A dark time in gay history

One of the stories that appeared on various news programs today (and it wasn't the same story popping up each hour) was about how the Black Friday sales aren't really all that beneficial to consumers. That 60% off? The "original" price is jacked up for good "optics" -- the discount looks great but isn't all that different from a daily price. So we get "retail theater." Yeah, there are a few loss leader items -- stuff the store sells at a loss to get you in the door (which they probably ran out of just as you reach that aisle). In addition, if you shop on Black Friday, the stores have more time to entice you back to spend more. Better to wait a couple weeks.

So, while I did step into a Whole Foods store for a while, I spent my afternoon at a movie. I haven't been in this particular theater since it was renovated over the last year. I was caught off guard when the ticket-seller asked which particular seat I wanted. No more general admission. The facility now also has a coffee bar in the lobby. They may also sell stronger stuff.

The movie was Dallas Buyers Club. In 1985 cowboy Ron Woodruff finds he has AIDS and is told he has 30 days to live. Since he is highly homophobic he's angry at being diagnosed with the gay disease. This is at the time AZT first appears. It is the first drug with any hope of treating AIDS, but the early dose levels were doing more harm than good. Ron soon heads to Mexico to get drugs that aren't approved for use in America. He becomes partners with Rayon, a transgender, to form a Buyers Club. Since Ron can't legally sell the drugs, he charges a monthly fee for membership in his club and once a person is in all the drugs are free. Ron battles the hospital staff and takes the Food and Drug Administration to court. He lives a lot longer than 30 days.

The transgender is played by Jared Leto. I heard a news story that the director contacted Leto by Skype to talk about the role. Leto turned it into an audition by donning articles of women's clothing and flirting with the director. At the end of the 20 minute call the part was his.