Posted on 01/05/2006 4:21:21 PM PST by Incorrigible
BY DRU SEFTON
It's true, the movie "Brokeback Mountain" does provoke what one researcher calls "a very strong ick factor" in some straight men.
What is it in this story of two cowboy pals in 1960s Wyoming who find themselves in lifelong love -- yet go on to marry women -- that elicits this response from heterosexual males?
The answers are as complex as the plot.
A psychologist who coined the word "homophobic" said the revulsion is precisely that. A scientist who discovered genetic links to sexuality said he simply does not understand the response. The author of "The Sexual Brain" said there is nothing on a neurobiological basis to explain the aversion.
To film fan Eddie Hargreaves of Stockton, Calif., it's more like the "ick" of romantic drama. "I'm not going to speak for everybody," he said, "but I don't know a lot of straight guys who said, `Oh, man, I can't wait to see "Bridges of Madison County,""' 1995's famous tearjerker.
"Brokeback Mountain," directed by Oscar winner Ang Lee and starring box-office hunks Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, is sparking both critical praise and water cooler chatter. It's been nominated for seven Golden Globe awards.
But when movie critic Dave White, who is gay, wrote a humorous piece titled "The Straight Dude's Guide to `Brokeback,"' "I got hundreds of messages, most of whom hated me for just existing," he said.
An excerpt from the column: "The good news -- there's less than one minute of making out. It's about 130 minutes long and 129 of them are about Men Not Having Sex."
We're not talking here about rejections of homosexuality based on moral or religious grounds, though the film has provoked its share of those. It's that some men who pointedly won't see "Brokeback" are social liberals who generally find no fault with people being gay.
"I didn't write the piece with the homophobe in mind," said White, a Movie.com reviewer in Los Angeles who wrote the column for MSNBC.com. "I wrote it for the liberal guy who just can't see this movie, because they know that reads as socially uncool."
White's theory on straight-male queasiness centers on self-identification. "These characters are too close to being regular guys," he said. "That's part of the freakout."
Timothy Shary also noticed that. He's director of the Screen Studies Program at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., and examines masculinity in movies.
"This is a threat to most men because it opens up the possibility that two men who are friendly may become affectionate," Shary said. "That's something men just do not want to consider."
Countless movies feature characters who marry (or are married to) someone but linger evermore over feelings for another -- think "Casablanca."
"But this is about two men who are attracted to each other and keep that connection. That's especially troubling for some men," Shary said, adding, "but that's what makes this a truly revolutionary film."
George Weinberg said this aversion is "definitely homophobia." He is the New York City psychologist and researcher who invented that term in the 1960s, and broke ground with his 1972 book, "Society and the Healthy Homosexual."
"This is the idea of one man's adoration for another," Weinberg said. "A love affair more deep and lasting and romantic" than with their wives.
His advice for straights uneasy about "Brokeback" is to "first understand you have this problem. At least by acknowledging it, that's a start. It's like saying, `I have a fear of heights."'
Research into a physical source of these feelings is lacking.
"It does seem to be almost culturally universal that heterosexual men can have a deep repulsion to overt homosexuality," said Dean Hamer, scientist and author of "The Science of Desire: The Gay Gene and the Biology of Behavior."
"But there is no study I know of to ascertain whether this is a biologically based trait," Hamer said.
Simon LeVay agreed. He is a lecturer on neuroscience and author of "The Sexual Brain," a biological overview of sexuality.
"From a neurobiological basis, I just don't think this response has been researched at that level," LeVay said, "although it's something that should be."
Movie buff Hargreaves, who is straight and married, still isn't going to see "Brokeback Mountain." Not that there's anything wrong with that.
"To say that straight guys are missing out because they're unjustly turned off by the plot, well, there wasn't anything to turn them on in the first place," Hargreaves said. "At least `The English Patient' had a plane crash."
Jan. 5, 2006
(Dru Sefton can be contacted at dru.sefton@newhouse.com)
Not for commercial use. For educational and discussion purposes only.
Why would guys want to see this if they are not gays. Hell gay guys aren't seeing it. But regardless it is not homophobic to not want to see this flik!!!!!
"Why aren't those little tutu-wearing fairies called heterophobes?"
'Cause its more fun to call them tutu-wearing fairies?
Big hint: things that seem 'culturally universal' almost invariably aren't cultural at all.
It's not just the sheep or beeves that are the problem. Movies like this make it more and more difficult for two men to be friends, because it "looks gay," and the homos wink and smirk. People say male/male friendships are shallow, and I am coming to believe it is because militant homosexism is destroying the ability of normal men to bond, because it's "gay". Most men, who are not homosexual sex addicts, congregate for other reasons than sex. These faggots, excuse the term, cannot fathom men getting together without thinking of sex, and they project their unnatural and perverted impulses onto those of us who just want to watch the football game, yet call each other when we have girl trouble. Poor faggots, they can't hep it. To quote the William Hurt character in Kiss of the Spider Woman, talking about a straight man he had the hots for, "He's a REEEAL man, and what a Reeeal man want is is a real woman." OK, ok, ok. There was a homosexual kiss and implied sex in KOTSW between Raul Julia and William Hurt, but it was such a good movie I overlooked it. But that was 20 years ago, and things have changed. Besides, they were in prison.
I like the word "mis", as in misogynist. I'm not a "homophobe", I'm a "mishomoist"
There was a study done about 30 years ago. They took 3 groups of 50 men: 1 group was homosexual, the 2nd group was heterosexual, but said they weren't really bothered by homosexuality, it just didn't have any appeal to them, the 3rd group were heterosexual men who said the hated homosexuality.
Each group had their genitals wired to a sensor and were shown a gay pornographic movie.
As expected - 100% of the homosexual group experienced erections. 8% of the heterosexuals who didn't care about homosexuality experienced erections. 80% of the heterosexuals who "hated fags" experienced erections.
The term "homophobe" means exactly what it says - people who are "scared" of homosexuality - not people who don't "like" homosexuality. There's a big difference - and the study proved it. If you truly "hate fags" with an intense passion - there might be a reason.
I happen to not care for asparagus - so what? I don't even want to watch someone else eat it - so what? However, if it became an over-riding passion of my life - to actively hate asparagus and asparagus eaters, then I would have a problem.
The upshot is: sex is no different than eating, they are both bodily functions and they are both a matter of taste. If I don't care if you like Chinese food or not - why on earth would I care about your sexual tastes? Unless I plan on seducing someone - I couldn't care less about their personal sex life. Why would you?
"As expected - 100% of the homosexual group experienced erections. 8% of the heterosexuals who didn't care about homosexuality experienced erections. 80% of the heterosexuals who "hated fags" experienced erections."
I would suggest you quickly find a reference to cite.
try googling "South Park Death Camp of Tolerance."
While this is not the study I read about - it is another study from 1996 that reached similar conclusions:
http://www.unknownnews.net/homophobia.html
I can't get the link to work, but you can copy and paste the URL to get to it.
Porno movie lesbos? Yes.
Real life lesbos? NFW.
I'm a chick and I HATED The Bridges of Madison County.
It was a horrible, boring movie, notwithstanding the whole cheating on your husband thing.
I think Heath Ledger is totally hot but that makes me especially adverse to seeing him rub himself all over another guy, even if he is just acting.
Thanks for that photo! I just spilled my water bottle all over my computer!
Yeah, we recently got Logo on Direct TV.
I stumbled upon it one night. I thought it was the Travel Channel, until I realized the host was highlighting all the gay nightclubs in the particular destination (Amsterdam).
It has joined the numerous other channels on my Block List. Sigh...300 channels and rarely anything on!
Well done. I'm a rabid Chinesefoodophobe, myself. And I won't go to see Brokeback Mountain, but not because I fear subliminal gayness, but because I'm not really interested in the subject matter. I don't care for scifi, so I didn't bother with the Star Wars movies. Same thing.
Ahem!...In the immortal words of the late great Sam Kinisson," How can a man look at another man's hairy *** and find love?"
When you think about it, that's a hell of a lot to ask of an actor: "Make out with another man and make like it's the best thing you've ever done in your life, not like you want to boot all over the floor."
heck, if they are even halfway convincing, i would chalk it up to more than good acting....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.