I never thought that Super Bowl Sunday would be a day to discuss race relations with my 10-year-old daughter. And, I’m not even talking about the “Redskins.”

The E! Network is airing “Hairspray.” A movie based on a theater production based on a movie set in my adopted hometown of Baltimore. (Note to film-makers: Canada ain’t Baltimore, but I digress.)

Julianna (my lovely 10-year-old daughter): What is this about?

Music: You can’t stop the beat…

Me: Well, you know about Martin Luther King, right? This is a movie about that time.

J: So this is from Civil Rights?

Me: Well, no… This movie is more recent. But it is about that time.

J: When black people were bad?

Me: Honey, Black people were never bad. Crap, where do I begin…

J: Ha! That’s a man pretending to be a woman!

Me: Travolta. Ok, lots going on here. Black people and white people. Fat people and thin people. Gay people. (Disclaimer: I worked for Hairspray composer Marc Shaiman, a notable gay person. Further Disclaimer: I used to work for E! You can’t spell CHEAP without an E!)

J: So, it doesn’t matter what your color is. Because, my best friend in 1st grade (I don’t remember her name) was black. I really liked her.

Me: Exactly.

J: Remind me, what’s Gay?

8:30 on Super Bowl Sunday morning.