The National Domestic
Violence Hotline defines domestic violence as an act of physical and/or sexual
violence, threats and/or intimidation, emotional abuse and economic
deprivation.
Teaching Professor Grayson is a very interesting take on the May/December
power dynamic. It this case our May,
CJ, has the power and he wields it ruthlessly. He’s condemning, judgmental and
more often than not out right cruel. Whatever bitterness he has for the failure
of a past relationship, he has no qualms about lashing out at Christian (December)
and making him pay for all the wrongs in the world.
The power dynamic in this
relationship is more like victim and abuser. CJ spews the most awful things and
Christian apologizes profusely. With a rather naïve innocents Christian takes
the crumbs CJ offers and smiles like he’s won some great prize. As for CJ, for
all his inner monologue-ing about
what a horrible person he believes himself to be, he blithely continues to be
unapologetically horrible.
On some level CJ is the
worst example of a human being society has to offer. After Christian takes the
emotionally heartbreaking step of admitting aloud for the first time that he’s
gay. CJ, in his classic word vomit
mode, calls him a “closet case,” and tells him to f- off. Seriously CJ needs to learn what closet case truly means before he starts catapulting it like his
weapon of choice. Christian wasn’t dating a string of women and pretending he
was straight while keeping a horde of boy toys in his closet. No. The character
is a forty-year-old man from a deeply religious upbringing with zero sexual
experience. His inability to articulate his sexuality is personal and sad and a
true reflection of the harshness of the world around him.
CJ’s casual dismissal of
any and all of Christian’s feeling doesn’t hinder his ability to lust after the
professor. His inner monologue also has him berating Christian for all the
things CJ anticipates he might do. CJ further laments the fact most people are
not immediately charmed by his rude judgmental impatient attitude. In his heart
of heart he expresses confusion as to why the world at large doesn’t find those
traits of his much more endearing.
As for Christian, the
naivety that allows him to believe that this obnoxious kid he barely know is
someone he loves, is easier to sympathize with. Christian wanted a life partner
and at his emotionally lowest point he found CJ, a man who would, quite frankly
never fail to kick him when he’s down. This is not a love story. And CJ “magnanimously” forgiving Christian for
whatever imagined wrong he’d perceive does not make this a HEA or even a HFN.
Spoiler Alert:
The death of a love one
and subsequent funeral is a highly emotional moment for everyone involved. Yet,
somehow Christian was surprised to discover that coming out just as his father
took his dying breath left a slew of unresolved issues. Subsequently the
funeral became the perfect venue for Christian to come out to the rest of his
family. Nice way for Christian to make
the death of his father all about him and a hell of a way for Christian to
channel his megalomaniacal boyfriend. At this point I’m tempted to say
Christian deserves CJ, but really no one deserves that.
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