Rodrigo in Salt Lake City, Utah has contributed this piece. My own personal thanks to Rodrigo (who also provided the British – American slang dictionary) – over to you Rodrigo.
While watching the movie Get Real for the umpteenth time, I realised that I could probably decipher Steven Carter’s article of the same name as it is displayed on the computer screen when Mark is reading it to the school magazine staff.
I paused the movie when the computer screen was shown and by moving closer to and farther from my television, squinting, and playing with the room lights I was able to decipher all of what was visible. My apologies to Steven-yes, I know he’s not real, but I can dream can’t I? – and the real-life author if I’ve bungled the translation. It’s a nice article and the part that Mark doesn’t read is also very interesting and thought provoking, to steal one of Jessica’s lines.
One thing to note, Mark only reads the first two paragraphs (actually the first line-technically it’s still a paragraph-and the following full paragraph). However, the last few words he reads are not quite what was written in the article.
Mark reads, ” . . . your assumption that your children are heterosexual may be causing them pain.” The text of the article actually states, ” . . . your assumption that your children are heterosexual may be destroying their lives.”
I hope that this is some fun and insightful trivia for Get Real and Ben Silverstone fans wherever you may be. I still can’t believe I actually looked at the movie this hard to pull out the article text. I used to laugh at some of the rabid fans of other productions and think they were a bit odd if not totally obsessed, but I guess I’ll have to be more understanding in the future. Some things, like Get Real and Ben just really strike a chord!
Get Real I am a pupil at this school, I am 16 and I am gay.
AnonymousSomeone once wrote that one’s real life is so often the life that one does not lead. I wish I could lead my real life. I am writing this article because I’m angry and because I want to impress on all of you parents that your assumption that your children are heterosexual may be destroying their lives.
I have known that I am gay for years now. I have had to keep this a secret and cannot talk to any friends or family about it. This secrecy has led me into difficult and even dangerous situations. I guess growing up is hard enough for anyone, but when there is no one to confide in or give support to you, it leads to despair and misery.
I’m nothing special, but I’m not a bad or evil person either. I don’t understand why everyone is so scared by this issue. Maybe it’s not fear. Maybe people assume that homosexuality will never touch their lives. Well, I’ve done a lot of reading on this and even if one takes the most conservative estimate, at a school this size there are statistically likely to be twenty to thirty boys and girls who are gay. Think about it. Could your child or best mate be one of them, suffering unnecessary torment because you assume they are straight. Feeling lonely or guilty or scared, with no one to talk to about what is on their mind. Please think about it …