Is This Weekend’s Valentine’s Day Heterosexist? Or Just Too Busy a Movie to Squeeze in the Gays?
Even we were a little disappointed Warner Bros./New Line opted not to showcase the romance between Bradley Cooper and Eric Dane in the trailers for Valentine’s Day, which execs expect to make insane amounts of cash because it features every likable actor alive today. But if the studio is looking for a way around criticism, we’ve got an answer.
Explain how almost none of these relationships really get any significant screen time.
You’ve got about a half dozen relationship arcs stuffed into 117 minutes, and there’s barely time to digest one vignette before the director shuffles you on to the next one. The film, which premiered in Los Angeles this week and opens in wide release on Friday, has to squeeze in Anne Hathaway snogging Topher Grace, Taylor Lautner hooking up with Taylor Swift, and Ashton Kutcher playing Ashton Kutcher’s boyish good looks romancing Jessica Biel. Indeed, it could be argued Cooper and Dane’s romance deserves more screen time — and in the trailer Warner Bros. purposefully made potential audiences think Cooper and Julia Roberts’ plane flirtation was another of these storylines, which is either ZOMG HOMOPHOBIC! or OOOH, HOW SLY!– but almost none of these pairings are fully exploited in the film.
Which doesn’t (necessarily) make Valentine’s Day heterosexist. Just shlocky. And perfect for you to drag your boyfriends and girlfriends to this weekend.
thumbs down
The trailer couldn’t show the relationship because it’s a “twist”. I wish the GayBlog Incs. would get that part right. It’s actually not suppose to be known they are gay. The movie cleverly plays on people’s expectations.
There is already a sequel in the works and the gay couple will be shown in that movie as well.
It’s a busy movie and almost none of the actors get a lot of story time.
@Mike: That’s the way I’ve looked at it. Narratively, two guys being gay is still a twist, a surprise. When we go to a Hollywood studio picture, we expect to see the guys with girls. I don’t think Warner Bros. is ashamed of what’s in their movie or they wouldn’t have allowed it to be in the movie.
On the bright side, think of how many unsuspected straight folks will walk into the theater with no clue what they’re about to see, and walk out with a perfectly ordinary, unglamorous portrayal of two normal (ok… unusually attractive) guys in a same-sex relationship fresh in their minds.
*unsuspecting, not unsuspected
@Ben: i agree w/ you, except for the fact that they’re not unusually ordinary… the’re unusually absolutely freaking hot. lol. just sayin’
*attractive, not ordinary. i fail at typing
Oh I rather adore these kind of films with an ensemble cast. They are always feel-good films. C’est Magnifique!!!
If you don’t invite and tease a gay audience to go see the movie, don’t be suprised when we find something else to do.
I wanna see the two supposdly real live Gay guys in a scene:Taylor topping Topher………or, I would accept TOPher toppong Taylor……… : P
Of course they did!!! very smart….
Bradley was very cool about being a gay lust object on”NIpTuck”
even showing up for a gay pride segment…good for him…
I was wondering why they were advertising this thing on gay sites.
I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Can we just wait until we see the film, before we trash it?
I cannot WAIT to hear the protests about how this movie promotes the “gay agenda!”
To my mind, anytime there is a gay storyline in a film or on TV (that doesn’t play into stale old stereotypes), it’s a plus. A kudos to the screenplay writers, the director and the actors for making us more visible !
Are they merciful at least? Do they give you twin daggers with your ticket? So you can gouge your eyes out half through it for added entertainment value.
Hollywood heterosxist and homophobic!? No way really!? The only story they know how to tell–their very mission and purpose–is 2 proliferate the same, tired 1950s hierarchical disney boys need only girls bullshit. I, 4 1, am about 2 puke in my mouth if i hv 2 sit-through another 1 of these ALWAYS-SAME narratives. And wat’s with the now-constant use of homophobic slurs in Hollywoid l8ly!? Role models, hangover, adventureland, the invention of lying. Cuz it’s ok 2 publically insult the gays nowadays, right?, like who the f cares? Evn kid’s movies–cloudy with a chance of meatballs–is so predictably brainwashing: ne1 who “goes against” his dad and his girl causes his-own n ultimately, society’s downfall. The straights flaunt they sexuality all the time i want my stories told n sif they dont like it, then boohoo
Phillip morris, single man, this valentine’s movie, sherlock holmes. THEY’RE SCARED of evn insinuating our very existence. Studios r homophobic bigotd FATCATS
Mmm. Taylor and Taylor. I haven’t seen such a hot celeb romance since Rock Hudson dated his … secretary.
I’m going to see this. It looks mindlessly pleasant with a lot of hot guys, though I understand Taylor is about the only one who doesn’t take his shirt off. What’s up with that? As for the gay story line not being publicized in the previews, look on the bright side, plenty of guys will go with their dates and since both of the guys in the pic are hot — who knows? Stealth recruitment?! LOL
the best “gay recruitment” film ever!!!!
Yay! The token gay couple get to be the “big surprise” at the end of the movie. If it were 1998, that would be quite a surprise. 2010… not so much. I suppose it never crossed the minds of the producer and writers to treat the gay couple like all the other couples. Of course not. That would be unheard of, right? Do the gay couple even kiss? Of course not. Do the straight couples kiss? That’s what I thought.
Meanwhile daytime soaps have two gay couples showing affection towards each other. The same goes for nighttime TV. (Modern Family, Brothers & Sisters) It is a non-issue; except for Hollywood and the all-mighty box office.
They won’t be getting a dime from me. I guess that’s my “big surprise” for them.
As it turns out, the gay “surprise reveal” works: saw the movie yesterday with a sold-out audience of straight couples in Texas, and when it is revealed that Bradley Cooper is Eric Dane’s boyfriend, the audienced cheered and applauded! I was stunned, expecting hisses and moans of disgust. I’ve heard the cheering and applauding is happening elsewhere, too, from New York to Nebraska to Arizona.
This move is horrible. Just a mess.