Monday, March 6. 2006Attention Has Been Paid (Maybe)
Okay, probably not. But in the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, it was nice to hear that after the conspiracy of silence regarding Brokeback Mountain and all things queer at the Globes, Mr. Lee actually referenced gay men and women in his Oscar acceptance speech. Of course I don't take back anything I said - the greatest allies of queer people in America's current political climate are and will be out, thinking, and active queer people - but it is still nice to be acknowledged. Besides, Ang Lee and the rest of the Brokeback crew whatever their sexualities were on the gay end of the prejudice stick last night. Not recognizing Brokeback Mountain as Best Picture was without question the result of homophobia, and while queers felt that sharp, sharp pain deep in our hearts in ways that perhaps they could not, I'm sure Ang & co. felt it to some degree, too. So thank you, Mr. Lee for the movie and your words from one small voice (with one big mouth) in cyberspace. Trackbacks
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Oh, please! Are you serious when you write, "Not recognizing Brokeback Mountain as Best Picture was without question the result of homophobia"??
I agree that we should be thrilled with Ang Lee's speech, but what I have found most exciting about this film, is how well it has been received by all moviegoers, regardless of their gender. Finally, there is inclusion of homosexuality in a film/tv without having to label it "gay & lesbian cinema." That, is a success.
#1
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2006-03-08 16:30
It is a success. But the Academy voters themselves have said publicly that the chances of a love story dealing with gay/lesbian themes garnering a Best Picture Oscar were slim. I do, personally, believe that the Academy folk had that ballot in front of them and said, "I'm not going to vote for Brokeback. The religious right will freak, it will drive down box office receipts even more in 06-07, and screw the ratings for next year's Oscar telecast. And with this Netflix thing, DVD thing, and piracy thing going on, we can't lose any more cash. But I'm not a bigot! So I'll vote for Crash."
For a more thorough examination of this topic check out this post on fastlad's blog: http://fastlad.blogspot.com/2006/03/brokeback-mountain.html. There is a great discussion going on in the comments section.
I have to wonder if the reception of the film would still be as great if the actors playing the film where not heterosexual. Once the film started production, we saw interviews that confirmed their heterosexuality, which I think show a strong homophobia, is still present in both Hollywood and the country--the need to say, "Yes, that is romantic on screen, but at least they go home to women." Though I think the film is a step in the right direction--I hope--I can't say that its success has me as happy as others in the GBLT community. When we can have a gay main character, besides one serving as comedic relief, played by an openly gay actor, I will be ready to celebrate.
#2
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2006-04-06 14:32
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Oh my god! Ang Lee reads my posts on Big Queer!
