4 posts tagged “gay”
Last weekend, I went to see the movie Milk, starring Sean Penn as the first openly gay elected official Harvey Milk. The film was amazing. I couldn't stop talking about it on my way home. I called people to tell them that Milk is an especially important movie for today, given the election we just came out of and the still hot-button issue of Proposition 8.
However, another important thing I took out of the movie was very disturbing: my immense attraction for a gay Emile Hirsch.
I've seen him in other movies, including the Sean Penn-directed Into the Wild. I thought Emile was great in that. Cute even. However, I didn't desire him as much as I desired his homosexual character of Cleve Jones in Milk.
Now, I am a self-described "fag hag," but I have never been attracted to gays in a sexual manner, mainly because I know deep down they could never be attracted to me. During Milk, Emile Hirsch's character obviously preferred men over women (there's a brief hot scene between him and Joseph Cross), yet I was still attracted. I dug that he wore short shorts, rocked out the curly hair, and fought for the Gay Rights Movement. I thought to myself, "*Sigh.* If only I could find a guy like him. . ."
Perhaps, more than anything else, my attraction stemmed from the fact that Emile Hirsch is in real-life, presumably, straight. I think I was attracted because a very straight guy was playing a very gay guy, all for the sake of art. Most straight guys get very uncomfortable even talking about homosexuality. But Emile went balls out (pun intended!) and actually played a homosexual -- kissing other men in the film. The liberalism in the statement might have been the other turn-on for me.
Or maybe I have just realized I have a weird fetish for men who act gay. Although, if I did, I don't think I would hate Ryan Seacrest as much as I do.
It had been a few years since I had last watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the claymation classic from 1964 that airs every December on CBS. While watching Rudolph and crew battle everything from the Abominable Snow Monster to the mean bastard reindeer who made fun of Rudy's nose, I was struck by the importance of one of the main characters: Hermey, the elf who didn't want to make toys, but would rather teach children the lesson of flossing.
Hermey was a monumental elf in that he was the first openly gay character on network television, which was pretty crazy for the early 1960's when the only gays were still unhappily married to their wives (and vice versa). Throughout much of the film, Hermey claims to be a "misfit" that doesn't "fit in." Yet, through it all, he finds his way and maintains his independence, eventually becoming a dentist at the end of the film.
"Dentists" was 1960's lingo for homosexuality. I can't believe it took me 20 odd years to realize this. The message of Rudolph is still to be true to yourself, but suddenly, it has taken on a stronger significance for me. If not for Hermey, there would be no Ellen. No Anderson Cooper. No Tom Cruise Top Gun volleyball scene.
Each year, entertainment commentators count how many openly gay characters there are on network television. Since the demise of Will & Grace, these numbers have dwindled. However, recently Grey's Anatomy fans gained an openly gay character (Dr. Hahn) to embrace, only to suddenly lose her when she was let go from the show for reasons unknown (perhaps because she was not a dead character from two seasons ago). Some message boarders lamented, "Another gay character off of network television." Well, my friends, Hermey fills that void. Maybe not on a weekly basis, but at least for one day a year, spreading Christmas joy and the message of tolerance. Score one for CBS.
Tonight, one of my favorite childhood films was on. The Parent Trap. No, not Lindsay Lohan’s trap. The Hayley Mills one. The classic.
When we first got the Disney channel when I was a kid, they played this movie all the time and my brother and I would watch it. I’ll admit it. This movie was always a fantasy of mine. To go away to summer camp, meet someone who looks exactly like you and discover another life you’ve never known. I went to a Bible-study camp the summer before first grade and dropped out before the week was over. I always wondered if I had stuck it out whether I would have met the twin my mother didn’t want me to know about. Probably the twin who said the rosary every day.
Anyway, my brother and I would watch this (I want to say I was 7 or 8, he was 5 or 6) and we would sing the song, “Let’s Get Together.” With the “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” of course. We would also say, “Surprise!” in perfect unison -- just like Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills. From what I recall, we thought this was cool.
This brings many questions to the table. One, why all this? Was any of it necessary? Two, do moments like these shed light on future issues I would have (inability to find a job, constant search for religious twin that doesn‘t exist)?
Three, most importantly, how in the hell did my brother not turn out gay? I, after all, have a lot of gay friends. Pretending to be Hayley Mills in your living room doesn’t really scream “I like girls!” I also painted his nails at one point. This just goes to show you that homosexuality IS something you’re born with, right-wingers. I’m faghaggard enough that anyone should turn gay just with a single look from me.
I may have finally learned why Jake Gyllenhaal won't have sex with me in my dreams.
He might be gay -- like every other male in my life. So I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, he did date Kirsten Dunst.
According to What Would Tyler Durden Do, not only is my Jake gay, he's also taken and adopting a child. And dating some guy who looks suspiciously like Julian McMahon from Nip/Tuck.
Sadly, he was my "if I were stranded on a deserted island" pick. Sadlier (is that a word?), he and I wouldn't do much more than paint each other's nails and braid one another's hair on the island.
I guess I can take back those towels I had made up that said, "MM + JG FOREVER". . .
