Girl Boy Girl

Can we handle the truth?

Often we have to, whether we like it or not. In the middle of December last year Savannah Knoop, the previously notorious transvestite/transsexual (pick your story on that one) published her autobiography. It should be an interesting read.

It did highlight something even more interesting. In this world where we’re all looking for a good story and wanting to be trendy and in with the right crowd it’s all too easy to get carried away. The stars of Hollywood may well be thumbing through their copies as you read this and phoning their lawyers.

You have to ask yourself, would you get carried along on the wave of right-on political correctness that seemed to accompany JT LeRoy? I don’t think it’s just a fault inherent in people in La La land. I see it myself when I look at some of the people I work with. I saw it in the playground when everyone wanted to be with the cool kid.

I have a sneeking respect for Savannah Knoop, pulling off the subterfuge for so long was amazing, even if it wasn’t planned and probably involved a great deal of luck. It does spotlight a showbiz society whose numbers include a few so desperate for the next interesting personality that they seem to have jumped on whatever or whoever was presented to them. Wow! They must have thought, he/she has such an interesting story and unusual sexuality …

I wonder if there was a slight boom for showbiz analysts when the truth came out as the celebs tried to re-orientate themselves to their new reality.

Sometimes we are better off believing the fairytales. They’re more palatable than the truth, easier to digest and assimilate into an uncomplicated world view. They just aren’t as interesting as reality, warts and all.

Perhaps the question should be – Do we want to know the truth?