Go back in time

Show more

Oh, Supermarket Sweep...?


Ok, so from being nationally known as 'friends' to watching a video of themselves 41 years later, there's a lot of terrain these two men have covered. From the shame of being considered 'gay' to the moment they realize people see them as totally cool, there's a moment for pause. And they took it. 

You see, men from other generations (and that includes me, because I feel there's a generation gap between me and the TikTok lovers) sometimes keep the kinks and quirks of THAT generation. I'll give you an example: when I was attending WVU, I had a fling with a music major (duh) and he had a mentor we used to visit. Well, this mentor was an old school musician who knew TONS about musicals and musical theater and music in general. The man was a walking, talking music encyclopedia. One thing he was not versed on was on being out of the closet.

He was in his seventies (which seemed very old to me then!) and was very obviously gay. He would talk about his 'friend' (that friend was in many photos with him around the house) and about the fact that they lived together only for a short time (the 'friend' left after some years). And there was never a word about the fact that my ex and I obviously slept together in his one-bedroom apartment or that we only drove one car. 

The thing that stayed with me was that during one of our last visits (that boyfriend and I broke up. He left me to have an affair with an engineering student) he kind of lowered his voice and told us to always keep our 'role playing' kind of on the down low. It was not 'prudent' to 'flaunt' our 'friendship'.

This was the year 2000, btw.

How things change.

XOXO


Comments

  1. Big says,
    Those two are the sweetest things!!! Oh, my... Keeping things on the DL, even if it was rather obvious, was required if one wanted to say, keep one's job, remain in the rented home (apt), not be physically attacked. Unless, of course, you could live and work somewhere like SF, or NYC, or Hollywood. Things have indeed changed.
    XOXO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG aren't they?
      Adorable. And I think that those reflexes stay with people. The secrecy, the fear... Habits like that are hard to break.

      XOXO

      Delete
    2. Big says,
      They are hard to break. ... And, we must be prepared to fight the same fight all over again come Monday.
      XOXO

      Delete
  2. Anonymous1/14/2025

    HuntleyBiGuy:
    🥹 What an adorable video! They are truly one happy couple. Unfortunately with thing 47, everything is now up in the air for so many communities, especially LBGTQ+. I think it’s going to be a very tumultuous four years.

    XOXO 👨🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought the same!
      They seem really happy together (after all this TIME!!). And I also think that The Felon is gonna make some people's lives very, very difficult...

      XOXO

      Delete
  3. Every generation bears the unique marks of their own particular traumas. This is simply what life has taught them, even if our lives have taught us otherwise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, right?
      It's like PTSD. I thought he was very cool, but he did live in the past...

      XOXO

      Delete
  4. Can you imagine me keeping anything on the down low? Unless it's me being greedy and keeping prime grade A South American dick to myself so the other single girls don't muscle in.

    I was never " in" or on the down low and can't imagine. But I've had many older friends regale their life stories with me. We are usually in awe of each other's stories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha
      Same, Mads. But our experiences are not the norm. Many, many men have been (and are closeted) due to their own reasons, real or imagined...

      XOXO

      Delete
  5. What a cool story and a common experience for those of that generation. We were always having to repackage ourselves, altering our story, because to be found out was to admit something we struggled to accept ourselves. So how could we expect others to understand something we were also struggling to understand? It took a lot of courage and a certain geographical proximity in order to be out in those days. Those of us who struggled, we sort of resented those who were out and proud and loud... it came from a place of fear. I really didn't come out until I felt a degree of wellness, a degree of safety. I also think that life had simply worn down that ever-smiling facade that I wore like armor when I was in High School. By the time I left college the first time, my relationship with life had become something rather painful. The barbarians were at the gates and all my resistance had simply been ground down to a brittle resolve. With the AIDs crisis thrown into the mix... gays were cast as future corpses, ghouls and ghosts, the harbingers of illness. And who wanted to be associated with that? The brave ones of course - and it was due to their courage that by the late 90s that perception changed and a stop-gap in the form of pharma therapies came into play. The 'haties' were miserable and most of the 90s not much better... I think that's why I treasure and enjoy glimpses of the Halycon days of disco and the 70s. I didn't live it... but what a marvelous time to be gay. That it would take some 20 years to pass before we felt that way again? Well, looking back, of course, I wish I'd been one of the brave ones... even if it meant death in one form or another. That's why we should never be beholden to others. The fear of losing them... it keeps us from being our genuine selves. And what is life if not lived with authenticity?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I love this, Upton!
      Totally love it.

      XOXO

      Delete
  6. I lovelovelove their story and the response.
    Love IS love.
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it fantastic?
      Such a cool couple.

      XOXO

      Delete
  7. In the year 2000! That poor man. Of course, there are still plenty of people who feel that way. Good at least he had a bit of love in his life. Glad the Supermarket Sweep guys were finally able to live their truth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, yes.
      And the thing is, I think he was kinda weary that something would happen to us for being so open (this is also before same sex marriage and right after Matthew Shepard so....)
      And aren't the Supermarket Sweep guys adorable???

      XOXO

      Delete

Post a Comment

Go ahead, give it to me.

Translate

Followers

Popular Posts

En otra lengua

Restricted to Adults

Restricted to Adults
Under 18? Beat it. Now.