These days, though, between the rash of gay, woman, ethnic and race-bashing jokes and the resulting backlash, it's getting downright ugly. "Pig" was how Elton John referred to "outlaw" comic Sam Kinison in an unscripted moment on ABC's recent International Rock Awards show. The singer was outraged at Kinison's past jokes about AIDS and homosexuals. The Fox network's new In Living Color series, praised for showcasing black humor, has been scorned for one of its regular segments featuring two gay critics who hand out fey fingersnaps instead of a thumbs-up.
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Dawn of the goddesses; A rebirth of gentle reverence
Sept. 26, 1990
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Look out, patriarchal religions. There's a new kid on the spirituality block.
The Goddess.
She appears in a multitude of manifestations - ripe, womanly manifestations with fat bellies and heavy breasts. The kind that bring to mind babies. And birth. And cycles.
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Men bond to touch their souls
Oct. 22, 1990
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LONGMONT, Colo. - Snow falls outside a squat, boxy building. Inside, 300 men are on fire.
Spurred by the throbbing thunder of drums, they wail in disharmony.
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The male's major league obsession
July 10, 1991
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Bottom of the seventh, first base was open, and Darryl Strawberry was up. So you'd think they'd either walk him intentionally or bring in a left-hander...
Oh. Sorry.
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The publishing world embraces masculinity
July 31, 1991
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Men are on the march.
Two best-sellers that explore what it means to be a man - Robert Bly's "Iron John" and Sam Keen's "Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man" - have spawned a surge of related literary and media fare due soon.
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Real men forced into the woods
July 26, 1991
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Have you heard about this new men's movement started by poet Robert Bly and his book "Iron John"?
He's inspired many ordinary fellows to go in the forest, hang around in mud huts and beat drums to get in touch with their masculinity. That brings out the ancient warrior in modern man, and makes us feel a lot better.
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Women call the shots; More movies go to female directors; Success means more opportunity
Oct. 9, 1991
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LOS ANGELES - Little Man Tate, opening today, is the realization of a childhood goal for Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster.
"It doesn't take long when you're on a set to see that's the place where everything comes together," says Foster, 28, of her directorial debut.
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Blonde bashing; How do you put a twinkle in a blonde's eye? Shine a flashlight in her ear. Fair-haired take jokes in good humor
Dec. 30, 1991
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The question is not: Do blondes have more fun?
The question is: Where did all these dumb blonde jokes come from?
- Why don't blondes get coffee breaks? Too hard to retrain them.
- A blonde and a brunette are walking down the street. The brunette says, "Look, a dead bird!" The blonde looks up and says "Where?"
- What do you call a smart blonde? A golden retriever.
