Jonathan Riggs, PRISM COMICS LGBT GUIDE TO COMICS editor: Mr. Media Interview

Jonathan Riggs is my guest for this hour of Mr. Media. I began the show with some trepidation - I was late getting back from the bank for one thing and almost missed the show entirely! - and I know absolutely nothing about the narrow market for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered comics.

Hell, when I was a teen reading comics, I didn't know there was any such thing as "gay." And it was only a few years ago someone told me the backstory on the name of the band "Queen."

What planet am I on, anyway?

But this was actually a fascinating interview and Riggs - the editor of both the 2008 Prism Comics: Your Guide to LGBT Comics and Instinct magazine - made for a great guest.

Prism Comics, incidentally, is a nonprofit organization that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) comics, creators, and readers. Besides publishing the annual resource guide, Prism Comics hopes to acquaint comics readers with a wide range of creators who present good stories that readers can really relate to and that reflect their own experiences.

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© 2008 by Bob Andelman. All rights reserved.

Judge David Young, syndicated TV judge: Mr. Media Interview, Part 2

(Return to Part 1)

BOB ANDELMAN/Mr. MEDIA: Was there then or has there been, especially now that you’re on TV, was there any hesitation in living your personal and professional life so large?

JUDGE DAVID YOUNG: No because I’ve always been out. I’ve always been an open person. I’ve always been in the public eye whether it’s locally -- now it’s nationally -- and I love it. I think I’m making a difference. That’s why I enjoy it, and if I can spread some words of encouragement to not only gays and lesbians but to people in general. If I can make people’s lives better, that’s what I’m all about. That’s what I enjoy doing, improving the quality of people’s lives. If my sexual orientation is going to be a part in it, wonderful.

ANDELMAN: I have to ask you this. It’s not really a fair question cause I don’t know that I would ask it of a heterosexual, but does homosexuality affect who you are in court?

YOUNG: The only way it affects who I am is I dress better than the straight judges.

ANDELMAN: And that’s in your eyes?

YOUNG: Oh, trust me. I have a degree in that, by the way. I have a J.D. degree and a shopping degree.

ANDELMAN: Okay.

YOUNG: I could master it, a Ph.D.

ANDELMAN: Oh, man. And now your partner of more than a decade is also a judge.

YOUNG: Yes, he is.

ANDELMAN: So I have to ask you. Whose rulings are final at home?

YOUNG: According to Scott, his philosophy for a successful relationship -- and he’s now in family court-- two words: “Yes, dear.” So, “Yes, dear, whatever you say. Do whatever makes you happy.” Then I do what I want to do anyway.

ANDELMAN: I got it. And do the litigants, particularly on television, do they view and treat you any differently? Has your sexual orientation ever been an issue in court, whether on TV or…

YOUNG: It never has been an issue on TV. What they’re thinking in the back of their heads, I really don’t care because they don’t normally express it. There was a blog that I read where somebody called me a “flamer,” somebody who I sided against, but that’s their own internal homophobia that I really hope they can deal with one day, and they come to terms with cause they’re not going to be totally happy unless they get rid of all the negativism that’s permeating their soul.

I’ve had only one incident when I was a judge in Miami where it was a hate crime, basically, but that was before we had hate crime legislation. And the public defender came up to me and said to me, “Judge, this beating occurred right outside of a gay bar, Twist. Can you be fair?” And I looked at him, it was sidebar, and I said, “Greg, if I was an African-American and it was an African-American hate crime, would you ask me that question? If it was a rape case, and I was a woman, would you ask me that question? We’re both Jewish. If this hate crime was an anti-semitic hate crime, would you ask me that question? I suspect the answer to all that would be no, so why are you asking me about this issue?” And he was sweating profusely. I remember that. And his voice was cracking, and he apologized and went back to the table.

ANDELMAN: You’re probably not surprised at the questions, though, because it’s still something that a lot of people are getting used to. It’s still something fairly new - the idea to have an outwardly gay judge. There was a time where we were getting used to women as judges or women as CEOs. It just seems to be a rite of passage for society.

YOUNG: Oh, sure. The way it was done, it was done in a very professional manner, and the client has a right to know. If I was a defense lawyer, I’d ask the judge the same question, and I would have done it the same way. But I would expect a judge to give the same answer.





ANDELMAN: Are you more comfortable being somewhat flamboyant in a television courtroom rather than in Miami/Dade?

YOUNG: Well, in Miami-Dade -- and being from Florida, I’m sure you can appreciate this -- we have a judicial qualifications commission which I served on for three years. There’s a certain amount of decorum that judges must operate under, certain judicial canons which we cannot violate. And if you do, you could get removed from the bench, if you’re disrespectful, if you have ex partite communications, if you lie, you cheat, do whatever. And in a TV setting, you don’t have that. All these cases are binding arbitration. And I do what I can to make the point, but I try to make the point without yelling and screaming because it ultimately does a lot for the viewership. I don’t think that the viewers or the litigants themselves learn when you yell at them or you scream at them. So I sometimes break into show tunes. Now did I do that on the bench in Miami? Maybe once or twice I might but not on a regular basis.

ANDELMAN: You had someone sing, though, when you were on the bench in Miami. Isn’t that right? You had someone…

YOUNG: I had an opera…yeah.

ANDELMAN: Yeah.

YOUNG: Now that’s an interesting story, and that really sums up my judicial personality, my judicial philosophy. Here was a woman that came into court who was charged with disrupting a condominium meeting. She was in her eighties. When she walked into court, I noticed that she had a tattoo on her forearm, and they were numbers so I knew she was a concentration camp survivor. So I inquired about her. I said tell me about your experiences during World War II. And she said that her whole family was gathered up by the Nazis, and they were put into concentration camps. And they all died, her mother, her father, and all of her sisters and brothers all died. And the way she survived was by singing opera for the generals and the commanders of the Third Reich. And she’s crying, and she’s telling me the story. And I figured, the government has done enough harm in this woman’s life to last a lifetime. I need to help restore this woman’s confidence not only in the United States but in the judiciary in the United States. And I said, “What happened here is not the worst thing in the world. Supposing you give me a sampling of your operatic talent, I’d love to hear you.” She said, “I’m too nervous. I can’t sing.” I said, “Ma’am, you sang for the worst of the worst, the hierarchy of the Third Reich, of course you can sing something for me.” She goes, “Well, maybe I can.” I said, “Would you please sing for me? I really would appreciate it.” And she sang, and it was beautiful. So I dismissed the case, and she left with a smile on her face and a belief that the system really does work, that people do care about her. So that’s the whole story behind why I had the woman singing opera.

ANDELMAN: Very interesting. On the show, do the producers seek out cases that match in any way or challenge your lifestyle, or is it just incidental when it happens?

YOUNG: I think we’ve only had one or two, it was two, homosexual-related cases. One was a gay hip-hop group, and one was a lesbian couple. So, no, they haven’t done that. They pick cases which will shine, and all the judge shows do shine and bring out the judges’ personality, only the judges that have personality.

ANDELMAN: We were talking a minute ago about show tunes. You actually use humor quite a bit in your courtroom.

YOUNG: Yes, I do. I use humor more than show tunes cause sometimes I can’t remember the words to the song. La-la-la-la… That doesn’t cut it.

ANDELMAN: Do the producers ever have to reign you in on that in terms of we’ll have to pay for that?

YOUNG: I know nothing about that. If they do, they do. They haven’t told me not to sing.

ANDELMAN: Oh, okay. I guess it’s probably worth it to them for the response. What does make a good case for your show?

YOUNG: Active litigants. I think when you have individuals who are truly passionate then it brings out the best in everybody, and I enjoy people with passion. I think people with passion are fascinating to be around. That’s why I love Miami, because you have so many people here with passion that it’s contagious. It really is.

ANDELMAN: I’ve always wondered when I watch a show like this if you have cases that you start taping and then you have to stop, and they don’t work out, if that ever happens.

YOUNG: No. That’s not true. There was only one case that I started that I just couldn’t finish cause there was a language problem.

ANDELMAN: Oh.

YOUNG: You couldn’t understand the person. Otherwise, I’m pretty good at talking with anyone, and I haven’t had a problem.

ANDELMAN: Now, your bailiff. Is it Tawya?

YOUNG: Tawya.

ANDELMAN: Tawya. I’m sorry. Tawya Young. She’s out of Brooklyn. She’s got a little bit of spunk there too, doesn’t she?

YOUNG: She’s amazing. I spoke to her last night, as a matter of fact. She called to say hello. When we first met, there was instant chemistry, and she knows what I’m thinking. I know what she’s thinking. She’ll give me a look. I’ll give her a look. And it’s just part of the show. She’s my Costello, and I’m her Elvis. I’m Jackie, and she’s Norton. It’s just a great team.

ANDELMAN: The bailiff is an important part of these shows.

YOUNG: If it’s going to be a really entertaining show as well as educational, you need to have some good chemistry. I’m Fred, and she’s Ginger, but I could be Ginger, and she could be Fred.




ANDELMAN: How has your life changed since the show became syndicated this fall?

YOUNG: It hasn’t changed that much. In Miami, I’m very well known since I was born and raised here in Miami, and so it’s not unusual for me to be recognized places cause I know a lot of people. As a matter of fact, I was in Circuit City buying a fax machine yesterday, and somebody came up to me and said, “Hi, Judge Young, how are you?” It ended up he used to be a defendant in my courtroom. He said, “You’re just the same in court as you are on TV.” And I’ve run into defendants of mine. And I remember I was at Best Buy buying something years ago, and I ran into one of my defendants there who thanked me for saving his life.

Mr. Media, if you treat people respectfully, if you show you really are concerned about them, you really have nothing to be afraid about when you see people out on the streets. You really don’t. And if you like people as much as I like people, and I like to learn from people, it’s a wonderful thing. You get to meet so many incredible people. I was in D.C. buying a suit, as a matter of fact -- shopping is my Ph.D. -- at Filene’s Bargain Basement, which they had a really good deal, by the way. I was very excited about that. Several of the people there knew who I was and wanted my autograph, which that’s one that kind of just amazes me. And I learned all about their lives and why they watch the show and what they do when they’re not working. And it’s just fascinating. It just really is fascinating, and I just love it.

ANDELMAN: Were you familiar with this genre of television before you became a part of it? Did you watch any of these shows?

YOUNG: I watched them all. It’s funny. I would watch them all, and one of my biggest beefs with most, if not all, of the judge shows is that they would not bring families together. They would yell. They would scream. They would belittle. I remember watching one show where you had these two sisters who just wanted to be brought back together as a family. And the judge kept egging them on and egging them on and just built this whole crescendo for conflict. And I said to myself, “Conflict is not what’s needed here. Resolution is what’s needed here. Family reconciliation is what’s needed here not the division of the family. No. Bring the family together.” And it was so ripe, and I just turned the show off, and that was just frustrating. The judge could’ve done a mitzvah, a good deed, and she didn’t do it.

ANDELMAN: It’s a very interesting combination: gay and Jewish and a judge.

YOUNG: Can you imagine the guilt? Oh my God.

ANDELMAN: Well, let’s test that guilt for a minute before you go. I was wondering if you might be willing to dish a little bit on some of your judicial counterparts in TV Land, starting with Judge Judy.

YOUNG: I would feel a little uncomfortable about doing that against any of my judicial counterparts.

ANDELMAN: Oh.

YOUNG: I don’t think that’s appropriate.

ANDELMAN: The world will never know.

YOUNG: I will say that they all make a positive contribution. And I’ve watched every single one of them, and I’m not like any of them.





ANDELMAN: What about the big daddy of them all? Did you ever watch Judge Wapner in those days?

YOUNG: I’ve got a Judge Wapner story.

ANDELMAN: Oh, even better.

YOUNG: To answer your question, yes, I watched Judge Wapner. I was taking a deposition when I was a state attorney. I was out in California. And I was with this other lawyer, and we had to tape the deposition in the L.A. County state attorney’s office. And I’m walking in the hallway, and I see a sign that said “Joe Wapner, Jr.” And there was this young prosecutor at his desk reading. I’m looking at him. I’m looking at the sign, and I said, “Excuse me, is your father the TV judge?” And he said, “Yes.” He got kind of embarrassed. And I said, “I’m David Young from Miami. I’m a prosecutor with Miami/Dade County, and I’m taking depos. It’s nice to meet you.” We spoke for a few minutes, and he was very nice about it. And I just kept walking on my way.

ANDELMAN: Small world, isn’t it?

YOUNG: (Singing) Small world, isn’t it? Lucky, isn’t it? Yes.


© 2007 by Bob Andelman. All rights reserved.