by on June 25, 2014
Andrea James may have structured her documentary “Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy” as a faux day-in-the-life of America’s “gaysian sweetheart” and his family. There is a waffle disaster that costs a few cool gay dad points as well as a later bedtime reading from The Hobbit. But ultimately the heart of the film is Mapa’s award-winning comedy show.
Mapa lampoons with various degrees of venom the clichés of gay life, such as the fascination with the Tony Awards. Also funny are his reflections on the downside of being a gay porn video judge, which involves being unable to look in quite the same way at bananas or a garage mechanic visit.
The heart of Mapa’s show (delivered with extra profanity to compensate for self-censorship at Salt Lake City Pride) concerns the challenges of raising his adopted son Zion with his partner. The comedian displays a welcome gift for converting embarrassing incidents into humorous empathy with Joan Crawford in “Mommie Dearest.” These incidents include disastrously allowing Zion to pig out on Thanksgiving dessert and getting the triangle stare from those who can’t comprehend that Mapa, his white partner, and the black Zion are a family.
For all these headaches, Mapa doesn’t regret adopting a child considered “undesirable” by many other adoptive parents. Seeing the performance’s climactic slide-show of the official court adoption will bring a tear. Photos of Mapa and his partner show their eagerness to create a better future for their new child.
http://www.beyondchron.org/frameline-38-lgbt-film-festival-alec-mapa-baby-daddy-cupcakes-appropriate-behavior-and-crazy-bitches/
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