fisher@smiley.DEC (Gerry --- Terminally Inane) (09/05/85)
RE: Lew's moral indignation concerning "Fright Night"
Well, I guess there were some "in" jokes and cheap shots at gay people
in that movie, but on the whole, I would say that they were harmless.
After all, the "gay" couple, though monsters, were young, handsome,
intelligent, and not at all effeminate. I don't think that the "gay
people = threatening monsters" association was very evident.
Besides, you should reserve your *deepest* contempt for movies like
"St. Elmo's Fire." Gay men were mercilessly raked over the coals in
this one.
The scenario:
An uptight but sensitive young man who has not dated in years visits a
female friend. To his shock, the female friend's apartment has been
redecorated in shocking pinks and purples (gaudy to the max). After
they take a seat on the couch, the female friend asks the young man
why he never made a pass at her in college. Of course, the young man
is embarrassed and cannot speak. She then tells him that it is okay
if he is gay. Obviously, since he is heterosexual, he is shocked and
hurt.
(I have no problem yet. I wish my college friends had prodded me on the
subject!)
She continues to insist that he should "talk about it." Of course,
our sensitive but struggling young man gets angry and storms out of
the room. As he is leaving, the woman insists that he meet her next
door neighbor. A wonderful man. He decorated her apartment. They
would make such a lovely pair. As the young man storms down the
stairwell, the neighbor appears, dressed in pink, carrying a pink
margarita, flipping his wrists, and pointing his eyes to heaven.
(Okay, I don't object to effeminate gay men, but the screenwriters
certainly are using the stereotype to maximum effect.)
Well, the woman persists in her match-making efforts. She brings her
neighbor to the local pub, "St. Elmo's Fire," where all of her friends meet.
Of course, he sits next to our young hero and lisps his hello. The
young man is disgusted and resists this "threat" admirably.
Mid-movie, we discover that the reason why this young man hasn't had
sex in two years is not because he is gay, but because he is in love
with another female friend of his who happens to be going out with one
of his best friends. After the couple have a nasty little fight, he
consummates his love for her at last (you should have heard the crowd
roar it's approval).
(Gay men = threat. It will be okay if he can just hold out till the
"right girl" comes along. The crowd groaned at the presence of the
gay man; cheered deliriously when he screwed his best friend's
girlfriend. I do *not* exaggerate!)
As if all this dreck isn't bad enough, the friend who kept trying to
fix up our sensitive young man with the "gay threat" decides to commit
suicide by locking herself in her apartment with all of her windows
open (a common method of suicide in Washington, D.C., freezing
yourself to death; why doesn't she just go to a political
fundraiser?). All of her friends are busy trying to break down the
doors. What is our gay friend doing during all of this? He is
standing aside, hands clasped to his gaping mouth, shuddering
helplessly, asking repeatedly, "my god, what's wrong."
(Gay men = Helpless, Worthless, and Weak. I know this contradicts the
Gay men = threat hypothesis, but come on! The woman is trying to
*freeze* herself to death in there!)
Heavy groan! UUUuuugghhh!
My award for *best* presentation of a gay character in a B-movie goes
to "Revenge of the Nerds." As in "St. Elmo's Fire," the gay character
is effeminate and relatively stereotypical. However, this character
is brave and honest, a real fighter. You got the feeling that this
was a real person.
The best thing about the movie was its overall message: "you are what
you are, and you most certainly are GOOD ENOUGH." All of the other
nerds treated the gay character as one of their own. They even used
such politically correct terms as "sexual orientation." I was amazed
and very pleased.
Gerry Fisher
...decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-smiley!fisher
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Nashua, NH: Where the men are men, and the sheep are nervous.