Is Here Media only concerned this month with putting folks the gay community might hate on the covers of its magazines? First The Advocate dumped that “faggot” blogger on the front, and now Out has gone with Bruno. Unlike GQ, however, Bruno is fully dressed.
But just like GQ, the cover story (written by sexy gay Mo Rocca) is really just an excuse to take part in the movie’s marketing campaign. The interview is not with Sacha Baron Cohen, but Bruno.
We get it: Out is more fluffy entertainment (and shaving gel reviews) than serious journalism. We actually find ourselves reading the rag more ever since editor Aaron Hicklin revamped the mag into something glossier and more Details-y. And the opportunity to glob on to some predictable editorial stunt was too much to resist. (Or maybe Cohen’s camp refused a “serious” interview and Out didn’t want to lose out on access to the actor?)
Whatever. The Bruno media storm has reached its apex, and we’re only headed down from here on out. This cover hits in time for the film’s U.S. premiere, but at the time same feels, well, excruciatingly late. Bruno‘s media saturation has already become tiresome.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
And since this is just an interview with a fictional character, and not its proprietors, we’re treated to marketing schlock and not anything close to a discourse on whether Bruno is good or bad for the gays.
REBELComx
Wait… Mo Rocca’s gay? By Jaga, where have I been? I always thought he was, watching him on the Daily Show. But never heard of him being out. Awesome!
AlwaysGay
Out and practically every other “gay” (haterosexual-worshipping) magazine did very similiar covers with Johnny Knoxville years ago. The editor of Out magazine refused to put Lance Bass on the cover because “coming out is old news” instead put the heterosexual (“more important” *sarcasm) Johnny Knoxville there.
A lot of dumb, self-hating gay people buy into heterosexuals belief in social heirarchies; that certain groups of people are more valuable than others. That is why heterosexuals are given top billing in all of gay media like magazines and tv shows while gay people are subjugated to the background. Gay people will never succeed if we can’t think on our own, if we are not proud of who we are, if we buy into heterosexuals’ discriminatory ways.
drew brown
There’s a really interesting (and intelligent) article about Bruno on Slate today. http://www.slate.com/id/2222553/. Best thing I’v read about the movie so far.
Monstro The Whale
Nobody questioned Sasha Baron Cohen’s jew jokes since he is a kosher jew in his real life.
This time around a couple of straight dudes try to master the art of a good gay joke.
Actor/comedian Jack Plotnik (of the hysterical GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS dvd) and his buddy/writer Richard Day were at an industry sneak peek screening of BRUNO. (The token ‘OUT’ gays)
Original ending (after the male kissing sends the hick Wrestlemania audience into fits of cup throwing violence) —
The film’s original ending was going to conclude with Bruno and his mate “6 months later” happily living together – except that his mate would now be a drooling vegetable from the wrestling crowd’s gay bashing/head injury.
Jack Plotnik and Richard Day stood up and said they found the film’s ending offensive — ie: gay bashing shouldn’t be a punchline…
Well, The Studio execs then had a shit fit and the ass-kisser exec-assistants chimed in OH COME ON! IT’S ALL PARODY !!! Blah blah
Turns out the drooling bash victim joke WAS cut (as was a Michael Jackson joke with LaToya featured — just recently).
I laughed when a friend/blogger bitterly joked ‘they should have just called the movie FAGGOT’.
Newsweek says its depressing
http://www.newsweek.com/id/205835?from=rss
Jack Plotnik story source : http://www.reelzchannel.com/movie-news/3747/ending-of-bruno-altered-due-to-extreme-content
M Shane
No. 2 · AlwaysGay: Most people who came out in the past 20 years have a deeply distorted view of what it is to be gay.
With the purported death of gay liberation and the steadfast homophobic grasping for assimilation, it is only natural that instead of developing and nurturing our own culture gay media will be sucking up to straight people for approval.
hardmannyc
A gay lifestyle magazine interviews a man playing an outrageous gay man in his gay male persona. I don’t get why this is supposed to be worthy of comment, let alone “controversial.”
alan brickman
he’s just gayface/blackface for homophobes…will violent crime against gay spike??
homofied
@M Shane: If your butt had been at SF City Hall and soaked in the vibe of the couples (mostly like my couple-dom, already decades in dedicated, loving progress) affectionately waiting for hours in line to tie the knot, you would not make crass statements like “grasping for assimilation.” I would characterize the incredibly dull thud — with which the “gay shame” crowd’s crap message has landed, turd-like in the midst of the punchbowl of gay culture — as grasping. Grasping for attention by posing as provocative about as successfully as the Perez-dispenser posed on the recent cover of Advocate.
C-Teller
@AlwaysGay:
wow I’m agreeing with you for once.
Marius
Ich am so über Brüno.
strumpetwindsock
@Marius:
Ueber?
Meinst du “geif auf”, oder “fertig mit”?
strumpetwindsock
entschuldigung, bitte:
Geil auf
Not So Fast Cowboy
Of any Sasha Baron Cohen controversy I care not a whit…
but the major announcement of this thread
Mo Rocca is gay?
I had no idea.
He _does_ look cute in this photo
http://www.queerty.com/photos-our-2-favorite-studs-from-broadway-bares-20090624/3/
[it is more than a little bit funny that some of that threads’ commentators were saying that Rocca was fat]
Chiot Moite
I often wonder how much money is spent on these stupid celebrity cover experiences, since most Celebs charge fees to publications to appear on the covers.
I then wonder how much real reporters would cost that could produce high quality news and analysis cover stories. Let’s just say four full length stories per issue. While it is impossible to multiply zero (the Advocate and Outs current quality level) by 4… let’s just imagine you could, that’s how much better the Advocate and Out would be with four actual news stories.
marius
@strumpetwindsock:
I was just using Brüno – talk. His expression “Get über it” being one example.
Gerglish, Deutschlish?
Fertig mit, I think.
mk
we’re treated to marketing schlock and not anything close to a discourse on whether Bruno is good or bad for the gays.
Sacha Baron Cohen doesn’t do that. It was established long ago. His Ali G character was huge in Britain and there was a lot of controversy on the black face aspect. Everyone had to discuss it without his input because he’d only do interviews and appearances in character. Comedians normally have little interest in deconstructing or explaining their humor and SBC seems like a very determined guy, so I guess it’s not surprising. The sort of funny thing with Ali G is that people weren’t even sure what he was supposed to be (a black rapper? a jewish guy pretending to be a black rapper? a jewish guy pretending to be a middle eastern guy acting like a black rapper?) and SBC was’t explaining so the debate was confused.
strumpetwindsock
@marius:
Yeah, I know.
Just playing with it, that’s all.
TickleMyBalls
If an actor portraying a Gay man can grace the cover of a huge men’s magazine, I think it very well might show that we’re making some positive strides in the public.
Let em’ laugh, let em’ snicker! The more we’re seen and people are use to seeing Gays in society (even the “flammers”–ok that word makes me laugh), the less they’ll be shocked.
It’s about time the ‘closet’ doors need to be OPENED permanently.
“We’re here, we’re queer–GET FUCKING USE TO IT!” =P
alan brickman
Straights now call all the queeny gays..”BRUNO” while they are beating them up now…
TANK
I think it’s hilarious at how many gay men are defending this as “satire”. Even GLAAD panned it. Oy…sad little stupid people.
TikiHead
@TANK: Those choades!
TikiHead
@The rest of you commenters: The Effing NERVE!!! Wait for Tank to comment first — then you’ll have a reliable lead to follow! His twenty-eight years give him a breadth of experience you cannot HOPE to fathom.
You’ve wrecked this thread, it’s too late to salvage it. Just wait on the next one, MmmmK?
DEEPTHROAT
Can’t wait to see it.
DEEPTHROAT
@REBELComx: You’re kidding, right?!!?! Of course, Mo is gay. And spotted several months ago at Scandals in Ft Ladeedah at the bar. Confirmation enough! And I said “Hello”, and saints be praised, he said “Hello” back! And when I asked pointblank, “Are you Mo Rocca?” He replied with “Yes”. It was a glorious moment.
mattsmith
Aaron had to put Bruno on the cover! Every month the magazine has to cover 80% british celebs. He must be home sick. Because the sheer amount of Brit content is amazing.
hambone
@Chiot Moite: No, celebs don’t charge fees to appear on magazine covers. Ever. You may be mistaking the trend of reality-tv shows and gossip-worthy non-actors and stars selling their stories to supermarket tabloids, and celeb couples doing same with their wedding pics, but you’re guaranteed no-one on the cover of Out, GQ, Details, etc get a penny.