests--poetry, meditation, social justice issues, dynamics of relationships, etc. So we converse broadly)
As we talked about art and the strange fit for the artist in the Quaker community, I doodled something I have titled Quacker Worship. I think Alex in Sweden inspired me as he attended a Quaker retreat near Stockholm this weekend (note the colors). Quaker Art--a strange fit. As a performance artist working in comedy, I find that presenting to a Quaker audiences fills me with anxiety and concerns that I rarely experience in other venues. Some Friends enjoy and "get" what I do, but I regularly meet Quakers who do not (and tell me so as they offer their critiques, suggestions and sources of offense). I find that some Quakers offend easily. Some focus so much on words that they miss the point. I do take some of what they say seriously and consider it to see if it speaks to me (usually it does not).
Art for me comes from a place of worship--it serves as worship infused with messages. It is ministry (and yes I still shrink from that word but begin to accept it). I do occasionally speak in meeting (vocal ministry). But my art is my worship and includes more than words.
At the Ex-Gay Survivors Conference Christine Bakke organized an art show, created collages of the ex-gay experience and currently curates our on-line gallery. Seeing the impact of that art on those who have viewed it reminds me that people need more than vocal ministry. In fact, vocal ministry can get stuck in the head (and we Quakers can be a heady bunch). Words get clogged and can miss the mark, but art--visual, musical, performance, dance, film--can bypass the filters and get to a deeper place in us.
Often an audience member tells me they feel moved by one of my shows, but they do not fully understand why. They sometimes hear messages that I never utter or script. Art wedded with Spirit aids our abilities to grow, heal, feel challenged and find hope.
I am sitting in the office of Courage UK with Jeremy Marks plowing through the score of e-mails he has to answer after being out of the office for the day. Many not the same sort of deluge that Exodus gets daily (see Fuzzy Ex-Gay Math), but it keeps Jeremy busy.
He just read me a wonderfully hilarious article from NewsBiscuit, a UK version of The Onion
A young man has publicly announced his intention to become heterosexual despite having been openly gay for several years. Adam Denver said the decision came after a ‘serious bit of lecturing’ from his father. ‘He just sat me down and gave it to me straight. No-one likes a poof, Son,’ recounted Adam; ‘Once he put it like that, I suddenly saw the light
My flight to London last night went smoothly. I flew Virgin Atlantic. Always wanted to do so, but alas I was not impressed. The vegan meal was insipid. The service was so-so. I have to say their entertainment system outshines anything I have ever seen. Tons of movies, TV programs and muisc to choose from, all self directed with the ability to pause, fast forward and rewind. As it was only a 5.5 hour flight and I had to sleep, I did not partake in the wonders of it.
Today I hang out with Jeremy and then over to Waterloo Station to meet up with Michael, my host. Tomorrow I meet up with a friend from Scotland, then I head over to the offices of Greenbelt to talk about this summer's festival, then hopefully I grab a coffee with James Alison, if we can get our schedules to match up.
Okay gang, I have some video for you. First is a clip from when Steven Fales and I appeared on the Trya Banks Show. (Note: if you ever appear on a daytime TV program, NEVER tell them that you had an exorcism or other extreme momentary experience. They will focus so much on that they they could actually miss the point.)
Ex-Gay Watch links to a video ad for Exeter International, a thinly veiled parody.
There is a good reason I don't watch myself perform on video--it is scary and I may never perform again. Am I really this bizarre??? Peggy Senger Parsons caught some video of Vlad in the act during my recent presentation of my one-man (multi-character comedy) The Re-Education of George W. Bush. The question is, when I make a complete fool of myself, will my friends ever tell me??? Peggy writes,
Vlad presented an interpretive dance to a hidden Condaleeza Rice in the audience. Vlad's goal was to entice Condi to run for president and re-instate Russia as the United States favorite enemy. Apparently -they've missed us.
Seeing this I realize it is time for a diet and exercise--I think I have had far too much sweet brown rice this past few weeks (see video here of my current food loop)
And this just in (well uploaded) Christine Bakke (still glowing from her recent appearance on Good Morning America--view clip here) and I met up in NYC yesterday and here is video to prove it. We have fun with the word lesbian. You can say it too, go ahead, try it!
