Gene Shalit makes GLAAD mad

It is okay to not like Brokeback but the characterization of Jack Twist as a sexual predator is pretty idiotic. Clearly Shalit is a homophobic ass as I doubt he would characterise a male character contacting a female love after four years a sexual predator. What a dope. Oh yeah, get a haircut and a trim you bigot!

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Jack Twist actually was the initiater of the trysts. He sent the opening postcard later. He made the drives up from Texas. He went out and found other people to screw when Ennis couldn't. He kept trying to get his lovers to run away with him to a happy little farm.



Regardless, the movie, though well acted, had no sympathetic characters (Ledger, Gyllenhaal, Hathaway, Williams were all unlikable, selfish and boring) and zero resonance. Seriously, I felt quite cheated. Ang, Ledger and Gyllenhaal can deliver the goods, but in this film, they simply didn't. I flat out didn't care what happened to any of the characters. You get no sympathy from me that you're tortured by love for another but married. Divorce your wife and cowboy up. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with this film being anything but a love story. It's just two sad people who are liars, cheats and cowards.

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To the comments made by bgdc:



How dare you say bad things about Brokeback Mountain. Don't you know that's against the Constitution?



To the idiotic comments made by Tim and all those who agree with him:



You're right. How dare NBC for allowing Shalit to express an opinion.



Hypocrite.



So I guess free speech is a commodity only to those who agree with your viewpoints.

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I haven't seen this film yet but there's apparently a scene where (spoilers! hello! don't read further) before their relationship begins, while Ennis is sleeping, Jack takes his hand and puts it on his penis. Imagine if Jack did that to Rose in Titanic? I don't think so many people would be willing to overlook it.

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No matter what the comments were, where do groups like GLAAD, EGALE and various other petty lobby groups get off dictating who can say what when it comes to giving an opinion?



Mr. Shalit has you people all upset simply because he gave HIS honest opinion of the movie. What was so wrong with that? You people really need to wake up and smell the coffee! If anything, Mr. Shalit did you a huge favour by giving this opinion nationally.



I've seen so many other cases where people get curious as to why someone would have a negative comment about something. The next thing you know it becomes, for a short time, the best thing on the block. This could very well happen here.



I sincerely hope it doesn't though. I was curious and went and wasted my money on it. I concur completely with Mr. Shalit's opinion. He's right on the money. I kept hoping after each scene finished that perhaps there would be some saving grace in the next scene. I was bitterly disappointed not to find it so.



This whole movie was a huge flop. One can only wonder just how low the award groups had to swill in the barrel to come up with this one for anything. They had to have been pretty drunk indeed as I've seen much better that were never even nominated for anything!



For the record, homosexuality is a sick, deviant lifestyle choice, you are NOT "born that way"!

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Uhm, Freedom of Speech - if Homosexuality is so sick, what on earth possessed you to waste your money watching a movie about it? Sick, deviant lifestyles make you curious? Hmmmmm



Yeah - your a liar, you didn't see the film and it's weird that you felt compelled to lie and say you did to try and prove a point. In fact, I would bet that none of the homophobes here who claim to have seen it actually have.



And uh, don't you folks have lives? I mean, when do you find time, or interest, in your perfect, moral lives to blog about gay cowboys?



creeeeepy.

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For the record, I don't have a problem with homosexuality. I have homosexuals friends, my ex-girlfriend's brother was gay and my boss at my last job was gay. I simply see it as one more way a person may be. I like petite women, some guys dig dudes...no big deal.



Just wanted to make the abundantly clear; my criticism of Brokeback relies entirely on problems with the script. The acting, writing and subject matter were fine. The lack of a sympathetic character turned me off to the film.

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Gene Shalit is a film critic...his job "is" to post is proffesional critic` base on his opinion...did some expect him to do something different "just because" GLAAD is watching? Shalit owes "no one" an apology...he's doing his job....suck it up guys!



Jack

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Gene, great job. there aren't very many who would give a bad review to anything containing gay lifestyle for fear of glaad and other fag groups political fallout.

didn't watch it, don't plan on wasting my money!

just another piece of hollywood trash meant to make real people think perversion is normal!

"sticks and stones" on the homophobic comments to follow; do you people really think the names you call us hurt!!

awm, you need to read the constitution. it's perfectly legal and our right to say what we like, you idiot.

dan, i'm not here to blog about fag cowboys, i'm here to give Gene kudos!

jack, nice pun. "suck it up guys"

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*sigh*



sorry brian, but yeah, you are here to blog about fag cowboys and give gene "kudo's" because he made an illogical statement about a subject that scares you and makes you sick and uncomfortable - your not only a homophobe, but your a pussy.



I know you thought coming here with your "fag" and "pervert" comments was gonna be a big ole moment for you to really stick it to us gays, but it's not. You came here and revealed yourself to be less of a man that the biggest limp wristed drag queen I've ever met. If you had the balls to say any of this to my face, I'd wipe the floor with you.



Have a nice life wallowing in your bile.

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dan, even animals have enough common sense to know its unnatural to have sex with the same sex.

yeah, they might hump a leg or sniff a butt once in a while, but they still know better than to engage in homosexuality.

and just cause you can take one up the butt without crying, doesn't mean you can wipe up the floor with anyone.

and if you are "born" this way, how come so many revert back to being straight.

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brian, step away from the computer, go take a good, long look in the mirror (at least for as long as you can stand it) and ask yourself why you feel compelled to seek out blogs about gay sex.



Also, if your going to attempt to outwit someone, you need to at least have an ounce of intelligence to back up what you say - you sound about as smart as a box of shit.



and for the record, folks - while Gene Shalit may have made a rediculously illogical statement about this film, he also has an openly gay son that he loves and accepts, and even wrote a book about him, so suck that up while your hee hawin and high fivin cause he "scored a point" for the homophobes.



idiots, I swear...

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I think the majority of people that agree with Shalit, have missed the point. Shalit can express his opinion freely and openly, there's no problem there. The problem lies in his assessment of the Jack Twist character as a "sexual predator". That type of characterization is insulting to homosexuals. It seems as though Shalit was trying to call gay people some sort of deviants. I find it a shame that a movie like "Brokeback Mountain", where the underlying message is the tragedy of societal hatred toward homosexual love was completely missed by someone that is considered an expert of films.

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"dan, even animals have enough common sense to know its unnatural to have sex with the same sex."



Uh... It's been recorded that several animal species (including various apes, penguins and birds) do occasionally engage in homosexual activities. Even so, is that really the best way to gauge this sort of thing? In some cases, chimpanzees have also been known to turn to cannibalism, so what does that prove?

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Dan, you're not helping your case any pal. If you had an inkling of sense, you'd know that I'm on Mr. Shalit's side. See, what I did was a little something called sarcasm. You may wish to look it up, or at least read the second part of that same post. I still stand by Mr. Shalit's right to his opinion, and he owes no one an apology.



Original post:



To the comments made by bgdc:







How dare you say bad things about Brokeback Mountain. Don't you know that's against the Constitution?







To the idiotic comments made by Tim and all those who agree with him:







You're right. How dare NBC for allowing Shalit to express an opinion.







Hypocrite.







So I guess free speech is a commodity only to those who agree with your viewpoints.

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"15. Dan, you're not helping your case any pal."



awm - I wasn't adressing you or your comments in any way at all so get over yourself - and for the record, I don't have a "case" to help. The cruel and ugly comments being thrown at this film by the frightened homophobes do all that is necessary to further the cause of compassionate, normal people. Times have changed and homophobic people just look like stupid, mumbling dimwits - the film is a complete critical and box office success, selling well in the "heartland" of America and for once, the homophobes and morons like Mr. Shalit are in the complete and total minority.



kinda ironic, eh?

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The problem stems from Mr. Shalit's dictionary which lists the definition of "sexual prey" as "consenting adult" and "squirrel's nest" as "hair".

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"In describing the behavior of "Jack" I used words ("sexual predator") that I now discover have angered, agitated, and hurt many people. I did not intend to use a word that many in the gay community consider incendiary. . . . I certainly had no intention of casting aspersions on anyone in the gay community or on the community itself. I regret any emotional hurt that may have resulted from my review of 'Brokeback Mountain.' "



Ha ha, you homophobes look just look "dumb and dumberer" every day... :)



Thanks Gene - apology accepted!

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Has GLAAD forgotten about a little thing called "freedom of speech." Gene Shalit can say whatever he wants about Brokeback Mountain or gays and lesbians in general just as the writers and makers of Brokeback Mountain can say whatever they want. Gene Shalit shouldn't have to be censored anymore than the film. Some people (including gays, lesbians, and GLAAD members) are upset that some theaters refused to play Brokeback Mountain. This anti-censorship should apply to everything.

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Kim, what exactly ar the writers of Brokeback Mountain saying? Have you seen the film? Right. Also, you're a little late in the discussion - Gene Shalit made a rediculous, untrue and offensive comment and people reacted to it justly - then he apologized and retracted his language in a dignified manner that was obviously heartfelt - he does, after all, have a gay son that he loves. So I'm not quite sure what drew you here to defend him after the fact?



As far as people being offended by Brokeback Mountain being pulled from theatres - sure, it is the theatre owner's right to pull the film - just as it is our right to comment on what a huge asshole he is for doing so. If you were a gay person in America, you would realize that having a film banned because of it's gay theme is worth a pout or two - just as I'm sure many people would have reacted strongly had Passion of the Christ been banned in a San Fransico theatre.



I challenge you to walk into that theatre, watch this incredible movie and not be moved by it's universal themes of loss, love and longing that make us all human and equal. It is a great movie.

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