::SPOILER WARNING::
As Bree van de Kamp’s relationship with her son Andrew on Desperate Housewives gets more, well, desperate, the gay sex has kicked it up a notch. Last night’s episode featured a big wet sidewalk kiss which Shawn Pyfrom attacked with gusto. Bree’s reaction was characteristically uptight:
BREE: I saw what you did with your friend.
ANDREW: Oh. And you didn’t turn into a pillar of salt. Good for you.
BREE: This is not a joke, Andrew. What if the neighbors had seen you?
ANDREW: Well I’d hope they’d think that I landed a hottie.
BREE: I may not be able to control what you do outside of this home but while you are under this roof you will not mock my values. If you so much as smile at that boy, so help me I will ship you off to Camp Hennessey and I will not pick you up again till you are 18. Do I make myself clear?
So is Bree homophobic? Or do her “values” simply concern underage sex (values that an innocent kiss shouldn’t violate)? Clearly, she’s got some discomfort with her gay son because I doubt she’d be reacting the same way if Andrew’s “friend” was a girl. At the same time, Andrew pretty much throws it all back in her face, as we see in the next scene (see screencap below).
Anyway, as I’d just about had enough of DH, I’m glad this storyline is back. It tends to shine a light on the complex (and often uncomfortable) relationships between mothers and their gay sons, even if executed in the wildly unrealistic relief of a soap opera. We’ve all experienced that awkward moment when mom tries to serve you fresh OJ and croissants in bed, and instead catches you naked with your lab partner, right?
