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posts about #shirleyjones more → 
LaToya Jackson Believes Michael Was Murdered
Madonna To Marry Jesus?
New York, 3:08 AM
Sat Dec 12
67 posts in the last 24 hours
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LaToya Jackson Believes Michael Was Murdered |
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It's the thought that counts, right?
07/12/09
@BabyJane:
07/12/09
Any Cobain conspiracy theorists around here? 9/11? Kennedy? C'mon, let's talk
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Yup, agreed. It also just didn't make a lot of sense. Like, if I was a politician and someone started stripping in front of me? I would run away too. It doesn't have anything to do with being gay. If I saw a straight couple chained together, with a dildo in one of their mouths? I would feel uncomfortable. It was less "exposing people's gay stereotypes" and more "being really ridiculous and then pretending people are scared of gay people." And it's kind of disappointing, cause I think there are stereotypes that he could have shed light on.
07/12/09
07/13/09
What Cohen does is satire. He takes gay stereotypes to this next extreme level. Bruno is not what any gay person is actually like. Just like Borat isn't like any actual foreigner. They are caricatures of stereotypes, exaggerated to the point of pure ridiculousness.
We laugh at the absurdity, we laugh at the people who actually believe his ridiculousness, or we laugh at the shocked reaction to the absurdity.
By doing satire, he necessarily sheds light on real problems. If the movie does anything political, it reminds us how ridiculous some gay stereotypes are.
To me, being offended almost suggests that you don't think the Bruno character is unrealistic or that you don't have faith others will see that.
07/13/09
I could somewhat excuse Borat, because we were laughing at the reactions and ignorance he incited, not the stereotype itself. With Bruno, we were laughing AT the stereotype; not anyone's reactions.
As I've said probably a dozen times, it's worrisome because a lot of people don't realize this IS a stereotype and not reality. It's just LOL! Look! teh gayz doing funny gay things! And that's not particularly funny, and it's certainly not okay.
07/13/09
The other movies you cite, though I haven't seen them, sound different. That sounds like making-fun, not satire. And you either like satire or don't I suppose. I think ridiculing something the public believes can be both revealing and hilarious. I don't believe it's damaging, unless you don't realize it's satire. But why don't we have faith people will recognize Bruno as such? It went to an EXTREME of absurdity.
07/13/09
The problem is that there are very few gay media representations that AREN'T stereotypical, so unfortunately, a LOT of people can't separate what they see on-screen from what occurs in real-life. The US doesn't even allow gay marriage for god's sake, because a HUGE group of people think gays are sinful, slutty and destroying the family unit. The oft-maligned foreigner at least has some decent media representations and full constitutional rights, and as such, most people watching Borat were not laughing AT him, but at the ignorant responses he incited. In the showing I sat in, most people were laughing AT the "gross" aggressive things the gay guy was doing, and not the (fairly justifiable) responses of the senator he tried to assault.
I love satire -- but I love satire done well. This, in my opinion, wasn't.
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I love that Leonard Cohen song and I even like a cover or two of it, but I agree -- let's give it a rest. Also, Lady Gaga has a certain appeal -- I'm going to have to admit that. Now, perhaps a dance mix of Leonard Cohen's song by Lady Gaga.....
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I like Jeff Buckleys version too. Other than that, no dice.
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I like them both equally. Both are very different versions.
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There are tons of great covers of this song out there, in addition to Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright. Regina Spektor, Beirut, Arooj Aftab and John Cale are a few of my faves.
07/12/09
I mean, can't all these great people start covering OTHER Leonard Cohen songs? They're all pretty amazing.
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Does this woman have no cognitive dissonance?
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Bless you.
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