Page 1 / 2 / 3 - Home

As Hollywood’s current flavor-of-the-year, queers everywhere are making the most of our 15 minutes of fame. Upcoming Oscar viewing parties (for many gays the ritualistic equivalent of Super Bowl Sunday) are already rumored to be the queer celebratory social events of the year. Gay bars with TVs are gearing up for record-breaking Oscar night attendance. 

The watershed year for gay film has overflowed into the whole world of GLBT arts & entertainment media, including gay websites, radio, TV, music, newspapers, etc. All are experiencing a phenomenal growth in interest, advertising and prestige as they are uniquely positioned to liaison and network with the current “gay” Hollywood film explosion.

This must be the busiest year ever at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s (GLAAD) film awards department. Brokeback Mountain, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Rent, The Family Stone and Capote have all just been named nominees (competing against each other!) in the “outstanding film – wide release” category for the upcoming 17th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

Our annus jubilatus in movie-land continues its run of good luck even in the recent selection of Jon Stewart as this year’s Academy Awards host. Stewart is one of our community’s noblest defenders in the media, as well as one of our funniest court jesters. Just this week GLAAD announced that it is presenting a Special Recognition award to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for its "smart, incisive, devastatingly funny coverage of gay and lesbian civil rights issues, and its hilarious skewering of the religious right's anti-gay agenda."

In recent years, movies have increasingly become the major means by which our modern society tells its stories. The Oscars have emerged to become key high ground, (if not a downright battleground), in America’s bitter, divisive culture wars. As this year’s remarkable stable of GLBT themed films gets ready for their Oscar close-ups, lines in the sand are being drawn between (mostly Christian) conservative groups and uh…the rest of the cultured universe.

Displaying a shrewd and growing sophistication in the way they engage popular culture, conservative groups no longer promote overt, grass-roots protests of films they abhor. They have learned how their shrill criticism can play into the marketing plans of movie producers. Think back when the Christian right vocally opposed and picketed films such as 1988’s The Last Temptation of Christ and the more recent cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants. Both stunts resulted in lots of publicity for the shows, but few practical gains for the fundamentalists.

Within the last few weeks, as if timed to coincide with Brokeback Mountain’s wider nationwide release, reactionary voices have reared their ugly talking heads everywhere in the media. From Imus-in-the-Morning to The O’Reilly Factor at night, these (mostly straight males) flatly state how they simply refuse to see the film. As if taking a stand for the rights of their culturally beleaguered hetero brethren, they often preach a kind of “Man Show” type sermon. It is the prerogative of straight men everywhere, they claim, to not have to sit through any film that depicts anything even remotely homosexual.

With their smug and smarmy tactic of silent avoidance, high profile right-wing personalities in the political, religious and media arenas are hoping that GLBT films like Brokeback simply won't do well in the heartland. Additionally, they’re not taking any chances in espousing protests that just might bump up any “pro-gay” film ratings in the conservative red states.

Let’s hope they fail. In the meantime, we can look forward to March 5^th and take pride in enjoying the embarrassment of riches that have made this Hollywood’s best queer year ever. 

Check back Tuesday for our coverage of the Oscar nominations. For more information on Brokeback Mountain visit our Brokeback Mountain section, and for a live discussion thread, visit DaveCullen.com.

Page 1 / 2 / 3 - Home