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Can Meryl Streep Make Homophobic Julia Child Into a Gay Icon?

Written by Kyle Buchanan | 06 Aug 2009, 11:30 AM | 7 comments


To judge from all the men I’ve seen at the annual West Hollywood Halloween carnival dressed as The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly, Meryl Streep has the ability to transform just about any character into a gay icon. On the face of it, then, her role as Julia Child in Julie & Julia should be an easy layup for that demographic, as the strapping Child was a gender pioneer in the kitchen, a campy presence on TV, and an acclaimed chef who loved to call gay men “homovipers.” Wait, what?

On the eve of the film’s release, blogger Joe My God recalls that Child was well-known for her homophobia, and was even sued when she blocked a gay chef from an executive position with the American Institute for Wine and Food. Two years ago, Boston magazine excerpted a work by Laura Shapiro which comprehensively detailed Child’s prejudices:

Homophobia was a socially acceptable form of bigotry in midcentury America, and Julia and [her husband] Paul participated without shame for many years. She often used the term pedal or pedalo — French slang for a homosexual — draping it with condescension, pity, and disapproval. “I had my hair permanented at E. Arden’s, using the same pedalo I had before (I wish all the men in OUR profession in the USA were not pedals!),” she wrote to Simca. Fashion designers were “that little bunch of Pansies,” a cooking school was “a nest of homovipers,” a Boston dinner party was “peopled by 3 fags in an expensive house…. We felt hopelessly square and left when decently possible,” and San Francisco was beautiful but full of pedals—“It appears that SF is their favorite city! I’m tired of them, talented though they are.”

The opposite of homosexual, in her terminology, was “normal” or “well muscled” or “very masculine!” Or, as she often put it, “real male men.” Lesbianism was less of an affront to her, though she felt sorry for women so sexually benumbed that they were not attracted to men. (“Can’t be much fun.”)

Eventually, the article asserts, the AIDS crisis tempered Child’s demeanor somewhat. Why, look how well Child eventually got along with this trannie, with whom she made pita bread!

Just kidding, that is married Canadian chef Jeffrey Alford dressed up as Anton Chigurh, for some reason.

· Julia Child, Homophobe [Joe. My. God.]

Tagged: julia child, julie and julia, meryl streep

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Comments

From leticia shore | Reply
Posted 07 Aug 2009, 9:11 AM

go go, yes Julia. People that are not afraid of truth and willing to say it are real people. The gay agenda forcing and constantly badgering their "serious problem" and trying to call those who call it for what it is the "bad phobic people" is one of the saddest reasons for what is wrong not what is right in this world. Many people with great talents have wasted them on gay issues.

It is truly repulsive, how one cannot enjoy dancing on a cruise with having gay couples demonstrate to the public their need to show themselves acting out as close to a bedroom behavior as possible. They seem to have a tremendous need to impose this on others. Insisting on trying to get your way, doesn't make them more than spoiled little brats that think nagging and whining is the way they will get what they want from those who have to told them they are wrong.

To choose to express this in an anonymous manner is simply to choose not having to hear their carrying on replies. As I said, they already do that on cruises and every other public place. Sometimes it looks like they do it more in public than at home..how desperate.

From Richard | Reply
Posted 21 Aug 2009, 11:10 AM

Yeah, because straights never makeout or have romantic moments in public.

From david nesbitt | Reply
Posted 22 Aug 2009, 11:16 AM

Dear Ms. Shore,
Please go to hell.
LOL... quite childish ( no pun intended) i know; however, this seems the only reasonable way to talk to a person who resembles a piece of used toilet paper.
Quite sincerely yours,
David Nesbitt

From ALice | Reply
Posted 08 Aug 2009, 1:56 PM

You know what?

Fuck Julia Child and her hatefull bigoted mouth. The fat ugly cow.

Streep can go to hell for portraying here.

This is one film which will not get my money.

From tim | Reply
Posted 10 Aug 2009, 1:48 PM

You are so right! I have never seen hetro couples acting overly chummy in public.

From Carrie | Reply
Posted 10 Aug 2009, 4:47 PM

I knew a drag queen in Sydney called Leticia Shore.
Are you her?

Probably not. The Leticia Shore I knew was too perceptive & too intelligent to have missed the tongue in cheek slant to this article. You were the target dear. Not those terrible gays.

From Francesca | Reply
Posted 02 Nov 2009, 2:04 PM

Wow Julia Child was a product of her time, instead of being politically correct by today's standards. Oh my god!

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