Homosexuality in films

Everywhere you look nowadays, you cannot avoid the topic of homosexuality.  It is in the news, television shows, movies, books, magazines, and as we have most recently seen, in politics.  Being a minority group, homosexuals are viewed very differently by society.  Though many people think there is nothing wrong with being gay, there are many who still believe it is immoral and unnatural.  With all the conflicting views floating around about homosexuals different portrayals and stereotypes can be seen everywhere.

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/08/06/cinemas-got-gay-pride/#.TqxDLfTTLi8

“Brokeback Mountain” is the first movie that I remember watching with homosexuality in it. Here we see two of Hollywood’s greatest young actors playing roles we would never expect and doing so outstandingly. In fact, the film won the best film kiss Oscar – the first between two men (both of whom are straight!)

For those of you who haven’t seen it the film is in 1963 in Wyoming,  two young men, Ennis a ranch hand and Jack an aspiring rodeo bull rider,who are sent to work together herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain, and what had otherwise been anticipated to be a rather uneventful venture, soon turned into a love affair , of lust, and complications that will span through 19 years of their lives.

http://www.delawareliberal.net/2011/04/21/thursday-open-thread-78/

With all of the current media coverage homosexuals are receiving it should come as no surprise that more and more gay characters and gay-themed movies are emerging from Hollywood.  These characters and movies often tend to fully personify the homosexual stereotypes that exist in our society today.  Many gay-themed movies have made their way into the lime-light and gay characters are popping up in dozens of mainstream movies.  By looking closely at these movies and characters we can see the different messages Hollywood is now sending out about gays.  Though homosexual stereotypes are emerging in the movie industry, the stereotypes being generated are extremely different from one another.  The gay-themed movies often create one picture of homosexuals, while mainstream movies tend to paint an entirely different picture. Gays are portrayed in perceivably negative ways in some movies and in others their characteristics are emphasized in a positive light. Mainstream movies, nowadays, often include minor characters that are gay.  With the addition of so many minor, gay characters, endless stereotypes abound in these mainstream movies.  Unfortunately, mainstream movies often focus on the negative stereotypes that have already been generated by society, thereby furthering the impact they have on people’s views towards gays.  The movies focus on surface-level aspects of homosexuals like the way they act, look, and talk.  Most often the movies don’t get into the deeper sides of these characters, thereby sending the message that gays are one dimensional.

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/08/06/cinemas-got-gay-pride/#.TqxDLfTTLi8

More recently the movie “I Love You Phillip Morris” which I watched but I for some reason did not like it at all.

“I Love You Phillip Morris” is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film  based on the 1980s and ’90s real-life story of con artist,  impostor, and multiple prison escapee Steven Russell, played by Jim Carrey. While incarcerated, Russell falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris . After Morris is released from prison, Russell escapes from prison four times in order to be reunited with Morris.

http://phillipmorrismovie.net/about

Though these movies focus more on the genuine relationships that gays can share with one another, they also portray gays as more like “normal” people.  The characters are just like normal men except they choose to have relationships with other men rather than women.  Once again we see that they have emotions and feelings that are just as real as heterosexuals. With all the conflicting stereotypes of gays in movies today, it is extremely important that people step back and look at the big picture.  They should view some of the lesser-known gay-themed movies so they are presented with a more real look at homosexuals.  Too often people try to peg homosexuals as definitively acting one way or another, and if we only view movies that perpetuate stereotypes than our personal ideas of homosexual behavior will most likely remain.  Instead, it is important for people to understand that, outside of who they sleep with, gays are no different from everyone else.

http://www.istrategylabs.com/2010/04/facebook-gay-men-and-lesbian-statistics-pakistan-and-washington-dc-standout/

I thought it would be interesting to try to find the percentage of homosexuals in the U.S. in 2010, but then i found this chart on the analysis of sexual preferences for Facebook users in the U.S. The percentage kind of hit me by surprise, I was thinking that the percentage of gays and lesbians would be higher. Take a look and see what you think!!!