In spite of the fact that my last little temper tantrum about 9 Chickweed Lane may have cost me a friendship, here I go again.
I feel I need to state again, that I actually enjoyed 9 Chickweed Lane until very recently, a lot. That’s why I read it. I generally don’t continue to subject myself to things I don’t like unless offered no choice in the matter, and well, that’s not really ME subjecting myself to it, then, is it? However, I don’t think I’m going to keep reading it for much longer.
Today’s 9 Chickweed Lane: 
Ok, so I have been willing to overlook the fact that Mark and Seth are pretty much embodiments of Gay Stereotype, because I have known Gay men who do fit the stereotypes, and some who openly embrace them, particularly for comedic effect. Yes, I have friends who live their entire lives sarcastically.
That said, two things about this comic just about made me scream. The first is the assumption that the loneliness and devastation of a break up is something only monogamous people feel. Does Mr. McEldowney seriously think that people who do not view themselves as monogamous don’t feel those emotions when a relationship breaks up? What kind of ignorant bullshit is that? Just because people feel themselves able to love more than one partner at a time, it really doesn’t make it any less devastating when those relationships end. Granted, frequently your other partner(s) will be there to comfort you (ideally), but the end of a relationship hurts regardless of other emotional ties. If you have more than one child, would it hurt you any less to lose one because you may have several? No? There you go.
And what the hell is up with the perpetuation of the whole “Gay men are promiscuous” bullshit. “In theory” my ass. The one relationship that started around the time that Ogre and I got together that is still going strong is the one between my friends Robbie and Kerry. They’ve been together for nearly 16 years now, and have been monogamous the entire time. The majority of my LGBT friends are monogamous, and are just as baffled by my open relationship as my straight monogamous friends. “Everyone thinks we don’t understand”? What the hell? Yeah, only if they’ve never known anyone Gay who went through a bad break up. Seriously, I just keep getting more and more disgusted.
I don’t get it. I used to really enjoy this comic, but more and more I’m finding that it’s making me crazy to read it. Seriously. I’ve already talked about his depictions of women’s sexuality. Now I have to add his antedeluvian attitude towards Gay relationships and this apparent belief that only the monogamous know true emotional pain. I’m half tempted to send him a copy of this cd: Grand Slam: Best of the National Poetry Slam just so he can listen to track 8 “My Pain Keeps Me Regular” by Edward Thomas Herrera.
Was it always this bad, or am I just more aware now?
Geek Girls Rule!!! 
No I don’t think it was always this bad. I had been reading pretty regularly until a couple months ago. I had sort of fallen out of the habit of reading it right about the time of your last post on it and then I wasn’t really motivated to look it up again.
I’ve just been too busy.
Today’s example (though I can’t really see the whole comic in this post), it not encouraging me to go back and read more. I should probably do something more proactive like write the writer but, eh, I dunno.
You seriously lost a friendship over your last post about it?? Damn, that’s kind of sad. It can’t have been much of a friendship…
It’s not likely that a mainstream comic like 9 Chickweed Lane would do anything other than reinforce gay stereotypes. However, it looks more like McEldowney’s fault for reinforcing them himself to such a degree. It’s too bad because this was a big favorite of mine, too. He’d take such care with crafting good characters and then this happens. I blame mainstream papers and syndication, but it’s still no excuse.