Don’t know how well this is going to go over with the Hill People back home in Georgia, and heaven knows how the 
poor guy is going to manage homecoming at Kentucky Mountain Bible College, but still, it’s nice to know that America’s favorite NBC page has found happiness.
The joke here is evidently that you think that one of these folks looks like Jack McBrayer. Well, sure, why not just make fun of some random American’s appearance here on your blog? That kinda resembles an attempt at humor.
Thanks for the link to the WaPo story– it’s pretty neat!
Phelps, a 35-year-old Marine captain, and Schock, a 26-year-old nursing student, were celebrating their six-month anniversary with a holiday tour of the White House decorations. …[Phelps] got one of his friends to carry the engagement ring into the mansion Saturday so Schock wouldn’t see it when they emptied their pockets to go through security. Smart! Who thinks of that? “I’m a logistics officer,” explained Phelps, who served in Iraq and attends the Marine Corps University in Quantico. …
A surprised Schock said yes — though Phelps was so sure of the answer that he had already arranged for friends to celebrate with them after the tour: “I am a Marine. Over-confident is what we do.”
Rod Dreher says: Man, you are a humorless scold.
grendel says: seems like Kenneth did well for himself – a smart good-looking Marine captain no less.
I wish the real life couple all the happiness in the world.
Michael D. says: Mr. Dreher, given the many thousands of words you’ve written decrying same-sex marriage, you shouldn’t be surprised when your readers don’t give you the benefit of the doubt.
M_Young says: I want to live overseas, the wife of a naval aviator.
Rod Dreher says: Will no one among the anti-SSMers call me out for letting down the side by failing to condemn this union? Come on, y’all, we can’t let the other side monopolize humorless scold-dom.
Richard Johnson says: “Will no one among the anti-SSMers call me out for letting down the side by failing to condemn this union? Come on, y’all, we can’t let the other side monopolize humorless scold-dom.”
Be careful what you ask for. Fresh bullwhips are likely being woven just for this purpose.
MH - Secular Misanthropist says: Will no one among the anti-SSMers call me out for letting down the side by failing to condemn this union? Come on, y’all, we can’t let the other side monopolize humorless scold-dom.
Sorry, but Dan Quayle isn’t around to scold you about fictional characters.
Charles Cosimano says: If I were young and not married I woud respond with “More women for the rest of us!”
DS says: Gaah! Stop posting these! My marriage just got weaker!
Actually, I thought it really was the 30 Rock guy before I clicked on the article.
What are the odds that one of these guys has a thing for Jack McBrayer, and the other has a thing for Daniel Craig?
DS says: To be clear, I am not shaken, nor stirred.
Roland de Chanson says: May the happy couple doff their gay apparel and enjoy their yule logs.
And thank the Good Lord there was no mistletoe in the vicinity.
EngineerScotty says: See? Perfectly harmless.
JohnE_o says: Will no one among the anti-SSMers call me out for letting down the side by failing to condemn this union?
I think the likeliest person to do that has sworn off posting here until after the end of the year.
Lord Karth says: This isn’t a “union”, this is a joke. And not a particularly funny one, either.
Tell the “happy couple” to take it someplace where normal Human beings don’t have to watch.
Your servant,
Lord Karth
Man, you are a humorless scold.
Eh, I just prefer humor to be funny. De gustibus non est disputandum.
Michael D. has a point, too– that it’s hard for you to get the benefit of the doubt that Hal Espen extends here, given your writing on the topic. It’s the difference between, “haha, isn’t this funny” vs. “haha, look at these idiots”.
It reminds me of Chris Rock explaining just when it’s ok for whites to use our society’s most famous racial slur. (Coming up soon, just one week from yesterday!) That’s why I never use a word like “redneck”– when it comes from an outsider, it has an unavoidable, ugly tinge. (My favorite song happens to be called “Rednecks”, but that’s because it’s by a white semi-southerner, and it turns pretty savagely on white northern liberals).
Lasorda says: It’s interesting how many gay couples fall into hetero-normative-like relationships. Here, a burly Marine drops to one knee and proposes to a blushing nurse. You see it more in lesbian relationships. Lesbian weddings often feature one woman in pants and a flat top and another in a lipstick and a dress. (I’ve been to one.)
Carlo says: “See? Perfectly harmless.”
If you mean “perfectly harmless” for society at large, it depends on various factors that will become clear down the road. For sure they look… oh well, I don’t what to say what they look like, since it would not do anybody any good. Let us just say that I share Rod’s perception of the deeply comical aspect of that picture.
Mike says: After the honeymoon, he needs to get back to Kentucky Mountain Bible College to make sure that the the government hasn’t come and locked the doors of the college and confiscated all the Bibles.
Polichinello says: Be careful what you ask for. Fresh bullwhips are likely being woven just for this purpose.
Yeah, that’s really more of the other sides’ thing these days. One guy even got a federal grant for it.
Juan C. Marrero says: It’s not up to the Government to make people unhappy. That is the proper role for religion. There is not enough happiness in the world. If the “White House” couple is happy, good for them.
James C. says: My immediate reaction was, “I knew it!” You had me there for a minute, Dreher!
Lady Karth says: Lord Karth isn’t a normal human being; he’s a joke. And not a particularly funny one.
Your servant,
Lady Karth
M_Young says: “Let us just say that I share Rod’s perception of the deeply comical aspect of that picture.”
Indeed. SWPLs will look askance at California “champagne”, demanding the real stuff, but can’t bring themselves to see the differences between men and women.
Matthew says: Pictures like these debunk the myth of the gay fashionista. Take the fellow on the left: he is wearing one of the ugliest ties I have ever seen.
Cole Porter, thou shouldst be living at this hour!:
Habesos says: Silly me. I thought it was the gays who had the reputation of being catty.
Rod,
Stick with the serious stuff (like writing about your sister), and leave the humor to comedy writers…
Judith says: Lady Karth,
Well it’s about time. What took you so long to get here?
j
thomas tucker says: Yule logs?! LOL!
Ivan K. says: Which one of them will get pregnant first?
Chris says: Since I don’t watch 30 Rock, I kept reading this and wondering what Rod was talking about. Now that I know who Kenneth Parcell is, I still don’t know where on the Dreher Affect Continuum this joke is supposed to lie 
I hope these two guys are happy together.
Silly me. I thought it was the gays who had the reputation of being catty.
Ever read Justin Raimondo (not that I am complaining – cattiness can be great)?
William Dalton says: When a couple meet and get engaged at the White House, one must ask, will the President preside at the nuptials?
I have yet to observe that this example has motivated any heterosexual males to seriously consider ditching their leading lady for a handsome man.
I never thought it would either.
Thus, I too am rather indifferent to the whole thing. But I wish them all the best.
L617 says: I’m gay. I think some of you are being a bit too hard on Rod. Lighten up.
Steve says: I don’t get it. What is the joke? Is it just that the guy looks like the character from 30 Rock? Am I missing something? I hate to miss things.
I’m having difficulty placing this post along the Rod Dreher Affect Spectrum between dark sarcasm and light-hearted charity. I’ll cheerfully hope it’s landing close to the latter, and I’m adding a fervent wish that this union never threatens anybody’s freedom of religion.