I haven't blogged about the Kushner-CUNY contretemps, leaving it in the capable hands of
Superfluities and
Playgoer and
Parabasis, but I couldn't help but notice who had rallied to Tony's side in the struggle, with a
personal letter: former mayor Ed Koch. Yes, the same Ed Koch who's the subject one of
Angels in America's biggest (if now slightly musty) laugh lines, when Belize phones Prior after Roy Cohn is wheeled into his ward:
BELIZE: Get out your oven mitts.
Guess who just checked in with the troubles?
The Killer Queen Herself. New York's number one closeted queer.
PRIOR: Koch?
The ex-mayor was peeved about it when the play was on Broadway (some choice back-and-forth
here and
here), but he's apparently
forgiven and/or forgotten.
Next thing you know he'll be defending
Larry Kramer.
Without delving too deeply . . . one wonders if Koch at this point loves the attention that comes from countering expectations. His most anthologized piece of writing was his essay in favor of the death penalty, in which he took great pains to point out how politically disadvantageous in New York City such a position could be. THEN he supported George W. Bush's reelection, mostly on grounds of anti-terrorism and foreign policy. THEN as soon as the neocons had embraced him (Q: What's a neocon? A: a Jew who votes Republican), he doubles back, or comes home, or whatever the hell he did, to Obama. If Koch slammed Kushner on behalf of Israel . . . like, yawn city, man. This way . . . well, when was the last time Ed Koch made it onto your radar? --Joe
ReplyDelete