Customer Reviews

After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's (Plume)

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Before I write, here is a quote from Wikipedia: "In 1987 Kirk partnered with Hunter Madsen (who used the pen name "Erastes Pill") to write an essay, The Overhauling of Straight America, which was published in Guide Magazine. They argued that gays must portray themselves in a positive way to straight America, and that the main aim of making homosexuality acceptable could be achieved by getting Americans "to think that it is just another thing, with a shrug of their shoulders". Then "your battle for legal and social rights is virtually won"

This book was a real eye-opener for me. I found it reminiscent of Saul Alinsky's 'Rules for Radicals'.

From the book flap: "Dismissing the movement's outworn techniques in favor of carefully calculated public relations propaganda, AFTER THE BALL unveils the key psychological principles and national strategies that gays must follow..." "At the same time, Kirk and Madsen propose a clear-eyed agenda to reform gay culture..."

To sum up the book: Two Harvard-educated intellectuals, one of which worked in Advertising on Madison Avenue, devised an agenda, to use propaganda and turn the tide of America's disregard and ambivalence for homosexuality by 180 degrees.

If you look around, you'll see that it's not just actors in Hollywood, but also many of your friends and neighbors who have embraced this propaganda, likely without their knowledge.

The book is well-written-though slanted, and apparently, effective. Due to subject matter, I recommend this as a book for adults.

As a summary of methods to manipulate and control opinion, this book is an example of how to achieve a goal (public opinion modification), without recourse to fact, reason, or fair play. A propagandists dream, it is best summed up in two of its own quotes "Thus propagandistic advertising can depict all opponents of the gay movement as homophobic bigots who are 'not Christian' and the propoganda can further show them as being criticized, hated and shunned}".... "Our effect is achieved without reference to facts, logic or proof.... the person's beliefs can be altered whether he is conscious of the attack or not" (p. 152-153) Answers questions as to how a group of less then 2% of the population, can attain political and media clout completely out of proportion to their size or condition

This book is a look at how gay activism can become more pragmatic and realistic. While "shock" tactics may be fun and a wonderful outlet for our pent up emotions (and may even have their place), this book shows why they are not effective at changing society or government. The first part of this book shows how to change society, using the same propaganda that is unfortunately being used against us by ignorant ministers and politicans whose lies and propaganda are absorbed faster than truth and reason by our society. The second half of the book explains how, despite the wonder and goodness of much of the gay community, some maladaptive behaviors have appeared in the gay community (primarily due to its persecution from less evolved members of our society) and how we can combat them to make our community even better and more nurturing. I don't agree with every conclusion the author makes, but it is a truly sobering message for gays and lesbians today; work with the system as it is or be second class citizens forever.

Although its tone is sometimes too harsh and its generalizations too sweeping, AFTER THE BALL remains a prescient landmark in the American gay rights movement. The book recast the debate about effective tactics among gay activists, and laid the foundation stone for organizations such as GLAAD. The book's logic for gays is compelling, if uncomfortable: either face the unvarnished realities of American bigotry, and attack them aggressively at their psychological roots, or else fail to win a secure place in society. Ever since it made waves inside and outside the gay community, this polemic has been condemned by both the gay left wing and the religious right wing -- so it must be doing something right for the rest of us.

"After The Ball" is destined to become a modern classic of gay political literature. In this seminal work, Kirk and Madsen present arguments that are clear, cogent, and eminently practical. All this back in 1989 - years before the current "gay conservative movement." Legions of high-profile gay activists have now jumped on this bandwagon, appropriating Kirk's and Madsen's ideas without so much a passing credit to their source. This is a travesty. The likes of Andrew Sullivan, Bruce Bauwer, Gabriel Rotello, and Michelangelo Signorile should be ashamed. Apparently, because this book and its authors were viciously attacked in print by some of these same individuals when it was first published, they ARE ashamed to admit that they now AGREE WITH and promote the very same ideas. Required reading for any gay person with a scintilla of common sense.

Since time out of mind, gays have been the hapless victims of the hateful propaganda of a society almost uniformly arrayed against them. This 1989 book suggested ways in which the gay community could (a) organize itself and (b) throw those very propaganda techniques -- lies, if you will -- back in homohaters' faces. In 1999, the gay commmunity is doing just that. Naturally, the religious and political right are enraged. A work of fundamental -- tho' easily missed -- sociohistorical significance.

A very good book on gays and what they can do to combat the bigotry they have to contend with. Some gays find this book offensive because it dares to suggest that marching for gay rights with your naked backside hanging out MIGHT cause some people to view gays as degenerates. I think the suggestion to march with dignity and purpose without resorting to shock tactics makes very good sense indeed. Reminds me of the old saying "you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar." Anyway, I enjoyed "After the Ball" very much and thought it very well written and researched and informative. A lot can be learned from this book.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who purchased and got something out of "After the Ball." Marshall Kirk was my uncle. I say "was" because he passed away a year ago. I'm glad his legacy will live on in this book and all of the genealogy research he'd done over the years.