How do you feel when straight people try to tell a gay story?
06-15-2013, 01:43 AM
In just about any media format? Obviously alot of it depends on the person making the movie and how much experience they have had working with LBGT people. But Im just looking for an overall impression. I dont think a straight person is inherently wrong or bad for trying to tell a gay story. At the same time I dont think they most of the time accurately capture the gay perspective since they are creating it from a straight perspective. Im not saying its impossible for a straight person to do this but I think most of the time it misses the mark.
The perfect example I can think of this is Brokeback Mountain. After this movie came out I was kinda flabbergasted. I really dont want people to think that gay couples wrestle and nearly kill each other because we have such trouble expressing our feelings for each other. Also I really didnt like how they portrayed the characters as getting married and cheating on their wives for years on their camping trips. I think thats a bit farfetched as well, but then again it is a movie. I think most gay guys want to fit into society but if they know they are gay I dont think most gay guys would go ahead and marry a woman just to fit in.(I know it happens but just not that frequently).
On the flip side of the argument, you have a television show like Glee who is created. written, and (sometimes)directed by Ryan Murphy who is gay. Its been a phenomenal success in large part due to the character of Kurt and Ryan showing Kurt in a gay positive light.(actually showing what its like day in and day out for a gay kid who gets bullied in school and him having to change schools and dealing with the fall out of the person who bullied him) Actually the whole show is about how showing just because you are different doesnt make you a freak or weird. To me that just captures the very essence of what its like to be gay in our society. IDK maybe Ryan Murphy is just a better storyteller than Ang Lee. I will be the first to admit that there are alot of factors to consider as well. What my point is, is that I think having first hand experience and knowledge puts you in a better driver's seat to do something like this.
I guess I will stop here before I start sounding even more heterophobic.
Im not really I dont think. Its like I said I just dont think in most cases a straight person can capture the real story and feeling behind a gay person's life since they have not lived it. Its like a person trying to tell the story of what its like to be in a warzone. Its something you have to experience for yourself to accurately describe to someone else. Just imagining what its like to be in that situation isn't enough.
So what do you all think?
PS I also think this is different from the debate of a gay actor portraying straight and vice versa because you are just playing one character versus trying to tell the whole story in the medium(whether it be a movie or short story or television show)
The perfect example I can think of this is Brokeback Mountain. After this movie came out I was kinda flabbergasted. I really dont want people to think that gay couples wrestle and nearly kill each other because we have such trouble expressing our feelings for each other. Also I really didnt like how they portrayed the characters as getting married and cheating on their wives for years on their camping trips. I think thats a bit farfetched as well, but then again it is a movie. I think most gay guys want to fit into society but if they know they are gay I dont think most gay guys would go ahead and marry a woman just to fit in.(I know it happens but just not that frequently).
On the flip side of the argument, you have a television show like Glee who is created. written, and (sometimes)directed by Ryan Murphy who is gay. Its been a phenomenal success in large part due to the character of Kurt and Ryan showing Kurt in a gay positive light.(actually showing what its like day in and day out for a gay kid who gets bullied in school and him having to change schools and dealing with the fall out of the person who bullied him) Actually the whole show is about how showing just because you are different doesnt make you a freak or weird. To me that just captures the very essence of what its like to be gay in our society. IDK maybe Ryan Murphy is just a better storyteller than Ang Lee. I will be the first to admit that there are alot of factors to consider as well. What my point is, is that I think having first hand experience and knowledge puts you in a better driver's seat to do something like this.
I guess I will stop here before I start sounding even more heterophobic.
Im not really I dont think. Its like I said I just dont think in most cases a straight person can capture the real story and feeling behind a gay person's life since they have not lived it. Its like a person trying to tell the story of what its like to be in a warzone. Its something you have to experience for yourself to accurately describe to someone else. Just imagining what its like to be in that situation isn't enough. So what do you all think?
PS I also think this is different from the debate of a gay actor portraying straight and vice versa because you are just playing one character versus trying to tell the whole story in the medium(whether it be a movie or short story or television show)
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