Hypocrisy.  and out of his gourd. 

Geez.

 

I guess I see where Larry was coming from to pull Brokeback Mountain. The press was hard to ignore. After all, few movies get much press at all for their subtle, underlying evil, and most movies have subtle ugliness somewhere. But if Larry were to pull every objectionable program from his TV station, there'd be no television left for Utah apart from the few innocent TV shows left. Let's see, that would probably leave only children's programming. BR>

Here's a quote from lds.org/newsroom

"Despite its popularity with some, much of today’s television entertainment shows an unhealthy preoccupation with sex, coarse humor and foul language. Much of today's television programming is essentially lazy and indulgent entertainment that does nothing for our society and will never nourish great minds. Parents who are casual about their viewing habits ought not to be surprised if teaching moral choices and civic values to their children becomes harder as a result."

"Despite its popularity with some, much of today’s television entertainment shows an unhealthy preoccupation with sex, coarse humor and foul language. Much of today's television programming is essentially lazy and indulgent entertainment that does nothing for our society and will never nourish great minds. Parents who are casual about their viewing habits ought not to be surprised if teaching moral choices and civic values to their children becomes harder as a result."

good quote, Angela. Thanks. But I still see a lot of hypocrisy in what Miller did. If he wanted to pull it, go ahead - he's a businessman and he's the one who pumped up the sales for all the theaters around the valley that WERE showing the flick. But he should've kept quiet about it if he still wanted to maintain some modicom of respectability.

Again - I support his decision, but he shot himself in the foot by claiming to be standing by "traditional family values" and then show what else he shows.

but he shot himself in the foot by claiming to be standing by "traditional family values" and then show what else he shows.

I watched both Brokeback and Will and grace, and I have to say that I find Will and Grace far more offensive than Brokeback.  I mean, I even quit watching W&G because it was so preoccupied with sex and gay sex and even more sex.  It takes a lot of offend me, but W&G did it.

hey!  Lay off Cheers! 

But I agree.  Dont stand on a principal unless you are ready to stand on it!  He clearly is not.

It takes a lot of offend me, but W&G did it.

The same happened to me. I used to really enjoy that show, but it seemed that the more sex-oriented it got, the less funny. So I gave up trying to watch that show. Oh well, no real loss.

hey! Lay off Cheers!

I know, I love Cheers too, but what can you say? Scott Pierce must not be that big a fan. Plus, he bashes on Leathal Weapon, and that movie's hillarious.

Plus, he bashes on Leathal Weapon, and that movie's hillarious.

But it is violent (his slam), so I cant argue there.

But it is violent (his slam), so I cant argue there.

True, true. But knowing Scott Pierce personally I can honestly say that he does enjoy that movie, I was just giving him a bad time hoping he might stick his head over here . . .

In fact, he enjoys many of the programs he slams in that article, but he has a good point. None of those programs are "paragons of virtue".

But I still see a lot of hypocrisy in what Miller did.

Yeah, if he really wanted to stand for family values, he'd be better off earning his living far away from TV, movies, basketball, and car dealerships. But let's face it, the guy knows where the money is.

But let's face it, the guy knows where the money is.

I think you're right, Angela. He knows how to make money - that's why he can own a million car dealerships, a professional basketball team, a minor league baseball team, three theaters, and is building a racing complex. I suppose that's why I don't think I could be involved in business like that - too much shady stuff occurs.

It's not hypocrissy or double standard, it's just a guy who has the right to decide what films he wants to offer at his theaters and which films he doesn't want to offer.

If you ask me, Brokeback Mountain's ONLY claim to any kind of box office returns was the unwarranted hype anyway. The producers, investors and anyone who had anythign to do with this film should thank their lucky stars. The hype alone took what was in effect a 3rd rate chick flick and made it into a condendor for an oscar.

If you ask me the double standard is on everyone who tried to make anyone else feel guilty for not wanting to see this film. If homosexuality "doesn't matter" then when on earth are the activists going to start living as if it doesn't.

You do bring out an excellent point though. TV shows like Will & Grace, Soap, ER and others can exist with gay themes with little to no resistance from the far right or overt hype from the far left. If it's good, but happens to have a gay character, most of us won't care, if the gay part is the only thing that matters, then we'll probably just ignore it... and take the lame accusations from small minded people.

If you ask me the double standard is on everyone who tried to make anyone else feel guilty for not wanting to see this film. If homosexuality "doesn't matter" then when on earth are the activists going to start living as if it doesn't.

You make a valid point, Ted. I do agree that the guy has the right to do what he wants, and I sure was sick of hearing over and over how I have to see "Brokeback Mountain" or I'm intolerant, 'cuz I didn't see it, and I never plan to, just because I don't like that kind of movie. Period.

Off subject, but if that had been a movie about a heterosexual couple having an extramarital affair it would've just been the fifteenth dumb flick like that to come out that year.
None of us would've even BLINKED.

Off subject, but if that had been a movie about a heterosexual couple having an extramarital affair it would've just been the fifteenth dumb flick like that to come out that year. None of us would've even BLINKED.

Nor would have the movie world.  It would have been a third rate movie relegated to the B theaters and quickly to DVD.

Most of us didn't blink, anyway. Heck, to most of us it is a joke. I've heard 'brokeback' being tagged on people in the same way "homo" is. If it HAD been a heterosexual couple, the movie would have never been made. I have no doubt that we're in for 20 years of people going back and looking at old movie cliche's and saying "Okay, let's do that, but this time they're GAY!"

We'll probably see the gay casablanca, the gay african queen, the gay kramer vs. kramer, the gay blue lagoon, the gay romancing the stone. You name it, eventually they'll do it until it becomes too transparent to pull off anymore, then they'll have to go back to actually writing something that at least appears to be new.

This movie can't be compared to Will and Grace. No one has any heartfelt attachment to overgroomed sissies and their best girlfriends, so no one is really shocked when they flaunt what we pretty much guess to be true anyway. Westerns, on the other hand, are an American tradition. They are one of the few, true innovations America offers film.

There's no law that says they are sacrosanct, and people can do what they want with them. It isn't the first time there's been gay people in them, and no doubt our glamorized version of the West isn't close to accurate. That doesn't mean people aren't vehemently opposed to them being screwed with, though.

"Piss Christ" made a lot of people mad, but I bet you dimes to donuts that if you remade High Noon and made Gary Cooper gay there would be violent protest. We don't care when culturally-superior, metropolitan America soils itself with something like Will and Grace. What else is new, they are perpetually soiled. Wipe your mess on our icons, though, and expect a reaction.

To be fair, nobody on Will and Grace is cheating on their straight spouse, serially, and chronically, rather than facing up to the obligations of their marriage vows: either "going straight", or being honest with their spouses and getting a divorce.

My wife and I find W&G hilarious and remarkably inoffensive. What I personally find offensive about Brokeback Mountain was the implication that being gay is a valid excuse to also be a liar, a cheat, an adulterer, and a homewrecker. Why? Because being gay is apparently ZOMG SO HARD that it excuses all sorts of character flaws. Think about how the wife must feel, trapped in a marriage that isn't working, and that she can't fix because her husband knows the source of the problem but won't share it with her.

The movie portrays homosexual men as chumps and jerks, and implies that marital infidelity and general personal confusion are normal and acceptable in gay men. That's much more of an affront to my family values than the lighthearted tale of two gay men trying to make their way in the big city while having wacky adventures alongside their psychotic fag hags. See also: Dramas are meant to be taken seriously. Sitcoms? Not so much.

And seriously, Brokeback Mountain is offensive.