where have all the gay cowboys gone?

Today I'm forced to confront a world without Heath Ledger. Frankly, I'm not sure it's a world I'm ready to live in, my coworker called in sick today, I think she's secretly in mourning. Meanwhile, here's an anecdote from last night.

My 81-year-old grandmother took my mom, cousin, brother's girlfriend, and me to the ballet last night. Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. This version featured Queen Mab as the force driving the lovers' tragic fate, along with some rather modern (read- suggestive) costumes and choreography. At intermission, my cousin remarked how Mab's tight, black, patent costume and controlling demeanor was reminiscent of a dominatrix. Apparently, my grandmother overheard- "What's a dominatrix?"

"Ummmm. Well, it's a dominant woman involved in bondage."

Very innocently, "What do you mean by bondage?"

"Er, nothing grandma, it's a kink having to do with sex."

"Well, why do *you* know what that is?"

"It's just sort of a part of the pop culture psyche, I guess."

"Well when I get home I'm going to look up dominatrix on the internet."

My cousin and I in unison, "NO!!!"