popular thinking

GOLDEN GLOBES GET EVEN GAYER

And by gay, I actually mean lame. Lots of people talk about the Golden Globes as this great precursor for the Academy Awards, but really, it's just a big boozy bash in which the Hollywood Foreign Press Association kisses up to as many celebrities as possible. That said, this year's slate of nominees is noticeable for how many gay-themed characters and movies got recognized -- and yet, nothing for Rent. Which means they weren't just handing nods out to everything that had a gay element to it. As Damon Romine told me (see below), "the crtics recognize good movies."

Gay’s the way in H’wood (Boston Herald)
Have the Golden Globes gone gay?
Brokeback Mountain — Ang Lee’s sweeping Western romance revolving around two cowboys — led the way yesterday with seven Golden Globe nominations for best drama, actor, director, supporting actress, screenplay, original score and original song.
The film received best picture honors earlier this week from the film critic societies in Boston, New York and Los Angeles.
But the Hollywood Foreign Press Association didn’t stop there, also spreading love to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered themes and actors in Capote, The Producers, Transamerica, The Matador and Breakfast on Pluto.
“It’s wonderful that such unconventional and original material is being embraced,” said actress Felicity Huffman, nominated for her role as a pre-op transgendered female (or is that male?) in Transamerica. (Huffman also earned a nomination for her role as a heterosexual working mom in ABC’s Desperate Housewives.)
Not everyone thinks Brokeback Mountain is so wonderful.
“Most people find the images of men making love so sickening that Hollywood has to keep finding new ways to push it into society’s face,” said Brian Camenker of the Waltham-based Article 8 Alliance.
“So they have to crank up the propaganda machine. I think that’s what this is all about,” Camenker said. “I would be shocked if the movie did not have homosexuality in this, if it got any kinds of awards at all, on its other merits.”
Damon Romine, spokesman for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said the nominations prove that the caliber of films starring gay characters is stronger.
“The critics recognize good films,” Romine said.
He said people shouldn’t think of Brokeback Mountain as “that gay cowboy movie” but rather as “a beautiful American love story” that happens to feature two men.
The honors should help “Brokeback” at the box office this weekend as it expands to 21 more cities, including Boston.
“I think it’s perfect timing,” said Anthony King, arts writer for Bay Windows, Boston’s weekly gay and lesbian newspaper. “People will hear about it more because of the Golden Globes and (the studio) will be able to put their stamp on it.”