Spreading honey as well as vinegar
With the response to The Footy Show’s recent antics, few could doubt our form when it comes to singling out offensive depictions of ourselves for criticism. But to avoid looking humourless it’s equally important we heap praise on the good.
These days depictions are overwhelmingly positive, though stereotypes remain. If you want to talk lowest common denominator, you can’t go past an Eddie Murphy flick. For a look at the state of the gay character in low culture, check out Eddie’s Meet Dave, about a man-shaped spaceship full of aliens who take on human characteristics when they stay too long on Earth.
Among the transformations is the ship’s gruff security officer who goes on a journey to discover his inner mincing hairdresser. The character is a one-dimensional stereotype that’s about 50 years old. He’s also among the film’s chief heroes and the most positively depicted character in a movie largely aimed at children.
Expect similar stereotypes in Sacha Baron Cohen’s upcoming mockumentary Bruno -鈥� though it’s sure to be an equal opportunity offender. Neither deserves a standing ovation.
What’s truly rare is a mainstream film or TV show that puts a gay character on the screen that breaks the mould and that audiences feel for no matter their sexuality.
The US Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation holds its GLAAD Media Awards to thank American media when they do a good job by fairly and accurately depicting GLBT people’s lives on screen. And while I doubt there are enough depictions of gay people in Australia’s shrunken industry to fill a yearly awards night, we could find something worth a prize each year for an Australian equivalent.
If we were handing out one this year, my nomination would be Newcastle -鈥� one of the best Australian films to hit our screens in a very long time.
The film follows the relation-ship between two brothers, one gay, one straight, and the upheaval that’s caused when their abusive washed-up surf champion older brother lands back on their couch after being dumped by his wife. And while the gay brother’s story is certainly the film’s secondary plotline, it’s the realism that it’s played with -鈥� he’s not a stereotype. He’s happy where he’s grown up and won’t be on the next bus to the ghetto. And he has strong relationships with heterosexual friends and family, even if he’s not entirely comfortable with being out yet.
It’s truly a quality production, with a talented cast, and edge-of-your-seat surfing scenes not seen since Point Break. And if that doesn’t get you to check it out, it also contains more male nudity per inch of celluloid in an Australian film since Ten Canoes.
After reading Piers Akermans article in the Daily Telegraph titled “Gay Lords Should Bite The Bullet On Bruno” I got a bit angry until its all part of the act for Sacha Cohen,he wants gays to get mad,he makes money out of it with the help of a good Publicist.
I wasn’t pleased with Akermans Journalism either until I realized that there is a half truth in what he says.
He really hit the nail on the head with a Mallet when he said why is it ok for gay men to prance & mince around on Mardi Gra night with a feather-duster hanging off their arse marching up and down oxford street,so why not except Cohen,now? Why isn’t the very fabric of gay men? He said Troy Thompson & Gary Burns (Self anointed guardians)had a big stink about it and are up in arms BUT say nothing on Mardi Gra night to thousands of Brunos prancing up and down and in your face,how come?
I think Akermans very correct on the issue.Personally I believe any gay men that have mannerisms like the character “Bruno” are a major turn-off,and the two that are complaining the most,Cohen is feeding of you and making big $$$
They realise he’s not gay, I think they were just utterly flummoxed as to how to deal with Cohen when he won’t go out of character. It’s not like gay teens are going to fall for it either.
Having seen pretty much every movie, skit and TV show Sacha Baron Cohen has done, I’m not too concerned by the Bruno movie, and the clips I’ve seen so far have been laughing at homophobes as much as they play on gay stereotypes.
Much of the humour will rely on shock and be in utterly poor taste but it will also be roll around on the floor funny and an equal opportunity offender.
One of my all time favourite bits from the Ali-G show featured a very early version of the Bruno character. He went to a white supremicist death metal concert and went around asking neo-nazis “so are there any skinheads who aren’t gay?” and “do you have a message for the gay community in Austria?”- the results were hilarious.
Cohen is a man who is not afraid to put himself at risk of real danger for a laugh and to ridicule the prejudice of others.
Eariler Today Sacha Baron Cohen the actor who plays gay Bruno in the movie Bruno was at a press conference acting in character, journalists were asking him silly questions like “does he think Kevin Rudd is hot etc”, then about six or seven diffrent journlists asked very seriously the question along the lines of “what advice do you give to gay teens”, Sacha Baron Cohen who’s not gay and while still acting in character laughed and said along the lines of “just out yourself”, Do the media not realise this man is not gay ? Do they think he’s a role model to gay teens ? Like I said in a previous post “it just does not make sense, and I cant understand it”. Im confused.
For anyone looking for the film it’s just come out on DVD so check the new release section of your video library, or alternatively, check out the website at:
One thing I wonder is why the general hetrosexual population dont question the lack of same-sex realtionships on television, I mean how can they not notice ? Are they thick ? Even late at night when children are in bed there is still virtually no same-sex realtionships on tv. It just does not make sense, and I cant understand it.