Buddy Babylon: The Autobiography of Buddy Cole
The purported autobiography of a favorite character of the influential (and now defunct) Canadian comedy troupe the Kids in the Hall, by the actor who portrayed him and the troupes head writer. Charles Butterick ``Buddy'' Cole is a half-Scottish, half-Quebecois gay man raised in northern Quebec, who discovers his sexual identity and how to use it to his advantage at a very young age. His ability to seduce men at will, plus his innate theatrical talents, take him first to Toronto, where he immerses himself in the hardcore gay lifestyle, and then to Los Angeles, where he marries a lesbian named Tandy Cole (he takes her name, thus becoming Buddy Cole-Porter) and helps launch a television show. While there is much in Buddy Babylon to make gay readers and fans of the Kids in the Hall show laugh out loud, there is just as much that will go flying over the heads of those not familiar with the character of Buddy Cole. And members of the politically correct contingent of the gay community are likely to find much of what Thompson writes to be stereotype-affirming. They will have missed the pointBuddy Cole is meant to be a stereotype of the ``extreme'' gay lifestyle and, most probably, a character that typifies a certain aspect of the personality of the author, who is openly gay. Thompson does cross the line between funny and just plain silly at times, but this, again, is in keeping with the somewhat eccentric, audacious comedy style of the Kids troupe. (Dave Foley, a member of the group, has gone on to national success with the hit TV series News Radio.) Because of his openly gay stance, Thompson may have to wait to achieve Foley's success, but Buddy Babylon should keep Kids fans smiling, and impatiently awaiting his next move. (Author tour)  --Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.