The L.A. Times ran a great article the other day discussing the recent spate of comedy centered around "straight male bonding" that mines heterosexual male discomfort with closeness to other men for laughs, with varied success.

On the less successful end of the spectrum we've got dumb-dumb, gay-panic-tinged stuff like the Snickers Super Bowl ad and biker shlub comedy Wild Hogs, which lack subtlety and leave a bad aftertaste. But then there are more nuanced uses of the formula, which are more about ignoring or overcoming homophobic tendencies than falling prey to them.

The author specifically singles out upcoming man-on-man figure skating comedy Blades of Glory for praise, noting that "the punch line isn't rooted in the gay man -- it's the straight American male struggling with intimacy and emotion while stuck in some retro notion of manliness". She also highlights Scrubs and Borat as having a more enlightened take on the subject, and ends with a succinct conclusion from sociologist Michael Kimmel:

"The fact that gay people are more visible in people's lives problematizes their relationships with other men," says Manhood in America author Kimmel. "The more the visibility of gay people in American life — which I consider a great benefit for straight men as well as gay men — the richer and fuller straight men's lives will become. You can see that you can express all kinds of feelings, all kinds of emotions. You become safer and more secure in your identity."

You can make your own mind up about Blades of Glory when it opens this weekend (I caught it last night -- be sure to check back on Thursday for our take on it). But in the meantime, what do you think about the Times' take on the recent trend of "gay panic light"? Progress, or more of the same?

If you haven't yet had the chance, make sure to pop on over to our Brand! Spanking! New! main page and read our article discussing the recent gay controversies in pro sports. With the Tim Hardaway situation, the Snickers Super Bowl ad, and the Colts coach's appearance at a dinner for an avowedly anti-gay group, pro sports have had a rough inning, to say the least. But is it just a fumble?

Check out the article, and be sure to share your comments when you're done (you can now comment on the actual article page -- a new feature!). And if anyone in or near Indianapolis hears anything about how the dinner went or how the local coverage plays out shoot us an email at editor@afterelton.com.