Subscribe to Breaking NewsRuby-Sachs: Role Models – The most homophobic movie ever
This weekend I went to see the new movie Role Models.
I was excited. Paul Rudd is adorable and has an amazing movie track record and Jane Lynch might be the funniest woman in the world. The theatre was sold out and we were lucky to get seats anywhere near the middle and all the buzz in the theatre made it that much more exciting.
But within five minutes the first faggot joke happened. It was one in a long, long line of homophobic cracks throughout the movie. Every time one of the characters used the word “gay” or talked about being sodomized the entire theater erupted into laughter.
The high school couple three seats down were actually crying from all the hilarity.
The homophobic jokes were so common I have to assume they were purposely put there to make a point. And almost all of the offensive jokes were said by characters other than the two main “role models.” But if it was intended to make a point, I can personally promise that no one in the theater I was in got it.
The truth is that I am fed up with movies and television shows thinking it is ok to use homophobic language to get a laugh. While education programs are trying to teach high school and middle school students that using the word dyke is offensive, Paul Rudd (who co-wrote the movie) has a blockbuster where small children draw pictures of people anally penetrating a robot and anyone weird or different is “gay.”
If the purpose of Role Models was to expose the way we use homophobic language the writers and actors should have taken more care with the execution.
This is the humanity of an entire group of people they are playing with and their work made this viewer want to disappear once the lights came up and the credits rolled.
Things that don’t add up:
1) Youth-targeted media are full of anti-gay humor, and they’re popular.
2) Elementary and high school students commonly use the term, “That’s so gay!” to express disdain and disgust.
3) We’re told that today’s youth are more gay-friendly and that they are our hope for a more friendly political climate in the future.
Emma, Movies like this is why our civil rights movement is so misunderstood and abused. My question to you is what Theater did you see this movie at?
Was it Cinemark? Now, here’s an experiment.
Watch how long the movie Role Models runs at a Cinemark theater. Then watch how long the movie MILK runs at the same Cinemark theater.
See which movie makes more box office profits.
Then see which movie gets academy nominations. This could be very telling.
Then get back to us.
You bet I have auggestion. Why doesn’t everyone, and do mean everyone quit paying to see the trash, garbage and filth that almost every movie these past 10 years or longer has been. What is so entertaining , funny or in the least good about any film you can think of. They are, in my opinion made for immature, horny 8th grade boys. 2 hours of nonstop murder, guns, drugs, sex, car theft, gangs ,violence against girls, rape and assault,gays are an object of dirision and a source of sick uninteligent humor. Yes you can send a strong message to Hollyweird by not going to see this garbage. Period…
Thanks Dave W. I agree but having not seen the movie it seems shallow to contact any particular theatre. The producers/studio and the actor/writer’s agent is appropriate but I’m not sure to find out who is the agent. Suggestions?
Thanks
Bruce,
Try this. Replace the word “Fag or Gay” with, say Christians, jews, catholics, morman, Irish, Italian etc… and you’ll see the jokes are no longer funny. There meant to hurt and they do.
While one can brush off a joke the point is that it was wielded with the intention of causing harm… and they do. THAT is what makes them bad and for the kid or adult with a low sense of self esteem they can be devastating and can lead to suicide. And that does happen all too often.
so what are we doing about it? Did you complain to the management, have you called the studio, his publicist.
I appreciate the head’s up as well, but other than that, complaining here is preaching to the choir.
We need to take action. I didn’t see the movie…you did. call the theater and complain, then call the studio and then the actor’s agent.
I just called the bishop of Portland to complain about his open letter to Maine Catholics emploring them to fight equal marriage rights. I have a connection to the state, so I did my part.
Have you done yours?
That’s very upsetting. I have a hard time stomaching the hate that goes onin our world today. It really makes me sick.
It’s upsetting to read this, especially considering what I felt was a positive gay role model Rudd played in The Object of My Affection. I’ve written him off my ‘to do’ list.
This sort of thing isn’t limited to the movies, either. Almost every episode of south park, simpsons, family guy, have had more than the ‘fair’ share of gay jokes recently.
I used to rally behind South Park, as at least the show used to cut everyone somewhat evenly.
Just before the election, gay jokes skyrocketed in the show, including a grand speech by Cartman about how he got beat up by a girl and so everyone must think him a faggot and un-cool.
Simpsons just showed the nation how quickly gay folk are to leave that ’special someone’ for somebody new, and how torn up we are in that seven minute space before we find love again.
Enough is enough, I say. It stopped being funny a while ago. How would America react if these shows were making N***** jokes?
-c
First,thanks for the heads-up on the movie, I hate throwing my money away…Secondly, homophobia should not be tolerated anywhere,at any level. Come on people,we’re talking life and death here…ours! You can’t sit around waiting for someone else to reeducate the ignorant masses. We each need to start at home with friends and family,with our coworkers and clients. There’s nothing wrong with letting someone know that you take offense to derogatory gay remarks. Maybe next time,they’ll think twice before using them,and who knows,eventually stop altogether? Wouldn’t that be nice!
Thank you Ross for the level headed, calm, intelligent response to Bruce! Frankly, I was about to fire all 21 guns at him but you calmed my nerves! “You give power power by taking offense…” If we DON’T take offense, the road is open and clear for any and all people of all ages for gay bashing! Where would it stop? I think Bruce needs a couple of personal gay bashing from some strong minded homophobes to make him think twice about what he says!
Bruce: Respectfully I’m gonna have to disagree with you. While there is something to be said about not being thin skinned, this movie would seem to step over the line.
“Fag jokes” are offensive. No discussion. They are at about the same intellectual level as black-face. Neither one is a good idea, but a movie with black-face in it would definitely never see the light of day today.
Poor writing skills and a general lack of creativity is no excuse. Appealing to prejudice is no way to make a buck, and that’s all this movie is. Yet another idiotic flick trying to make a buck off of cheap shots.
I quite frankly don’t care if pop culture chooses to make gay jokes. I don’t care if someone at work does it. Likewise, I don’t care if people make blonde jokes. I am gay, and I am a natural blonde, and I’m confident enough to brush it off.
You give bad people power by taking offense. Moreover, you alienate those people who likely are making light of something because they don’t understand. Taking such a draconian stance on something as simple as language erases an opportunity to educate.
Ultimately, if someone wants to be an ass, who cares? It is the right and priviledge of every American, or Canadian for that matter, to decide how they will live their life. Why should we judge someone for that? I think that we should practice what we preach.
The movie The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler contained over 60 “gay jokes”, it got to the point where I simply got up and left the theatre but not before hearing a 13 year old kid (with his mother) use the word “faggot”. I turned around and gave his mother a piece of my mind…in a respectful manner.
Thanks for calling attention to this. I hadn’t seen the movie yet, but was planning to. Thanks for saving me the ticket price and having to walk out of the theater after the fag jokes began.