Cultural “divide” when it comes to Martin outing himself?

For once, comedian George Lopez may have made a serious point about our society when he tried to get a gag Tuesday out of the fact that singer Ricky Martin outed himself this week as a gay man.

As Lopez put it during the opening monologue to his self-named talk show Tuesday night, “he came out in two languages.” The idea that while people who are celebrity-oriented may have no problem accepting the idea that yet another entertainer is not heterosexual, there also is the fact that Martin is Puerto Rican.

WHICH MEANS NOT only will it be the musical fans who will have an opinion (most of which consists of making lame gags that play off the title of his one-time hit song, “She Bangs”), there also is going to be a Latino opinion.

Which is why I must admit that when I first heard the tidbits that Martin used Twitter to send out a message describing himself as a “fortunate homosexual man,” my first thought was to wonder if a whole batch of viejas were now going to start wondering if their children were somehow being corrupted by Martin’s music.

Or, have we as Latinos assimilated enough into the society of this country that we will be inclined to shrug off the thought that Martin will never fulfill that traditional fantasy of marrying a “nice” girl and having children with her?

Even Michael Jackson gave us variations on that traditional image of what an adult’s life is supposed to be about.

PERSONALLY, I AM of the belief that a person’s sexual orientation is their own business. So unless Martin were to someday meet me and decide that he absolutely has to have me (which I will be the first to admit is a scenario that is unlikely to ever occur), I don’t care if the one-time singer from Menudo is gay.

But I am aware there are many Latinos whose beliefs on issues are influenced by their Catholicism (which is why a part of me wonders if it is accurate to call myself a Catholic, since I don’t adhere to every attitude expressed by the church even though I was baptized by a priest).

So I am sure there are some people who are now convinced that a catastrophe has taken place. One of our ethnic brethren celebrities is now tainted in a way they won’t want to accept. Some might wonder if Martin’s career is now somehow doomed.

I doubt it.

THIS MAY SOUND seem cynical on my part, because I realize that Martin has hopes of continuing to work as an entertainer and as a musician. But does anyone seriously believe that Ricky’s career has not already peaked.

He’s not a “one-hit wonder” by any means. But when the day comes that Ricky Martin’s obituary is actually published, it is going to tout the phenomenon of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” – the Spanglish hit from 11 years ago.

It almost strikes me as being the Latino version of when the actor who played that 1980s television character “Doogie Howser” outed himself. By the time he did so, the aspect of his life for which he will be remembered was clearly in the past.

Which means that for Ricky Martin, his sexual orientation ought to be such a sidelight to his professional life. He was a Spanish-language singer who managed to cross over to the pop music charts of this country to the point where many music fans of a decade ago probably gave Martin’s ethnicity little thought.

WITHOUT MARTIN, WE wouldn’t have performers like Shakira (who probably would be considered too exotic and foreign by U.S. audiences) too seriously. She’d be the 21st Century version of Charo.

Not that I’m much of a Martin fan (I once had someone try to criticize me by saying I listen to “old lady music by people like Celia Cruz,” not realizing that I enjoy listening to Celia). But I can appreciate his influence on pop culture – even if I am a soccer fan who finds “A Cup of Life/La Copa de la Vida” to be annoying after having heard it so many thousands of times throughout the years.

I’d like to think this reflects the view of a bulk of the Latino population, which is assimiliating into this society in ways that amaze me. Particularly on this issue. I think the fact that gay marriage is now accepted in Mexico City is a more significant gesture than Ricky Martin using Twitter to say he is “blessed to be who I am.”

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EDITOR’S NOTES: Is this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p47fEXGabaY) more significant to Ricky Martin’s legacy (http://www.desihits.com/news/view/throwback-track-livin-la-vida-loca-by-ricky-martin-20100330) than his Twitter message about his sexual orientation?

Martin got his moment of international attention (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/30/ricky-martin-gay-homosexual) by making his statement this week.