Posts Tagged ‘Film’

Take Two…or 400 on Gays and Love

Posted by

I regularly review campaigns and ads on the Out Front Blog and am a strong advocate for equal and accurate portrayal of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals. We're a diverse community who must be out front and honest about our love, our lives and our presence in the daily lives of our allies and opponents.

When I saw Valentine's Day the day it came out with my girls, I too had slight concern it was just going to be two hours of 5-minute appearances by big name stars. And while there were a few moments like that, I loved the movie. While definitely not at the exact same caliber as all-time favorite Love Actually, it was a similar collection of multiple story lines that are interconnected with some big twists and surprises. And yes, one of them is a gay relationship. Another is Julia Robert's relationship and reason for returning home.

Is the gay relationship highlighted in marketing or previews? No. Is it portrayed that Julia Roberts' and Bradley Coopers' characters are together or will be? Yes. There are other suggested relationships in the previews and marketing that don't necessarily end as expected.

Now, as Michael noted, there are those bloggers and activists upset at this lack of inclusion and accuse marketers of discrimination or de-gayifying the movie. However, I would like to provide a second opinion. First, understand that I will continually advocate for the LGBT community to be out front and assert their rights as human beings. However, just as sometimes the best form of communication is blogs and social media and other times it's interpersonal interaction, I feel Valentine's Day the movie plays an important part in opening the eyes of the American public in a subtle way.

The gasp was audible in the theatre both times I saw the movie when a character very publicly comes out and then when his partner is revealed. Both moments in the movie totally take you by surprise — for two characters you've come to know and love and see as "normal" come out.  (I use normal in quotation marks because most Americans automatically assumes an individual is straight until told otherwise, but really what is normal…ah, another blog post).

Now no one in the theatre walked out at these points each time I saw the show. Yet, I know from personal experience, that had there been obvious marketing of this gay relationship, certain friends and family would not even consider seeing the movie. Even if it was a shoo in for Best Picture this next Sunday.

Instead, some of them may have seen the film and realized that a person in their life, someone they work with or the stranger who made their day, is a fellow human being…who happens to be gay. To me the movie showcased how many times gays and lesbians can't experience the typical love and romance taken for granted by their straight counterparts. And in moments of bravery and courage (and sacrifice), they will put themselves out there and people come to realize that the person — the fellow human being — they know and love and are in community with just happens to be gay.

Poor marketing or strategic marketing? It's definitely not clear cut but worth considering all viewpoints. In any event, continue being out front with your love and life.

And on that note, two quick other takes on gay love and communications.

  • In this day and age of flash mobs and major demonstrations by many people, same-sex couples are looking to make a statement on March 20 in Washington D.C. with the largest wedding. Going for a Guinness World Record, up to 400 gay couples will converge on the nation's capital to make a statement (to each other and the country) as well as celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in the nation's capital that begins today.
  • Gays and lesbians are also getting a chance at great love and a stellar wedding with Crate and Barrel's Ultimate Wedding competition. We've received e-mails here on the blog from couples in the running. We applaud them for their commitment, as well as Crate and Barrel's to the LGBT community.

| March 2nd, 2010 2 Comments »
Tags: · · · · · · ·

An Amazing Race/Marketing Missing a Face

Posted by

Happy Monday, all. Not sure about you, but I spent the weekend shoveling, followed by retail therapy, followed by more shoveling. Methinks I need to move to a warmer climate ASAP. Speaking of shoveling, could the actual shovels themselves BE more bland? At least they could kick up the design a bit because when you shovel, all you do is stare at the ground.

Anywho…I've promised to give regular updates on the Gay Games here in Cleveland. Today, I'll focus on the next Gay Games, which are being held in Cologne in July-August 2010. One week ago, the official countdown to Cologne kicked off with the "International Memorial Rainbow Run," a celebration of previous Gay Games host cities which commemorates the historic journey of the Gay Games movement. The Run started at the birthplace of the Gay Games–San Francisco– where about 50 people braved a cold rain Sunday to attend the run's inaugural leg, including openly gay California State Senator Mark Leno and Gay Games founder Dr. Tom Waddell's wife Sara Waddell Lewinstein and daughter Jessica Waddell Lewinstein.

New York activist Brent Nicholson Earle (pictured) carried a rainbow flag on a symbolic run from the AIDS Memorial Grove located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to Kezar Stadium, home of the first Gay Games in 1982. At the event, FGG Co-presidents Kurt Dahl and Emy Ritt remarked that the International Memorial Rainbow Run not only launches the Games, but "reminds us of the relevance of our movement in a world that still makes it difficult to compete and be openly gay or lesbian."

Next stop for the Run is Sydney, where the event will be held in conjunction with the city's giant Gay Mardi Gras Parade. Sydney's gay & lesbian running club the Frontrunners will carry the flag in the parade.

These events are not only great reminders of the FGG movement, but also a powerful marketing tool to get athletes registered for the upcoming Games. Right now, Cologne has about 5,500 registered participants– the hope is to double that by Opening Ceremonies on July 31. We're not scheduled to get the Run here in Cleveland, but I know that the team is working hard to generate interest here to participate in Germany.

Now, for an awkward transition– did anyone go see the movie Valentine's Day? I didn't — the reviews were awful– but apparently there is a gay storyline in the film, and Web sites and bloggers are pretty outraged that this has been left out of all marketing/promotions. Have to admit, I would have not known there was a gay couple featured in this film. I too was misled to think that Bradley Cooper was with Julia Roberts, just based on the preview alone. 

The gay storyline isn't the only one being slighted– Shirley MacLaine is also fuming that she and her co-star Hector Elizondo are left out of the poster for the film, calling it "age discrimination."

Now granted, a movie can't be all things to all people, and that it has to be challenging to capture so many plotlines in a 30-second preview, but this goes back to marketing 101– create specific marketing plans to target each potential audience. Especially when your film is getting some of the worst reviews this year.

What do you think about this marketing pushback?  

Enjoy the week.

| March 1st, 2010 No Comments »
Tags: · · · · · · · ·

Stereotypes and Stigmatisms

Posted by

So much has gone on since my last post both personally and professionally — including now seeing the world through eyes that are a quarter of a century old. And recently, on the small and big screens, these eyes have seen portrayals of gay characters that have raised questions — questions and issues I have yet to formulate an answer to.

First, it was the Motorola (client) Super Bowl ad with Megan Fox. Contemplating what a picture of her in the bath tub would do if sent out over social networks led to a series of humorous scenarios, many of which pushed the boundaries in true Super Bowl commercial form. And yet in one scene, a gay couple, clad in bright clothes and hands on their hips, reach out and slap each other.

Catty. Effeminate. Flamboyant. All those adjectives jumped to mind when seeing the ad. Is that the way I wanted my community defined? It perpetrates, in the guise of humor, the concept that being a gay male equals being effeminate. What’s wrong with that? Personally I see nothing wrong with a human being (guy or girl) being defined effeminate. But thanks to our societal history of placing greater value in masculinity, the ad sustains more masculine members of the gay community’s disgust or fear of effeminate characteristics in their fellow gay man or themselves. The same could be said for straight audiences who hold inaccurate opinions of the LGBT community.

And yet, as I started to write about the ad, I begin to flip on Will & Grace for noise in the background — and suddenly stopped. How was Jack’s character on the show any different from the two gay men presented in the ad that were getting me all riled up?

And what about the upcoming movie “Death at a Funeral”? While waiting to catch “Valentine’s Day” this weekend, I watched as the comedy trailer found it funny to expose a deceased father’s closeted homosexuality. The line that hit me was Chris Rock’s shock that his brother was more upset over their father’s being white (don’t know how that works out in the film) than his homosexual affair.

Now discovering any secret of a deceased parent is typically a shock, but the film overlooks the sensitivities and struggles someone must have experienced who felt the need to live a double life. I understand it’s a comedy and the situation is augmented by the deceased father’s lover and his blackmail scheme. Still…

After discussions with my roommate, my straight sounding board, I present these questions about the above media:

  1. Where is the line between comedy and offense? Are the situations above offensive or just humor?
  2. What harm do you see in presenting a stereotype of the LGBT (or any) community?
  3. Should we just be happy with the fact the LGBT individuals are being represented in the media? Or do we have a right to raise issue with the way we’re being portrayed?
  4. Is there a deeper issue here — America’s devaluing of effeminate qualities for masculine qualities?
  5. What can we say or do to let marketers and movie makers know that we want our story told, but  in a way that is an accurate portrayal of a diverse community and doesn’t support inaccurate fears of our lives?

Give us your answers in the comments below.

| February 18th, 2010 No Comments »
Tags: · · · · ·

And the Nominees Are…

Posted by

Academy-award "It's that time of year, when the world falls in love…every song you hear, seems to say..Sandra Bullock, for the Blind Side."

Ok, I took some liberties with that classic Christmas carol, but this week marked the announcement of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards! Nomination day has always been like Christmas morning for me. I love the anticipation, and I love the forced smiles from those who expected to get a nomination but in turn got a snub from their peers.

Let's break down the nominations for just a moment:

  • Best Film: Now I know that Avatar is out of this blue world, and The Hurt Locker was a stunning portrayal of the front lines of the Iraq war, but let's give it to Precious. The movie gripped me from beginning to end, and the performances were so nuanced and emotional. And an added bonus? The film provided an extremely positive portrayal of a lesbian couple. (By the way, did we really need 10 nominations for Best Film?)
  • Best Actor: Based on what I have seen, I've got to give it to Jeremy Renner with The Hurt Locker. Saw Crazy Heart over the weekend, and while Jeff Bridges was good, it was a one-note (pun intended) performance. It felt like this year's version of The Wrestler. Kudos to the Academy for recognizing Colin Firth for his portrayal of a tormented man in the 1960s choosing between being open and being quiet. That film is on my must-see list, so I reserve the right to change my vote.
  • Best Actress: I'm just going to say it. Sandy B. doesn't deserve it. Sure, she was great. Sure, it was different for her. But these awards are about acting, not just dying your hair blond and changing your accent. For me, this is a toss up between The Divine Ms. M (Meryl Streep) and Gabourey Sidibe in Precious. Saw An Education, and that was kind of a snooze fest.
  • Best Director: Part of me wants Kathryn Bigelow to win the Oscar for The Hurt Locker and become the first female director to do so. But the louder part of me wants Lee Daniels to win for Precious, so that he can become the first openly gay African American director to not only get nominated, but win.
  • Other categories: Mo'Nique all the way. "Take it All" from Nine please (that was the only good part of that film).

I echo Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) President Jarrett Barrios in applauding the Academy this week for recognizing films that use the cinematic storytelling device to shed light on the LGBT community. In a statement this week, Barrios said that “images like the love and commitment between Ms. Rain and her partner in Precious and the isolation felt by George in A Single Man spark conversations that help Americans embrace their gay and transgender friends, family members and neighbors. We need to advocate for more gay-inclusive stories to be shared with mainstream audiences because as more people see these images, they realize that we have the same aspirations, hopes, and deserve the same chances to take care of our loved ones and families.” 

The movies are a powerful medium. Through film, we have the opportunity to entertain mainstream audiences while also educating them about our LGBT community, and Hollywood is slowly providing more and more opportunities for LGBT writers, and actors, to share their story. Someday, the world on screen and the world in real life will merge and we can educate through open dialogue, minus the sound effects.

What do you think about this year's nominations? Are you as nervous as I am about Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin hosting together this year?

One more thing– anyone else as confused as I am about Lost this week? Did the writers really have to bring back Juliet again only to kill her AGAIN? My emotions can't handle it. They have 16 episodes left to explain themselves. If it's easier, I am happy to take a meeting with them in Hawaii to discuss.

| February 5th, 2010 No Comments »
Tags: · · · ·

Words & Images Matter

Posted by

While not a shattering revelation, in our world of information overload we quickly can forget how each visual, verbal or written representation of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders can have compounded impact on others' and our own understanding of our lives, our community and our part within the world. That's why GLAAD's Media Awards continue to be an important program, highlighting those films, shows, media and companies that are leading the way in positive, realistic portrayals of a global community that continues to become increasingly diverse.

Before moving on to the list of nominees for the 21st Media Awards, I wanted to first share this picture, which stopped me cold yesterday. Images do matter and this one tells a sad story of our brothers overseas.

Malawi Couple

Handcuffed and riding in the back of a truck while heckled and harassed by their community, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga headed to court to file papers with their lawyers against the "gross indecency" charge they received for holding an engagement ceremony in Malawi. What stuns me is the guy in red's expression and the eyes and faces of the couple. 

This image matters because it is a window into a world on the other side of our own where the simple act of holding a ceremony to announce your love for a person in the privacy of your own home or town is grounds for the above treatment. This image matters because it reminds of us what many LGBT individuals are fighting for here in America, as well as the current benefits we should never take for granted.

Similarly, the words of Uganada's President Museveni speaking out against the propsed anti-gay bill legislation mattered, as they turned the course of the legislation, possibly even dismantling the efforts. You can read more about that here.

Coming back to the USA, we definitely recognize and appreciate the work that GLAAD does to remind us of the importance of words and images. Each is an important link in the progress made or lost on behalf of the LGBT community. Check out all of the award nominees here or you can watch the video from GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios embedded below. I, for one, am the biggest Gleek and have appreciated the great writing and portrayal of coming out with Kurt and his father — here's to a win for Glee.

We'd love to hear what you think about the award nominees in the comments. Have you seen or read any of the contenders? What was your opinion of them? Weigh in below and we'll all stay tuned in to see which nominees made the biggest impact. All of them, undoubtedly, matter.

| January 13th, 2010 No Comments »
Tags: · · · · · · · ·

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »