GLAAD Mad at Shalit's "Brokeback" Breakdown(Shalit calls BM character sexual predator)

E! News ^ | 1/06/06 | Sarah Hall

[Dane]

GLAAD Mad at Shalit's "Brokeback" Breakdown

by Sarah Hall Jan 6, 2006, 3:30 PM PT

For the most part, the critics agree that Brokeback Mountain is one of the year's most commendable films.

Then there's Gene Shalit's point of view.

The veteran Today show critic has been taken to task by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation over his negative review of the gay cowboy western, in which he referred to Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Jack, as a "sexual predator" who "tracks Ennis down and coaxes him into sporadic trysts."

The group claimed that Shalit's statements, delivered during his "Critic's Choice" segment on Thursday's Today show, promoted "defamatory anti-gay prejudice to a national audience," and criticized NBC News for providing the eccentric critic with a platform from which to air his views.

[vbmoneyspender]

sounds to me like even the audience members have to be worried.

[dennisw]

sounds to me like even the audience members have to be worried......

Especially if they laugh at or criticize the movie. Just look how the militant gays are swarming over Gene Shalit. He dissed their cinematic gods

[Chode]

[jocon307]

An most interesting point of view. But I must say, yet again, that Heath Ledger must be giving some great performance in this movie. He has been UNIVERSALLY praised, in every article I've read. And they've ALL been anti-the movie articles. Oh, except for the review in The New Yorker, but my guess is that reviewer (whichever it was) was struggling with his own homophobia, as the whole piece was so tongue tied as to be unintelligible. He may indeed have praised Ledger too.

So, as of now I am curious to see it, for Heath Ledger and the gal formerly of Dawson's creek. I always thought she was very good in that.

You gotta laugh at the gays though, the "gay spokespersons" anyway. They act like their lives are all filled with purity, etc. As if, at the very least, their lives wouldn't be as screwed up as anyone else's. They may be fooling the press, but they're not fooling anyone else, including themselves.

[sine_nomine]

I will wait until the cult classic (as in - nobody watched it except the critics) reaches cable. Then I will toast the masterpiece: "Bottoms up!"

[Jeff Chandler]

Not only am I not going to go see it, I'm not going to rent the DVD. Heck, I'm not even going to borrow the DVD. Brokebutt Mountain, indeed.

[Mike Darancette]

gay cowboy western

I thought it was a gay shepherd western?

[SmoothTalker]

An apology over a bad review? What a bunch of fairy facsists. So if you want to avoid their wrath you have to give anything remotly queer a good review?

[Continental Soldier]

I keep hearing and reading that his movie has been nominated for a zillion awards before anybody has even seen it. What is up with that? Who has been doing all that nominating?

[Fenris6]

To date, the film has been named Best Picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the New York Film Critics Circle and deemed one of the year's 10 best films by the American Film Institute and the Broadcast Film Critics Association...Brokeback is up for eight Critic's Choice Awards, seven Golden Globes, a Writers Guild Award, a Producers Guild Award, a Directors Guild Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, to name a few. And that's before nominations for the Academy Awards are announced on Jan. 31.

All this, and Middle America still thinks the film sucks. One [straight] reviewer complained that it was so dull, he found himself wanting them to get to the gay sex scene.

[Fenris6]

I find it curious that they make a movie about cowboys, gay or otherwise, but they run sheep not cattle

I guess we're supposed to be thankful they aren't boinking the sheep. But yeah, its a film about gay sheep-herders, not cowboys.

[Humidston]

I'm really getting offended at all the anti-hetrosexual bias that the biased homosexuals are using against most of us.

IMO, this is a hate crime.

[dfwgator]

I guess we're supposed to be thankful they aren't boinking the sheep.

They saved that for Brokeback Mountain II.

[weegee]

Political correctness is despotism. It does not tolerate dissent.

One day such views will be illegal. For now, they are merely thoughtcrime.

[weegee]

One good thing about the critics orgy of appreciation for Bareback Mountain is that it means Looney Clooney's commie symp piece gets left in the dust.

[expatguy]

The review is reviewed?

This has nothing to do with homosexuality - it has everything to do with fascism.

[Houmatt]

GLAAD can go to hell. Period.

[cincinnati65]

"The veteran Today show critic has been taken to task by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation over his negative review of the gay cowboy western, in which he referred to Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Jack, as a "sexual predator" who "tracks Ennis down and coaxes him into sporadic trysts.""

I haven't (and won't) be seeing the film, but I have to say that of the descriptions I've heard of the "first encounter", Shalit may be dead on accurate in his characterization. I'm not surprised that the press hasn't discussed this, but I do think it's an interesting idea.

While I'm posting on a BM thread, has anyone noticed the latest ad campaign? It is absolutely sickening. All they show are the scenery and the lead characters hugging their wives and children. If you had no idea what the movie was about, you'd be in for a REALLY big shock when you got there.

[Nick5]

Just a point of clarification--Shalit is wrong on one point: Jack does not coax Ennis into the trysts, Ennis is wildly willing. I don't think a person can be called a predator if the "prey" runs joyfully into his claws.

[RAY]

Who attended Brokeback Mountain?