Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2014 August 12

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August 12[edit]

Bachlorette show for Cougars[edit]

Hi; I am an avid "Bachelorette fan but they are all very young. Why not a show for us "Seniors" On line dating is horrible and if you do not live in a big city it's almost impossible!! I live in Arizona & would love to have the show come here!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1011:B14F:D13C:4954:67E6:2EEA:38A (talk) 04:04, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I doubt very much that anyone here is a television producer, but anything's possible. Your best bet, though, would be to contact the producers of that show and pose your idea. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 04:37, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]


Hi! It looks like you found one of our articles, and thought that you were on the website for that show or TV channel. You're actually on the website Wikipedia, which is an encyclopedia. I assume you were looking at our article The Bachelorette. Unfortunately, we are unable to help you in the way you want. You could look at the official website for the Bachelorette, by clicking here. You could also contact ABC through their website, by clicking here.
I hope this helps.
Skittle (talk) 11:29, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Are gay people actually gay?[edit]

Are gay people (in general, compared to straight people), really *gay*? By this, I don't so much mean are they happier--but are they merrier, sillier, more care-free and frivolous? Or is this just an outdated stereotype? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.228.94.244 (talk) 12:03, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

You may find the evolution of gay interesting. Based on observation, I'd have to say that their range of "merriness" or "silliness" (vs. seriousness) is not a lot different from the straight population. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 12:33, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Flamboyant, yes, but necessarily so. Some gay people are subtle about their sexual orientation, others are, well, you know. Blake Gripling (talk) 12:41, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Suicide among LGBT youth and "gay and bisexual men are twice as likely to be depressed or anxious compared to other men" would suggest not...at least on average. SteveBaker (talk) 15:04, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
It makes sense that gay men are more likely to be depressed. Growing up amid negative stereotypes, disparaging comments, and unattainable expectations can take a toll on a person's self-image and self-confidence. As for the "silly" and "frivolous" thing, that is really a stereotype that is connected to gay men as opposed to lesbians, who if anything are associated with contrary stereotypes of anger or stolidity. This pretty clearly has to do with some gay men's and lesbians' divergence from expected patterns of behavior for their gender. We expect (straight) women to be what might be called "silly" or "frivolous" at times, so that when they are, it may not attract much notice, but when a man displays these traits, perhaps along with perceived feminine mannerisms, it may be more likely to be noticed. That said, aside from sexual behavior, many gay men's mannerisms and behavior are not noticeably different from those of straight men of a similar class or ethnicity. Marco polo (talk) 15:48, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I guess the idea of the merry gay man comes from seeing them congregate "in the open" around bars and parties. When you see them in groups in a "gay" setting, their sexuality is more apparent than when you see them waiting for a bus or something mundane like that. Booze, music and group mentality makes straight people merrier, too. InedibleHulk (talk) 18:41, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
All the stereotypical mannerisms, flamboyances, frivolities and what have you are apparent only in that relatively small sub-set of gay people who choose to behave that way. It would be folly to assume there's anything even remotely close to a 1-to-1 correspondence between gay people and people who behave that way. It might be a little safer to assume that if a person acts camply or flamboyantly, then they're more likely to be gay. But even there, you're gonna be in for some surprises. The gay community is extremely diverse, on top of which, it itself is part of a wider grouping of same-sex-attracted or -operating or -curious people, many of whom do not regard themselves as gay. -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 21:51, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know if the TV series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy made it to Australia, but I thought the five guys on the show ran across that spectrum you're talking about. There was the one guy, the show's leader, who fit the flamboyant stereotype, to the cook who a straight guy would likely never have guessed, at least not from behavior. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:25, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, it did. Carson Kressley became a media darling (wot, no article?) here, and was always turning up at the Melbourne Cup and other high profile celebrity fashion events (funny, I always thought it was a horse race ...). I read that he also appeared in Big Brother Australia. -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 01:03, 13 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  • Does it help to note that I am sanguine, and many people remark on my phlegmaticity in emergencies and emotionally trying times? μηδείς (talk) 21:40, 12 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    • You bleed and cough a lot? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 04:35, 13 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
      • Now that really is funny, since I have bad nasal allergies and test my bloodsugar twice a day. But people always remark on my calmness. At my first actual paid job I did the filing and postage, chores that basically don't exist nowadays. One day, coming back from getting lunch for the office, I noticed the gas mower was ablaze. I walked into the building, went directly to the boss's office, which was not to be disturbed when his doors were shut, knocked, walked in without permission, and said as slowly, calmly, and as Lurch-like as possible, "The lawn...mow...er...is...on...fire". I wanted to make sure I didn't come in hysterical and incomprehensible. The phrase became a meme which I still hear on occasion, from friends, relatives, and co-employees. The last day I worked there before leaving for college, the boss bought a round of drinks and I was toasted to "The lawn mow er is on fire". μηδείς (talk) 19:16, 13 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
The lawn...mow...er...is...on...fire
Then put out the fire, dear Medeis
With what shall I put out the fire?
With water!
With what shall I fetch the water?
With a bucket!
But There's a Hole in My Bucket
Then fix it!
With what shall I fix it?
With a daisy
Where shall I find one?
On a Lawn
With what shall I cut it?
With a mower
But the lawn...mow...er...is...on...fire
84.209.89.214 (talk) 13:21, 14 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]
Funny but when I read the lawn mower story, a different song started to play in my head:
The mow, the mow, the mower's on fire...
Different minds are different. - ¡Ouch! (hurt me / more pain) 05:52, 15 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]