O Come Let Us Worship and Fall Down
How it came about that Drew Barrymore knelt before Dylan Mulvaney
I have almost a whole post written about Chapter Four of Gregoire’s book (you can find my post about chapters 2 and 3 here) which I plan to post tomorrow.* Today I want to have one or two thoughts about this video:
I hope you’ll watch it because I don’t want to transcribe the whole thing, not only for time’s sake but because I just can’t bear watching it over and over.
First, let me say the quiet part out loud—Drew Berrymore is an actual woman. She is a beautiful woman. Though she is past thirty, in spite of whatever the creep Don LeMon might try to say, she is not “past her prime.” And even if she were, she would still be beautiful. As one tweeter pointed out, she’s had a rough time of it in Hollywood, and, probably as a result, she has a lot of weird ideas about Manifesting and spirituality. But still, there it is, she is an actual woman.
In the clip, she’s interviewing a man in a dress—Dylan Mulvaney. Dylan has been doing his 360 whatever days to “girlhood” and I guess we must be rounding the finish line.
Despite what so many people try to say about people like me who refuse to accept the Trans Gospel, I don’t hate Dylan Mulvaney. I think he’s a person who desperately craves the love of Jesus, as much as Drew Berrymore does. We’re talking about two extremely broken people, and an audience of women who, with each clap of the hand and nod of the head, mutely cry their need for a savior.
Drew, as the interview progresses, gets on her knees in front of Dylan to show her approbation and support of him and his “journey.” I think I understand the gesture. If someone has been rejected by all, and you want to show him that you love him, you might go and physically touch his arm or offer to hug him. If the person rejected by all is a woman, I suppose you might even kneel next to her, and then, in her grief, she might also kneel, and then the two of you might be there on the floor together, in the consolation of a sisterly embrace—I guess. That’s never happened to me, though I am a woman. But that’s not really what this looks like.
First of all, Dylan hasn’t been rejected by all. He couldn't be more accepted by society at this moment. He has been to the White House to speak with the President. He has millions of TikTok followers. He has companies giving him enormous amounts of money. In terms of social acceptance, most people (perhaps even Drew at this point in her career) can only wistfully dream of such blessing and honor.
Second, the “embrace” doesn’t work because Dylan is quite tall and clearly much stronger than Drew. His gaudy pink dress and ridiculous hair fight powerfully against the warm, feminine gesture of love. He cannot help but be a caricature of her, and yet she must kneel and accept him.
This feels like someone paying obeisance. The kingly though angular posture of Dylan cannot bend toward the unfamiliar task of two women finding strength and courage from each other. A man embracing a woman is vastly different than that of two women. It is not the same thing, we should still be allowed to say. Forthwith, I will work out this difference by pondering the cultural phenomenon of Rocky Balboa. The post is going to be called “Pure Womanhood and the Italian Stallion” (maybe…if I get a moment to work out my thoughts).
Speaking as a Christian, the picture of Drew and Dylan trying to do “girl talk” puts me very much in mind of Psalm 45. That, more than any other text in the Psalter is the one that Progressive Episcopalians choke on when it comes around in Morning Prayer. It’s the one you see men crossing their arms through and refusing to recite. It’s the one about the King coming and the Princess being presented to him, her long sleeves of gold and her virgin attendants the symbols of her glory. It’s such a beautiful song you should read the whole thing, but the part that I’m thinking of starts in verse 10:
Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
forget your people and your father's house,
and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him.
The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
the richest of the people.
All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
In many-colored robes she is led to the king,
with her virgin companions following behind her.
With joy and gladness they are led along
as they enter the palace of the king.
Dylan, in the video, says that the way he combats “hate” is by exhibiting “queer joy.” Perhaps it is working. The audience of women are determined to enjoy themselves, whatever the cost. This is because most people want desperately to be accepted by other people, even one person. But they will go to great lengths not to seek the favor and goodness of God. They will kneel before almost anyone else, including a tall, authoritative man pretending to be a woman. Dylan Mulvaney surely is the king of this age, and you must do him homage. You must kneel, if you are a woman, and bow your head. You must give him your offerings of praise and thankfulness for his courage and authenticity.
How strange that a world that refuses the idea of worship at all would find themselves in postures of worship before liars and fools. Or rather, it is not strange. For if you don’t go to the King of Kings and bow yourself before him, he will let you go into the confusion of your reprobate mind, your darkened heart, your disordered and grotesque lusts.
Have a nice day!
*It will be my first paywalled post. I’m going to make those things I don’t absolutely love blogging about for paid subscribers only. There is some deep logic for this jangling in the back of my mind which I will figure out how to splain at some moment some time.
I followed the Twitter link and watched about a minute of the video clip, then my stomach revolted and I stopped. I will say that he is one of the better imitation women that I have seen, although his voice is pretty low. And as you point out, he really doesn't know how to do "girl." This kind of thing is only possible in a wealthy society that has completely lost its way and cast logic to the winds.
One of the marks of a depraved society is that it doesn't know it is depraved.
Brilliant analysis, Anne. And it is, of course, brave to tell this truth in today's world.