RIGHT NOW I’M FEELIN’…
November 8, 2009
Clockwise from top: Chance, Alex, Ricky, Noah
Over the past few days I’ve become obsessed with the LOGO network’s LGBTQ drama, Noah’s Arc. Originally airing back in 2005, the series was canceled after 2 seasons but thank God for instant viewing on Netflix. The “Sex and the City” for gay, Black men, Noah’s Arc follows the love lives of 4 friends in the L.A. dating scene: Noah, Chance, Alex, and Ricky. Noah is the lovable one. Chance is prim and proper. Ricky is promiscuous. And Alex is the outrageous Queen mother. It’s part Golden Girls and part Soul Food and I dig it! How often do you see hot, Black men parading around nearly naked on television?
Though the acting is questionable and the storylines are unrealistic at times, Noah’s Arc hits you with the real issues in the gay community. HIV/AIDS, hate crimes, down low men, marriage, gender roles, and the Black church are topics that are not uncommon to this groundbreaking series. The characters are easy to connect with in the sense that they experience the same ups and downs of romance be it gay or straight. Translation: this is NOT a show that waves the banner for gay rights (in a direct manner, at least) but rather a humanistic portryal of what it means to experience love. Check your personal values about homosexuality at the door. There is no room for “us” and “them” here- especially with characters that are so fresh and appealing.
Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom
In October 2008 series creator Patrik Ian Polk released the feature film Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom, which focuses on the wedding of Noah and his boyfriend, Wade. Will they or won’t they? NA’s take on on sexual expression and Black masculinity is sure to spur conversation. See the movie but I recommend watching the television series first to see Noah and Wade’s romantic evolution. Check it out, “gurl”!
