Newsweek reviews Brokeback Mountain. I'd like to point out this paragraph:
The day Jake Gyllenhaal was cast in "Brokeback," the chatter around the industry was not about what a wise choice he'd made. "It's the most stupid move he could make," said one top producer over lunch that afternoon. "It'll alienate his teen-girl fan base and could kill his career. What a waste." It's always been considered risky, if not career suicide, for actors with A-list aspirations to play gay roles. Tom Hanks's performance in "Philadelphia" helped a little, but even Hanks didn't kiss another man on screen. Gyllenhaal and Ledger don't dodge it. The kissing and the sex scenes are fierce and full-blooded. But if the actors were taking a risk, they sure don't seem to think so. "I never thought twice about it," Ledger insists. "For one thing, I never felt like I had anything at stake, and I think if you make decisions based on society's opinions, you're going to make boring choices. What terrified me was self-doubt. I knew that if I was going to do justice to this character, to this story and to this form of love, I was really going to have to mature as an actor, and as a person."[RANT]Hey "top producer" - why doesn't your bigoted ass f right off. That you have your job as a "top producer" is a waste - but it certainly shows why Hollywood greenlights so much crap. What kind of world do you live in? Because the one occupied by those closer to the "teen-girl fan base," the actual actors themselves, don't seem to care all that much.
That this attitude is tolerated in Hollywood can hopefully debunk the myth of Liberal Hollywood once and for all. Hollywood is just like everywhere else. There are good people and there are bad people. There are liberals and there are Conservatives. Their are open minded people and there are bigots. Hollywood is no more liberal than the news media is liberal.
Conservatives don't tolerate anyone who dares speak even an idea that disagrees with theirs. That others with ideas that aren't Conservative are allowed to speak their mind in the media must mean then all media must be harassed until they speak only Conservative ideas. Quickest way to do that? Paint media entirely as "liberal." Pick the most extreme of their members and define the entire industry by the behaviors and opinions of one or two. Lather, rinse, repeat for Hollywood. Once and for all - HOLLYWOOD IS NOT LIBERAL.[/RANT]
Read the Newsweek review, and check out the trailer. This is definitely going to be on my December movie list.
