That was dangerous because I was asked by Warners — they said I can do everything you said, but they kept saying, ‘Don’t do the gay scene. Don’t break through the walls and do the gay scene. You’re crossing a line there.’ I said, ‘Don’t be silly.’ There’s always these musicals being shot at Warner Bros. with top hats and tails and dopiness, you know. I said, ‘It’s a good mixture of cowboys and gay chorus boys.’ So I kept it all in. I had final cut.”
— Beloved film director Mel Brooks discussing the 40th anniversary of his groundbreaking classic Blazing Saddles in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Watch the scene below.
sanfranca1
Thank you Mel Brooks!
Kieran
Making fun of effeminate gay men in a chorus in 1974……how groundbreaking and original. Imagine the “risk” Melvin took with American audiences. What a trailblazer. LOL
Ann Mason
@Kieran: I agree. When I saw Blazing Saddles, I felt uncomfortable with that scene. The whole movie could make the audience uncomfortable, but while the race jokes ridiculed white supremacists I still had the feeling the gay scene was at the expense of gay men.
AJAnders
Never saw Blazing Saddles but after watching that clip, I now know what Family Guy was parodying in that episode where Peter took a serum that magically turned him gay for a day. Cringe.
boring
If you are watching Blazing Saddles and only get uncomfortable at ONE thing,that’s pretty good, actually. Also,the movie is untouchable.
Also if you haven’t seen the movie, that scene will make even less sense.
hotshot70
Hold out your hands, stick out your tush… That was one of the funniest nonsense moments in that movie.
Verlaine
@Ann Mason: I saw it with my lover at the time, and we thought it was delightful. There were so very few references to anything “gay” at the time, and it WAS funny. Of course, neither of us were effeminate, and we tended to think feminine gays were funny.
Mezaien
Mel Brooks, you will always be my #1 dude that can tell the Christian to suck eggs.
hotshot70
@Verlaine and the stereotypes back then were still considered funny. People today need to lighten up.
Snapper59
Dom DeLouise was hysterical. It reminds me of Hank Azaria who said he was so conflicted over “Agador” in “Birdcage” and he is one of my favorite movie performances!
greybat
“I’m parked over by the Commissary…”
Indeed!
hotboyvb81
Mel used the word ‘FAGGOT’ in several films- I remember Dom Deluise in History of the World screaming at his chamberlain…’OK Faggot, what’s next?’
Bopper1
…’HAS TO BE VIEWED UN THE CONTEXT OF THE FILM AND OF THE TIMES…IT WAS HILARIOUS…GAYS WERE INVISIBLE AND THE NOTION THAT BROOKS WOULD MAKE THIS A CENTERPIECE OF THE FINALE WAS UNHEARD OF…HIS SLY OBSERVATION OF THE REALITY OF THINGS WAS SPOT ON WHEN THE CHORUS BOY AND THE COWBOY HOOK UP, IT WAS PLAYED FOR COMEDY, BUT BROOKS CERTAINLY WAS MAKING A SOCIAL STATEMENT…NO FUNNIER LINE IN FILM THAN DD’S, “…WATCH-ME-FAG@*TS!…DELIVERED, OF COURSE, BY A GAY DIRECTOR…BROOKS IS TO BE THANKED…
Juanjo
The entire movies was a masterpiece. It poked fun at every aspect of movie making cliche which includes gay chorus boys and a “fey” sidekick of the 1930 movies. If that upsets you, you need to chill out. The scene has to be viewed in the entire context of the movie.