Homosexuality in Current Day Films

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/gays_and_lesbians/gay_film.cfm

In today's discussion, which we had with Diego, I was really interested in the video that we had watched regarding homosexuality in films. What I found most interesting was the amount of innuendo slipped into films that were made as early as the 20's! However, one thing that bothered me was that whenever a gay was portrayed it was often in a negative, stereotypical way. As they had mentioned in the film, Celluloid Closet, homosexuality was only something to laugh at, pity or fear, and gay characters never played a role that was fleshed out and explored beyond the gay stereotype. Interested in seeing if we have progressed any farther since the time when gay men were used I decided to look at films in the current day to see if they have improved at all in their stereotyping.

The first film I looked at was probably the most mainstream and obvious choice, Brokeback Mountain, which tells the tale of two male sheepherders who fall in love and pursue a rather tragic romance. While the movie focuses on two bisexual (not gay) males who do end up getting married and having children of their own, their homosexual relationship is definitely the main plot of the film and is a deep and complex one at that. The fact that they have to cheat on their wives in order to be together does sort of portray the men as lying, lustful, and manipulative, which may lead some to believe that this film paints gays in a negative light, but I think this just adds a whole different layer of complexity to the characters, making the audience see how difficult it really is to have a homosexual relationship. Thus, I think this film does a really great job of revealing the hardships that gay men face, while additionally avoiding the feminine stereotype that most gays are portrayed in in most modern films. I'd definitely say this film is a huge step forward from the time of 20's films with "sissy" gay characters.

Another film I examined was a scene within Easy A, in which the protagonist, Olive, helps her gay friend, Brandon, find acceptance in high school by "pretending to be straight". In order to do so, she pretends to have sex with him and the scene is played largely for laughs, and a good amount of them are made at Brandon's sexuality's expense (lavender curtains joke, gnome in underwear, etc). While Brandon's character may seem like a total stereotype who sets gays back simply by existing in film, I think he is actually a rather progressive character. He reveals the discomfort that a lot of gays have while being closeted in high school and even gives a really great speech within the film about the pain that he suffers as people are constantly mocking and bullying him. Through mixing a combination of gay stereotypes and real personality, I think that Brandon's character comes across as genuine and offers a great insight into the lives of a struggling gay teenager (while simultaneously keeping things lighthearted).

All in all, I'd say that the portrayal of gays in films today has been getting way better since the early films of the 20's-50's, and while there might still be a lot of offensive stereotypes, I think things are headed in a positive direction. Here's to hoping things might continue getting better!

Brokeback Mountain trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xuugq7fito

Olive and Brandon in Easy A:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzLbqkq-1ag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGIQQBEj9uU