Kilted John Barrowman

[Kizmet]

I would agree with Todd about acceptance and ignorance; they both occur all over the States.
As to the kilt and prom, I would think there would be more acceptance now than when Barrowman was in high school, at least I hope so!


Cheers!

Well, the ignorance continues here. Prester John's son was told not to wear his kilt to their prom at the end of the month because it's "an American prom."

The principal told my son last year that he couldn't wear his kilt to school for an event in Speech class (she let him once, but not the 2nd time) because he needed to save it for special occasions. Prom seems pretty special to me. He'll be talking to the principal to remind her of her very words tomorrow.


ETA: I don't like David Tennant's Doctor at all, what I've seen of it. I haven't seen Torchwood at all.

Jon Pertwee. He's my Doctor.

[elitekiltedcommando]

I hear a lot of crap when I wear mine to school. Got lifted at prom last year. First thing I usually hear in the morning if I wear pants is, 'Hey! Where's your skirt?' It tends to be more accepted if I go visit friends at their high schools for dances or plays. I'm getting so sick of hearing the stuff that Ive just stopped wearing them to school for the most part. Im gonna wear one to graduation this June though, thats for certain.

[Frank McGrath]

I like Torchwood a lot better than Dr. Who.

[Big Paul]

[Cerebite]

I am a HUGE fan of Torchwood and have been talking it up to anyone who will listen.
The best "broad brush" characterization is that it is a cross between "X Files" and "Dr Who." I have liked it so much that I have started watching Dr Who again.

The final episode of the second season [first season was last fall, second is this spring] is next week [Sat, on BBC America] but I expect that it will go into repeats and the first season is out on DVD already.

Strangely enough [and more so now that I know he has one] I have wondered about seeing the cast kilted .

[Galician]

Anyone know what tartan he is wearing?

[AtagahiKC]

As for his comments about wearing his kilt to prom and the reaction - it was in the 1980s and he went to school in Peoria, IL.

Peoria is in the middle of the farm country in the southern part of Illinois. It is more of a farm town with more conservative leanings and attitudes than in Chicago to its north. The current population is around 110K according to Wikipedia.

You'll recall the saying, "Will it play in Peoria?" because Peoria came to represent middle American taste and values.

If I'd worn a kilt to my prom in Kansas in 1981, I'd have been more than ridiculed. It might not be the same today, but, honestly, it probably would be. Prejudices about people who act differently change slowly in small town America, in my experience.

In fact, I wore my kilt at home in rural Kansas to my father's house a year or so ago. He was so happy -- that I didn't stop in town so his friends would see me in it. (His side of the family is the Scottish side, mind you.) I stopped at the gas station on the way out of town, just because I'm that kind of ornery.

I recall reading a fairly recent article somewhere where his date to the prom mentioned that he wore a "skirt" to the prom. Even she wasn't thrilled about his desire to honor his Scottish heritage two decades later.

So don't give Barrowman too much crap for his attitude about small rural Midwestern American towns. He came by it honestly. He earned it the old fashioned way.

[macwilkin]

As for his comments about wearing his kilt to prom and the reaction - it was in the 1980s and he went to school in Peoria, IL.

Peoria is in the middle of the farm country in the southern part of Illinois. It is more of a farm town with more conservative leanings and attitudes than in Chicago to its north. The current population is around 110K according to Wikipedia.

You'll recall the saying, "Will it play in Peoria?" because Peoria came to represent middle American taste and values.

If I'd worn a kilt to my prom in Kansas in 1981, I'd have been more than ridiculed. It might not be the same today, but, honestly, it probably would be. Prejudices about people who act differently change slowly in small town America, in my experience.

In fact, I wore my kilt at home in rural Kansas to my father's house a year or so ago. He was so happy -- that I didn't stop in town so his friends would see me in it. (His side of the family is the Scottish side, mind you.) I stopped at the gas station on the way out of town, just because I'm that kind of ornery.

I recall reading a fairly recent article somewhere where his date to the prom mentioned that he wore a "skirt" to the prom. Even she wasn't thrilled about his desire to honor his Scottish heritage two decades later.

So don't give Barrowman too much crap for his attitude about small rural Midwestern American towns. He came by it honestly. He earned it the old fashioned way.

As my Iowa grandfather would say, hogwash.

Point taken, but I, as a midwesterner, don't appreciate being lumped in with ignorant people. To borrow a line from the movie Gettysburg, "any man who judges by the group is a pea-wit."

I've worn my kilt on numerous occasions here in Southwest Missouri, and not just in Springfield. Sure, you get the odd snide comment and odd look, but really -- who cares? I wore my kilt this weekend in downtown Branson, Missouri and honestly, I can't remember what reaction, good or bad, I got from passers-by.

Are there close-minded people in the Midwest? Sure. I bet there are some in San Francisco as well, but I wouldn't say all San Franciscans are closed-minded jerks. As I said before, ignorance knows no geographical boundaries.

I've met just as many folks in SW Missouri who think that being proud of your roots is a good thing.

Regards,

Todd

[auld argonian]

I was under the impression that JB lived in Aurora, Illinois when his family was in the States. (Aurora was, some of you may remember, the home town of Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World...and, no, there never was a real Stan Mikita's Donut Shop!) His bio in Wikipedia mentions that he attended Joliet West HS where he started his acting and singing pursuits...I can attest to the fact that Joliet West is a BIG speech and theatre school, having competed against them in forensics and contest play during my own high school career.

Best

AA

[davedove]

As my Iowa grandfather would say, hogwash.

Point taken, but I, as a midwesterner, don't appreciate being lumped in with ignorant people. To borrow a line from the movie Gettysburg, "any man who judges by the group is a pea-wit."

I've worn my kilt on numerous occasions here in Southwest Missouri, and not just in Springfield. Sure, you get the odd snide comment and odd look, but really -- who cares? I wore my kilt this weekend in downtown Branson, Missouri and honestly, I can't remember what reaction, good or bad, I got from passers-by.

Are there close-minded people in the Midwest? Sure. I bet there are some in San Francisco as well, but I wouldn't say all San Franciscans are closed-minded jerks. As I said before, ignorance knows no geographical boundaries.

I've met just as many folks in SW Missouri who think that being proud of your roots is a good thing.

Regards,

Todd

I have to agree with Todd on this one, and not just because I was raised in a small town in southern Illinois (By the way, Peoria is not in the southern part of the state. It is north of Springfield, and therefore in the northern half of the state. Of course, to those in Chicago, everything else is southern Illinois.)

Now, I will admit we had our share of close-minded people in my small home town. But, I have met just as many from the large cities. Neither has a monopoly, there just close-minded about different things. For instance, I have met some people from New York City whose attitude was that if it wasn't the New York way, it was worthless. I've also met some great people from there.

Every place has its share of those who won't learn and can't accept that which is different.