Why are some people hurt Brokeback Mountain didn't win the little statue?

[kentuck]

It's not the first time? I remember when Shakespeare in Love "won" the award and a lot people thought they "bought" the little Oscar. Some are saying it's a larger political conspiracy of sorts? I don't know about that. But if Hollywood is not ready to accept "gays", how can we expect the Democratic Party to be ready? I know that Brokeback Mountain got a lot of publicity before the awards. Does that mean it was the "best movie"? Perhaps? But, like many other "best movies" before it, it never won the little statue.

[TlalocW]

1. I don't know about everyone...

But the rightwing is hurt Brokeback didn't win because they've had to discard all this week's talking points.

TlalocW

[Tesha]

14. Don't worry; they'll make more (Reich WIng talking points).

Like the old Doritos commercial used to say:

"Eat all you want, we'll make more."

Tesha

[NVMojo]

2. exactly how do you know Holllywood isn't ready to accept gays?

that is laughable. This "victim" culture has got to go. This was a great year in film-making in America cuz we got to spit in the faces of Bushism. From Syriana to Brokeback to Crash to Capote to Constant Gardner to Good Night and Good Luck to North Country...I saw victory in the topics covered. They all should have won.

Edited to add "to Munich".

[kentuck]

5. That seems to be what some of the "conspiracist" theorists are saying...

I think it was a very progressive film, regardless if it won the little statue.

[Ron Green]

3. The win doesn't matter as much as the nomination.

I think the fact that it's one of the five is much more significant than the political machinations that eventually grind out a "number one." History shows us the Winner is not alway the best movie.

[baby_mouse]

4. Frankly, they can be as hurt as they like.

As a card-carrying chutney ferret, personally I couldn't give a toss. It was too long and boring, anyway.

Also, it's.... NOT THE POINT. Poor, sad little movie. I'd be less peeved about the enormous amount of bandwidth this is taking up if there was anything comparable about gay teens sent to those hideous conversion camps and "straightening out" prisons. THEY are DISGUSTING and most people on most sites simply ignore the topic.

[emulatorloo]

6. It won best screenplay and best director

it isn't like it was "ignored" -- and who cares about oscar anyway.

[pimpbot]

7. How many threads do we need on this?

Its a movie, it didnt win best picture. It won THREE other awards though. Many good movies were up for the best picture award. Life goes on, its just a movie awards show.

[Greybnk48]

8. War of the Worlds is the movie I felt was snubbed

not Brokeback, which took away three Oscars. The group at my house thought WoW should have won for sound or special effects, but those went to King Kong (both I believe). None of us had seen King Kong, so we could not judge fairly.

[ewagner]

9. Among all the comments

I've heard about Brokeback Mountain the one I HAVEN'T heard is that it was good cinema.

My opinion is that the Academy maintained it's integrity and voted for the best cinema, not the best political cause.

[W_HAMILTON]

10. You take what you can get...

Every day I read about some law being passed to discriminate against me...

Or how some company has pulled "gay" advertising due to pressure from religious groups...

Or how some young, gay kid committed suicide because he couldn't come out to his parents...

Or how a gay guy died after a cop refused to allow CPR to be performed on him because he thought he had AIDs...

Or how a little town doesn't want gay people using their lake for a rowing competition...

Or I hear some bitch on Larry King talking about how much of a sinner I am and how I'm going to go to hell...

Or listen to everyone talk about "being out of touch with the mainstream," which is basically code-word for "they don't like gay people..."

Or I get to see another "GOD HATES FAGS" protest from Phelps and his ilk...

Or I get to see some terrorist on a video saying homosexuals are the problem with our nation...

Or I get to see some elected official saying homosexuals are the problem with our nation...


**************************************************************************

I mean, really. It goes on and on. Maybe it seems stupid, but seeing a film about two gay men who had to hide their love win the biggest award as the Oscars would have meant something to me, even if it seems trivial to everyone else. Whether you sit at the front or back or the bus probably doesn't mean much in itself, but it was symbolic. I'm sure someone will say that it's laughable to even compare that to winning an Oscar, but I don't feel that way. I see it as one small step to hopefully one day where I don't turn on the news, or read the headlines, and see people being gladly being allowed to openly and proudfully preach hate against people like me.

[progressivebydesign]

17. I'm straight, and I agree with you wholeheartedly.

I do think the film was worthy of the award. BIG TIME. And.. I was ready to relish the big fuck you to the gay haters out there, when it won. I lived in L.A. for a long time, and traveled amongst those that have voting powers for the Oscars. I wasn't surprised that it did not win the big prize. The voting crowd is pretty full of old school types, and conservatives.

[onenote]

19. so why did it win best director and best screenplay

Same "old school types" voted for those categories as for best picture. Kinda debunks the conspiracy theory doesn't it? Maybe they voted for Crash cause they wanted to see a very good movie get the publicity and exposure that goes with best picture (publicity for BBM not being an issue since its the most talked about movie around).




onenote

[BR_Parkway]

11. I'm not hurt and I don't see a conspiracy. But there is a part of me

who wanted it to win as a great big Fuck U to the Pharisees who preach hate against gays to enrich their own coffers. I know that it has already done that just by the box office, the other awards and numbers of people willing to go see it - maybe I was hoping for such a sweeping win to call it a 'mandate'

I haven't seen Crash, so I don't know if I thought it was better or not, I certainly don't harbor any ill will since it won - now I'm going to see it so I can find out for myself.

There's also a part of me that wanted the widest possible winning to equal more acceptance. Whether it's logging in to read the OP with "gays" in quotes and questioning if the party is even ready for 'us' or this sad, sad post about today in America:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=29424&mesg_id=29424

In church today I heard about a 14 year old kid who killed himself
because he couldn't face telling his parents he was gay....

and remembering just how far we have to go yet, regardless of the simple fact of a movie like BBM even getting as a good a reception as it got.

In all reality, if one questioning teen saw this movie or thier parents did and it led to a discussion rather than a suicide - I wouldn't care if it bombed at the box office and never been nominated for a single award.

[libnnc]

15. I'm with you BR

Excellent post. Puts it all in the proper perspective. I wanted that "mandate" too but if Brokeback is able to reach just one frightened teen or bitter, angry parent and gets them to rethink their situation and possibly hope for something better, that trumps any little half-naked gold statue.

[Rageneau]

12. The only award everyone agrees on is Best Song by 3-6 Mafia.

Decades from now, our kids are going to be humming and singing, "It's Hard To Be A Pimp" -- Best Song of The 2006 Academy Awards.

Trouble is, it takes six people to sing it.

It's right up there with "Windmills of Your Mind"; "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and other great standards.

[msongs]

16. hahahaha all those old people in nursing homes singing eminem

songs in 70 years.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/democratsmugs.htm

[Yollam]

13. They have nothing to be disappointed about.

Brokeback somehow ended up creating a perfect storm of hype and media attention, and all the jokes about it only helped it sell tickets. It's a fine film, but it should have just been another little art house flick. I'm sure that it has succeeded beyond Lee's wildest imagination.

Groundbreaking? Hmm. I dunno - the characters are NOT openly gay, the ending is not happy and it's set in another time and place.


A big budget action film about a James Bond or "xXx" type spy who happens to have a husband and a regular life in the suburbs and whose homosexuality it just a a matter of fact - now that would be revolutionary.

[ladjf]

18. I'm having a hard time understanding why anyone gives a damn.

We are talking about entertainment.