September 12, 2005
"Gay Cowboy" - Mental Images and the Damage they Can Do
There are certain mental images in life that cannot be overcome. Try to imagine Bob Denver (Gilligan) playing the Terminator. Try to picture Goldie Hawn playing a Harvard educated scientist. They just don’t work.
Now think about the reverse, those times when someone steps out of their image and takes a role that creates an image reversal or some sort of expose forces an uncomfortable reality out into the open, a change that transforms the perception of all past and future projects. For example, try watching Pillow Talk now that it is common knowledge that Rock Hudson was gay and died from Aids. The chemistry between him and Doris day is completely gone now.
Now imagine Heath Ledger of "The Patriot" and "Knight's Tale" playing a gay cowboy in "Broken Back Mountain".
The film has been called "groundbreaking" by homosexual activists for the amount of "gay" sex that is shown on screen.No only that but violent gay sex.
"[Ledger] grabs me and he slams me up against the wall and kisses me, and then I grab him and I slam him up against the wall and I kiss him," he said recently, adding the love scenes were the most violent he'd ever done."We were doing take after take after take. I got the sh-- beat out of me. ... We had other scenes where we fought each other and I wasn't hurting as badly as I did after that one."
"As well as that, every man goes through a period of thinking they're attracted to another guy," Gyllenhaal added.Uhhh, no.
My guess is the movie will have a small obscure showing almost exclusively in the Gay community. This particular award is likely a result of its "ground breaking" content rather then it's cinematic brilliance. Its audience demographic is pretty small. Is having two supposedly heterosexual guys (with Hollywood you never really know) playing homosexuals even believable? Why would the gay community praise a move about gays that excludes gays from the lead roles? Imagine "Ray" done with a white playing Ray. I guess it could be the "Lesbian effect". Most males I know have no problem watching two heterosexual females playing lesbians.
It will be interesting to see if it has any impact on Heath Ledger's future roles. He was never what I would call a manly man in his roles but one thing is for sure. I will never be able to watch his movies again without thinking that he was in gay porn.
Posted by Sid at September 12, 2005 12:19 AM | Makes You Think Hmm..
