Monday, June 20, 2005

The Longest Homophobe

The original Longest Yard was a landmark of Seventies-era, anti-establishment sentiment. It was violent, savagely funny, mean and an unapologetic spit in the face of authority. As directed by the gifted Robert Aldrich, The Longest Yard of 1974 was about as cutting-edge as mainstream comedy got at the time.

Fade in to 2005 and an ill-conceived remake, with Adam Sandler in the Burt Reynolds role of Paul Crewe, a fallen NFL quarterback rotting in a Texas prison when he is tapped to organize a football team of convicts to play the guards.

What is deemed cutting edge in these trying times? Tough call. In our strict law-and-order environment, Hollywood doesn't have the cojones to focus too much on the sociopathic tendencies of convicts. After all, prison inmates are not funny (well, not unless they're being held indefinitely at Guatanamo Bay, but that's for another movie).

Nope, nowadays cutting edge means anti-gay. And the remake of The Longest Yard is chock full o' backwards, redneck, stereotype-embracing, queer is ha-ha funny gay-bashing.



See how funny they are?

We've got a prissy fella who develops an instant crush on Sandler because our hero is boorish and has crashed his girlfriend's Bentley after going on a drunken joyride. (Gay people love brutes, don'cha know).

We have a gaggle of flamer convicts who make up cheers like "Gimmie a D! Gimmie an I! Gimmie a C! Gimmie ..." (Get it? They want, well, you know ...).

We have two inmates caught making out over a surveillance camera. We have Rob Schneider in a cameo (reason enough to avoid the picture) as an overzealous convict all aflutter over the possibility of a group hug in the showers.

It appears that gay-bashing is the one remaining widely accepted form of bigotry left in America.

I would call your attention to a touching and poignant sermon recently delivered by a friend for a Unitarian Church service in Oklahoma City.

5 Comments:

At 10:45 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Isn't it sad that the 70's were years of much more honesty and cultural bravery than we have now? The entire right-wing political movement seems to be built on being anti-gay. What a shame that a good ol' movie should be turned into good ol' boy mindless crap. And thanks for the link to the sermon. It was excellent. Christians should examine the movie and the sermon and see where there is more love. Where there is love there is God.

 
At 11:17 AM, Blogger Dr. Pants said...

I disagree. I think the entire Right Wing movement is built on staying in power. It's a tricky game, but they play it well, constantly inventing boogeymen to fight while cloaking over the real problems in this country.

Tell me, what is more devastating? Two consenting male adults marrying or two men starving to death in a country full of food? But nobody makes a big deal about starvation, disease, corruption or any of the other problems this county is riddled with. We're worried about gay people. How fucking sad.

I don't mind gay jokes, mostly because the funniest ones I hear are from gay people. I just wish this wasn't such a big deal when there are so many more things that need fixing.

 
At 11:40 AM, Blogger Chase McInerney said...

What exactly do you disagree about, Pants?

 
At 1:30 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for the link, Chase. And thank you for pointing out bigotry and prejudice. The world can do without it. It doesn't help any of us unless, as Dr. Pants observes, you are working on a degree in the Adolf Hitler school of political mobilization.

 
At 3:03 PM, Blogger Dr. Pants said...

I was disagreeing with the assertion that the republican party is built on anti-gay. Right now it's just built on staying in power.

 

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