Unseen Academicals - Revelation!

[Tonyblack]

I'm a bit mystified why you're worried, Meeps. Do you know any homosexuals? The descriptions you've posted are not like any gays that I've ever known. And I don't think they apply to Bengo or Pepe.

I think there's a misunderstanding regarding Pepe being celibate and it may be from the passage that Pooh quoted below.

Page 386 Unseen Academicals Hard back.

Pepe: I've never seen such a large cheeseboard. It almost makes celibacy seem worthwhile.
Madame Sharn: Oh, do you think so?
Pepe: No. By the way, have you noticed that very tall wizard giving you the eye, my dear?
Madame Sharn: That's professor Bengo Macarona. (who is gay) Do you think he -
Pepe: Without a shadow of doubt, my dear. I know he's hurt his legs, but I doubt if that would be a problem.

Page 388

Pepe: I am an old bugger. I am a sod.

My reading of that is that Pepe is referring to the celibacy of wizards. We know from previous books that wizards are supposed to be celibate, in part to make sure they don't get a situation like in Sourcery where they have an eighth son or an eighth son of an eighth son.

The reason that Pepe (as far as I'm concerned) is so violent is that he grew up that way. He was a short kid growing up in a very violent area and needed to be tough.

As far as Bengo goes - I mentioned earlier that he's the Capt. Jack of Discworld. I don't think he's predatory, more that people admire him so much that they throw themselves at him.

 

[Dotsie]

Well, Bengo was named in a divorce petition, but let's face it, if a gay man is married to a woman, he's not going to want to stay faithful to her, is he? That's hardly the third party's fault, because the husband will be actively seeking a sexual partner. And unlike a heterosexual marriage, the man definitely won't be getting want he needs at home. So this stereotype is a little unfair - you can't turn a married man gay.

 

[poohcarrot]

Meeps, as you yourself said, it's "homophobes' fearmongering."

To put it mildly, it's total bigoted pants!

Edit: Actually I've just read it again.

Anyone who believes that kind of claptrap is more of a danger to society than anyone who is gay. :twisted:

 

[Anonymous]

I'm just a bit puzzled why it had to be those two. I know it was likely an accident, but it's a bit weird :/

 

[meerkat]

Why, Meeps?

There are gay men all over the world. It had to be someone. Why not a Wizard? Why not a Fashionista?
I am a straight girl (woman, ok ok,) but I know some men just like Pepe, and come to that, a Madam Sharn. They Are wild and in some cases, woolly , but once they get to know you, and they are quick to see through you, you get to see and hear the real them! And they are so very little different to anyone else.

Pepe is merely letting Andy just know that there are bigger fish than just him in the world. And personally I cheered that it took a gay man to get the better of Andy.

As for Bengo, why shouldn't he be a little different? He comes from a very cosmopolitan country where most things go and often tried ( ).
Perhaps he is a little too friendly with the Students but they come from Ankh Morpork where standing close together with a stranger can be the last day you see! It would make them uncomfortable.

Morporkians are a strange lot themselves!

I would just enjoy it that the gay fraternity is in Morpork. Just like anywhere else in the world.

 

[poohcarrot]

I'm just a bit puzzled why it had to be those two. I know it was likely an accident, but it's a bit weird :/

Which two should it have been then?

 

[Dotsie]

Do you mean that you still think these two fit these so-called stereotypes? I think that everyone else is disagreeing with you. Are you trying to make the characters fit into the stereotypes?

Anyway, I've never heard of these stereotypes. I would say that a more typical stereotype is that gay men are effeminate. And neither Bengo or Pepe are that.

 

[Anonymous]

I feel bad for saying that now sorry

 

[Dotsie]

No-one's mad at you! If I was I would have used this

The people who made the documentary fed you a load of crap.

 

[meerkat]

Keep an open mind, Meeps. Not every one fits a stereo type. and the best way to think is: It's takes a lot of differences to make the world go round!

I'm not mad at you at all. So DON'T feel bad or Meerkat Will be cross!

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

The only 'normal' is a washing machine cycle

As for married men - my best gay friend has had so many 'affairs' with married men he's lost count. Luckily (well actually I wouldn't care in the slightest) he doesn't fancy the housemate at all so that's a) laid to rest. It's just like being straight, one girls Brad Pitt is another's Quasimodo - you don't fancy everyone just because they're the right gender for your tastes. We're actually Dave's best friends so far as going on 'normal' holidays are concerned, because he feels 'safe' in that any other supposedly 'straight' blokes 'giving him the eye', and I can confirm they really do, assume he's with Pete and I'm their 'cover'.

I tell you I'd far rather go shopping or on a girlie night out with Dave than most women friends as there's more laughs and any bitching is all mutual!

A normal man who has sex with a gay one is bi-sexual or not 'out' even to himself. Old gay joke - 'What's the difference between a straight bloke and a bi-sexual? In my experience darling about 9 pints of beer.' (classify beer as lager if it helps any outraged heteros reading this ) and a pronouncement on married men who consider themselves straight but regularly sleep with blokes...

You're so far back in the closet you're in f*cking Narnia!

... if they become impotent as a result it's their own sense of shame at being 'weak' and inability to cope with the knowledge that they're, in their own eyes, freaks or morally decadent that makes them violent and usually that's directed at themselves and not at other people. In fact I'd go so far as to say that documentary is a textbook example of why people get so screwed up over their sexual identities and inclinations because they're made to feel they're dirty and irredeemably warped at the stigma assigned by such stupid and inhumane attitudes.

 

[Anonymous]

To explain (it is gnawing on me) I was confused as these fearmongering-things i heard in the documentary reminded me of the two :/ My fault I guess

 

[meerkat]

Meeps, it is NOT your fault. That item you saw or read caused you uneccesary puzzlement. Forget it and move on or it will bug you for ages.

 

[Anonymous]

SPAM SPAM SPAM

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, this is a new one... Legimate info concerning the topic but as far as I see it illegal stuff in the sig.

/confused

 

[pip]

They siad in another thread they like Twilight so they can't be real

 

[Dotsie]

By the way - Dave Hayden is a member of the Cunning Artificer's site and is who Prof. Hayden is based on. He does indeed give talks on snakes and lizards.

This spammer is just quoting other posts. Pay no attention.

 

[Anonymous]

By the way - Dave Hayden is a member of the Cunning Artificer's site and is who Prof. Hayden is based on. He does indeed give talks on snakes and lizards.

This spammer is just quoting other posts. Pay no attention.

oh, missed that. Geese, that's a new low for spambots....

On the bright side... I tihnk whoever programmed the bot is weeping in a corner somewhere now if they noticed there bot made it look as if they are liking twilight.

 

[Penfold]

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, I have to annoy some of you again, other's might plain wonder why the heck I have too much time on my hands:

There's a bit about half way through the book (page 204 or so, corgi edition) that goes something like
'And thus, after a lot of bickering, UU's first match of football in decades began'

I know it's basically just 'training' but I can't help but wonder:

The Bequest just states they have to enter a team into the game, aka, play a match.
It never states it won't be ok to play faculty vs students.

Wouldn't it just have been enough to get someone from the guild of lawyers, watch their attempts and give the Okay that that counted for the next 20 years?

I mean if a game of not even 45 minutes following a set of rules (very likely) different from those active when the bequest was made, which is in its end not even played with something that by all good geometrical will COULD be called a ball, a match faculty vs students on the UU's campus should count too, shouldn't it?