Bilbo's relation to Gandalf

Actually, this topic is rather uninspired. There's always someone with a sick enough mind to LOOK for anything that could possibly be homosexual (or Satanic, morbid, marxist, etc.), while true readers would never imagine it. If my Lit Crit Prof could get her hands on you--or I should say, her voice--you would quickly be convinced of the error of your ways. She's a medievalist and even speaks Old English, but any fairly educated person should know that this time/culture is completely different from ours. To be sure, homosexuality is an ancient concept, but in so many cultures there is nothing remotely suggestive about a kiss between two men, and certainly not this mentor/pupil relationship. It's only our culture that mistakes affection for something it's not, and then giggles behind its back. Perversion of such an innocent interaction is a mark of a very narrow cultural experience and an adolescent sensationalist mentality. How could anyone twist a purely fantastic story to become fodder for modern skepticism and joking? Well, the perversion factor certainly doesn't come from the story, so I think we can guess whose mind it comes from. Anyway, not to be mean or anything, but this really gets on my nerves. Can't you think of something intelligent to say without trying to get a reaction or shock people? I find this all very silly.