I just saw Date Night, Tina Fey and Steve Carell’s new romantic comedy/thrilling caper. It was cute, the kind of film that is perfectly enjoyable but perhaps not especially memorable. But what it does contain, in place of unforgettable laugh riots, is one of the more refreshing depictions of a married couple to show up in mainstream culture for quite some time.

In a media dominated by images of oafish, layabout husbands and angry, overcritical wives, a film that presents familiar marital issues from both sides, without relying on lame “women are always like this; men are always like that” humor is something to get excited about.

[picappgallerysingle id="8312950"]

I’ve written a lot recently about openly gay celebrities and the positive impacts they have on the movements for queer visibility and rights. But as we praise these brave individuals for the amazing strides they are making, we should not take this public discussion of sexual orientation by famous people for granted. Coming out publicly is not the automatic obligations of every LGBT person who happens to be well-known for some reason, and we have no right to demand that it should be.

[picappgallerysingle id="8304556"]

Last week, I wrote about Ricky Martin’s declaration of himself as “a fortunate homosexual man” on his official website, arguing that the coming out of a major figure, even one past the prime of his or her cultural relevance, is always a positive step for queer visibility and therefore queer rights. And yet, it is important not to overpraise those like Martin, who spend the peak of their career denying their homosexuality and then choose to come out once their greatest successes have already passed. Though we should not look down on or attack Martin, who is perfectly entitled to live his life as he chooses and had very good reasons for not being open about his sexuality earlier on, we must recognize that celebrities hiding their sexualities until a big reveal after their heyday is not the best way to move forward as a culture.