Our Favorite Review (The Perfect Review)

From Edge New York:
LOGO’s "Sordid Lives"
by Erik Roldan
EDGE Contributor
Tuesday Jul 22, 2008

I had no idea what the play Sordid Lives was, nor had I heard of its writer/director Del Shores or its 1999 film adaptation, a gay cult fave. But when I read the names of cast members for the new Logo show, Sordid Lives: the Series, I paid attention.

If I ever needed to pay for a specialty cable channel before, this is will be the time. To begin with Rue McClanahan plays Peggy Ingram, the family matriarch. I could stop right there. How long have we waited to see Blanche from "The Golden Girls" embrace her status as a gay icon? Too long. The same goes for Olivia Newton-John. Not only does she get to sing the theme song, but in the opening episode her character, Bitsy Mae Harling, and McClanahan’s form an early, juicy rapport.

That one of the characters - Earl Don Ingram or "Brother Boy" (played by Leslie Jordan) - is a drag queen left me skeptical. Drag queens can be a grey area that allows mainstream gay culture to be sexist, racist or otherwise display abundant ignorance. However, Shores and Jordan work together to create a fierce, lovable character that put me at ease. We first meet him at a mental hospital for "de-homosexualizing" on the tragic day that Brother Boy’s idol Tammy Wynette dies and immediately take to him, as well as his extended family, who include Sissy Hickey (played by Beth Grant, southern realness incarnate) and trailer-neighbor Noletta Nethercott (Caroline Rhea). They make up television’s latest must-see band of bitches, self-centered, but tied to family - things we can all relate to.

If I never needed to pay for a specialty cable channel before, this is going to be the time.

Series creator Shores has been working in television for some time. His work on such series as "Dharma and Greg" and "Queer as Folk" shows his passion of atypical families, and "Sordid Lives" is his baby. Loosely based on parts of his life, it shows how gay trailer-hood is its own culture, embracing housewifery and fried chicken for breakfast without question. His love of his past makes this portrait seem possible, even without minority representation and dubious inclusion of stereotypes. What makes it all work is a campy take on the premise that we all have embarrassing histories, and Shores’ is truly out of this world.

I was at a friend’s art opening, talking about how excited I was to get home to watch my DVD screener of "Sordid Lives" and was interrupted by a man with a Southern accent. "Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhearing," he said. (I’m not making this up, I swear), "Did you say you were going to watch preview episodes of ’Sordid Lives’? I’m sooo jealous." He went on, "Did you see the movie or play?" Suddenly, I had a new gay friend and it was evident that when this show drops, neither you nor I will be able to get away from it. Nor will we want to.

Sordid Lives: The Series premieres on Logo on Wednesday, July 23rd at 10:00pm ET/PT.