About Mags

A large portion of my friends is abuzz about a disaster of a court battle ahead for a Subgenius gal known as Mary Magdalen, or Mags for short. In brief, her ex has found pictures of her and a judge who is willing to accept them as proof that she should lose, at least temporarily, custody of her son. She isn't even allowed to write him a note or receive a birthday card as communication between the two. The pictures? They were of her in a dress that left very little to the imagination and a mask that resembled a bull skull. She was attending a Subgenius event called XDay, specifically the Deity Ball where people were encouraged to dress as their favorite god, goddess or false icon.

A lot of reactions spring to mind. I don't like Mags. We just have never been friendly beyond a general hello, and this summer ended with a big argument with both of us badmouthing each other. However, this does not make her a bad mother. One of the few topics we were ever able to discuss was how well she handles the care and education of her son. He has been homeschooled in such a way that he has been well socialized. She has also taken great care to raise him away from situations such as XDay. From what I have seen, this is not being taken into account.

Mags is also, by far, not the only Subgenius with a child. In hindsight, she probably could have noted her ex's previous attempts to interfere with the custody arrangement and reacted by staying out of the spotlight. My friend, known as Armand Geddyn (yes, we are a group of punsters with our names), took great pains to curb his visibility when he was attempting to gain full custody of his own children, and he was successful. This is not the way Mags operates, but since she doesn't let these aspects of her life overlap, it shouldn't cost her the privilege of raising her son.

Why does this concern me? Because, although I have no children of my own, I work with them on a daily basis. I was also at the Deity Ball in that Marilyn Monroe getup I previously posted. If Mags were to lose custody of her child, it sets a horrible precedent for anyone who lives a counterculture lifestyle. Okay, my life is rarely counterculture these days. Pros and I just can't afford the upkeep! However, are pictures of ridiculous things I did ten years ago going to resurface when I apply for tenure as a full time teacher? What a chilling thought.