Meeting Anton

While Hoot's boyfriend has become practically family over the months they've been dating, the first time Sam, Vern and Nanny met him sparked quite a conversation:

SAM:
She'll be walking in the door any minute Vern, I really don't think you should mention the boyfriend. Girls at this age are very sensitive.

HOOT:
Hi everybody! What are you all doing up?

VERN:
Hoot, what the hell was with that boy tonight?

HOOT:
Anton? Oh he's goth, so creative. Didn't you think he was cool?

NANNY:
He had calico hair. I didn't know people could be calico.

VERN:
What does Anton do when it's cold? He couldn't button his damn shirt with all those chains!

HOOT:
The chains come off, Vern. Jeez.

VERN:
In the army we used chains to hold things down. Were those chains holding Anton's head on?

NANNY:
Calico cats are all female, I just don't know?

HOOT:
Nanny! Don't be so lame, he dyes his hair!

VERN:
With that chain hooked from his ear to his belly button, one sneeze would rip that boys ears right off.

NANNY
Hair dye? He's too young to have grey hair. Does he have some condition with his eyes?

HOOT
No Nanny! That's not a condition it's eyeliner. Don't you people have anything else to talk about?

VERN
I didn't look at Anton's eyes, all I saw was rings and chains, ghost white skin and black everything else. That was...

NANNY
...right strange Vern, that boy looks like something out of one of them spook movies. Does he dress like that for school? I can't believe he would be allowed to dress that way for school.

HOOT
I can't believe this! Sam, are you just going to sit there, or do you have some nasty comment to contribute?

VERN
Yeah, go ahead Sam, tell her that she's dating a freak of nature. Never see that kind of nonsense in THIS man's army.

NANNY
Now, Vernon, freak is a little harsh.

SAM
Actually, Hoot, I feel that Anton is a, perhaps extreme, example of various ongoing societal phenomena, a consequence of a subconscious awareness of the lack of venues for creative self-expression and of peer group pressure to conform. It's unfortunate that rebellion is so often stereotypical too, it's Ecclesiastical. The Goth subculture is quite interesting, growing and evolving from the post Punk subculture in the United Kingdom.

VERN
WHAT did he say?

HOOT
He said: of all the freaking people in all the freaking subcultures of the world, Army Dude, YOU most of all should recognize a fellow rebel when you meet one.

VERN
Where the hell does Anton buy that stuff?

HOOT
I just hope you know that you all suck.