Was There a 'Brokeback' Backlash?

NewsMax ^ | 7 March 2006

[fat city]

McMurtry, who won the adapted screenplay prize with Diana Ossana, said backstage at Sunday night's ceremony... "We are an urban nation. We are not a rural nation..."

Speaks volumes about how Hollywood views America.

[Kandy Atz]

Accidental Tourist!? That was one of only 2 films in my 40+ years of watching movies that I walked out on. Most dreadful waste of film ever!

I had completely forgotten (thankfully) that piece of garbage until just now!

IMHO - Brokeback never stood a chance. ABC/Disney kept the buzz going trying to get the ratings (and supposed suspense) up to a very high level. They also knew that a victory for Brokeback would further amplify Hollywood's complete misunderstanding of flyover country. Can you imagine the headlines today in Christian and conservative circles had Brokeback won?

[newzjunkey]

In the film the more straight of the pair, Heath Ledger's character, talks about when his dad took him and his brother to see a dead rancher in a ditch, presumed to be gay because he was a rancher who was ridiculed as such and had a ranch with another guy and no women. The body had had his genitals mutilated or something along those lines. The character opines maybe his dad was involved in the killing.

The other, who has other homosexual affairs and travels to Mexico for hustlers, ends up dead from a possible gay-bash murder (real or imagined, it's left to the viewer).

They also spend time talking about having a ranch of their own.

[TET1968]

"It's just a crapshoot," Walter said. "You go to Vegas and you put your money on number 17.

"There is NO lesson to be learned from all this. It doesn't mean a thing."

Walter the Professor is brain dead.

Several million viewers Net Flixed the gay event.

According to Walter if they used the same format next year there would be no change in the viewer numbers. I say Net flix usage will triple that night as millions more watch a mailed movie or a rerun of 24.

It's all about freedom of choice Walter.

[Loud Mime]

Who wants to go see a movie about two cowpokes having anal sex?

Well, they weren't pokin' cows...were they?

[Chode]

no... sheep.

[newzjunkey]

It's not entirely untrue. It's the urban centers which give Democrats their wins (or near wins) in elections. The culture is driven by urban mythos. I think she was just saying Hollywood is so urban-minded that it's difficult to get a rural film made, that is one not set in a city.

I don't care why it didn't win. I'm not surprised, for all their claim of being "open minded" or "progressive" or "out of step" they're no better than the rest of us. Even the actors themselves seemed uncomfortable with the publicity the film got. It was a cultural moment (which kind of worked against it) the actors didn't really seem to want to embrace and Hollywood was just like them. The Academy voters can feel "good" about themselves because they gave the director an Oscar for his own risk taking.

Just like they can feel good about being paid to be pimping for charities, for example. They'll rationalize it all and blame conservatives or homophobes or older, out-of-touch Academy voters.

[jocon307]

"In fact, we were so shocked."

They all did look truly shocked.

[bray]

If I wanted to watch Queerback Mountin I would have moved to San Fagsisco.

[MotleyGirl70]

Lol. That's just too darn funny.

[B4Ranch]

>>One disturbing difference for the Academy: a lot more viewers tuned in to see those upsets. An estimated 38.8 million people watched Sunday's telecast on ABC _ down 8 percent from last year and the second-worst showing in nearly two decades, according to Nielsen Media Research. Except for the 2003 count of 33 million viewers - when "Chicago" took the best-picture award - viewership hadn't dipped below 40 million since 1987.

Huh? Shouldn't that be a lot less viewers tuned in to see those upsets. Otherwise why would it be "disturbing"?