Jay Bell -+- Author of Fantasy Novel "The Cat in the Cradle"

John Barrowman’s The Making of Me – Are We Born Gay?

I snagged a copy of John Barrowman’s “The Making of Me” to watch this weekend. It’s a one hour special where the openly gay celebrity goes on a quest to discover what exactly makes him homo-tastic. Is homosexuality something that people are born with? Captain Jack… er, I mean John Barrowman explores this question by talking to the field’s leading experts. The documentary is highly entertaining and, no surprise to any of us, it turns out being gay isn’t a choice, but there a multiple biological factors that might determine sexuality. These are the theories that the documentary explores:

Sex on the brain: Utilizing MRI scans and a series of racy images, scientists can monitor the blood flow in the brain and tell whether you are gay or not. The brain reacts so fast to the stimulus, that it isn’t a conscious choice of what one decides to find attractive. Too bad we can’t hook the homophobes of the world up to this thing! I bet a lot of them would be surprised.

The older brother phenomenon: Studies show that the more older brothers you have, the greater the chance is that you’ll be gay. The theory is that women’s bodies perceive the testosterone in the womb as a threat, and combat it with greater effort for each child. The less prenatal testosterone, the more likely a boy will be gay.

Finger length: This one was a bit odd, but by comparing the length of your index and ring finger, it may be possible to tell just how much testosterone you got in the womb. A somewhat larger percent of gay guys have index and ring fingers of an almost even length. The random sampling they produced on the show was about 60%. This again supports the idea of sexuality being determined in the womb. For those playing at home, John Barrowman has straight guy fingers.

Girl brains, guy bodies: Gay guys think like girls. John takes a series of problem solving tests, and performs just as well as girls do on tests where straight guys tend to fail. This has been backed up in another study where the hemispheres of brains are compared between guys and gals. Not only do gay guys have girl brains, but lesbians have guy brains.

It’s how you play: One psychologist looks at the way children play, and feels it is an indicator of sexuality. John Barrowman liked dolls, for instance, and a girl who grew up to be a lesbian liked trucks and rough play. Personally I thought this study was stupid. I grew up loving action figures, violent play scenarios, and romping through the wood with my dog. What about straight girls who are tomboys, or straight guys that love a good chick flick? Personally, I don’t think there is much correlation between personality and sexuality.

The X chromosome: Another study that fell flat was the idea that moms have a gay X chromosome and a straight X chromosome, and that which one you get determines sexuality. Test results show that John Barrowman and his straight brother both got the same X chromosome from their mom, so this obviously isn’t true.

That was about it for the experiments that John Barrowman got involved with. While no gay gene has been singled out, there is mounting evidence that testosterone levels in the womb and the way our brains are formed are what determine sexuality, rather than any environmental factor while growing up. As a nerdy Doctor Who fan, I enjoyed this documentary. It was cool getting to see John’s Scottish parents, his doll collection, and especially his hotty-hotty partner. Check him out:

Fantasy’s Finest: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

The inclusion of “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” as being among fantasy’s finest might raise some eyebrows, but behind the cheesy 80’s cartoon lies a truly inspired concept. When first considering the world of He-Man, we immediately think of a standard fantasy world involving sword and sorcery, forgetting sometimes that MOTU was just as much sci-fi as it was fantasy. Vehicles flew alongside dragons, blasts from laser pistols were deflected by magic swords, and the evil wizard Skeletor used often employed hovering robots as his muscle. Surprisingly this mishmash of magic and science worked very well. The series always weighed heavily in favor of fantasy, but embracing technology into the mythos made room any story the writers could dream up.

Central to the story is lazy Prince Adam who, with the aid of his magic sword, can become the heroic He-Man. It’s Clark Kent/Superman meets Conan really, although the idea is improved upon by Adam bring vulnerable when not powered up as his alter ego. This much needed weakness adds tension and allows for a sense of danger. He-Man’s closest friend and sidekick is Cringer, a giant talking cat. This is a concept very close to my heart. The two main characters of my book, The Cat in the Cradle, just happen to be a boy and his talking cat. The similarities end there, but I’ve always been aware that I was drawing inspiration from my favorite childhood show.

Masters of the Universe was fairly progressive with its portrayal of strong, female characters. Teela was captain of the royal guard and could hold her own in battle. On the villain’s side, second in command went to witchy Evil-Lyn, one of the only competent members. Likewise, the Sorceress was used in place of the wise old wizard archetype, and was keeper of the most powerful magical secrets. Minorities weren’t as well represented in the cartoon, probably because not many characters were actually human. A scaly merman, a flying bird guy, a humanoid skunk, a robot with a heart, a blue guy with mechanical arms, even a man made of moss. Almost every character was a different type of species or creature, mostly due to the toy line that powered the cartoon. Commercialism aside, the variety of action figures made for a diverse and interesting cast.

The 80s version of the cartoon leaves a lot to be desired. Its frequent reuse of stock animation, public service announcements, and plots aimed low at child audiences of days gone by makes it hard to digest today. Luckily there was a new version of the show in 2004 that fully realized the story’s potential. The somewhat jumbled nature of the 80s concept was reined in and given order, the plots were intelligent with long reaching story arcs, and the action sequences had you on the edge of your seat. Sadly the toy line, the lifeblood of any cartoon, was mismanaged and ended the show prematurely. The two seasons that did air stand as a proud testament to just how excellent and exciting the world of Masters of the Universe can be.

Fantasy’s Finest: Avatar the Last Airbender

Children’s cartoons are often overlooked by the adult populace. It’s a shame because fiction geared toward kids is often more daring and innovative, unhindered by concerns of what the audience might accept. Avatar: the Last Airbender is a wonderful example of this, a show that manages to be adventurous and fun while still being earnest and emotional. The world of Avatar is made up of four nations; The Earth Kingdom, The Fire Nation, The Air Nomads, and The Water Tribe. Select members of each nation can magically manipulate the element of their people, an art known as bending.

The Avatar is the only person capable of bending all four elements, and acts as a sort of ambassador/policeman to the four nations, keeping them all in check and ensuring peace. The Avatar always exists, reincarnating upon his (sometimes her) death. Unexpectedly, the Avatar goes missing. In his absence the Fire Nation decimates the people of Air and Water, and the Earth Kingdom seals itself off from the rest of the world. After many years Katara of the Water Tribe and her brother Sokka find the Avatar, reincarnated as a young boy named Aang. Together they must help him master all four elements so he may defeat the Fire Lord and bring peace to the world again.

Basic premise out of the way, each episode is its own individual adventure while adding to the overall story arc. It’s a smart show too. Events aren’t forgotten just
because they aired last week. The show references itself often, minor characters resurfacing from time to time. As for the main characters, they grow on you and soon
feel like friends of your own. The writing for the show is phenomenal, entertaining while tackling serious global issues. The backdrop of war torn nations was very poignant during the years the show first aired. The show is also heavily influenced by Eastern styles and philosophies.

When my book The Cat in the Cradle comes out, many readers may think it was directly inspired by Avatar. Characters in my story can manipulate the elements (ten instead of four) and some of the same issues, such as the morality of killing your enemy, are explored. I can safely say that my manuscript was already completed before I discovered this show, but I saw in Avatar a kindred spirit to my own story. Much more than just a kids cartoon, Avatar made me laugh, cry, and keep tuning in until the last brilliant episode. The show came to a graceful end after three seasons and didn’t try to artificially extend itself despite its popularity. All three seasons are now available on DVD for newcomers to enjoy or for old fans to rediscover.