Ignorance towards the Rent movie- Page 2

[art2]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 12:58pm

Actually, it's not just the conservatives who are homophobic. I believe that Sony and the director behind RENT have also been homophobic by sanitizing the gay male relationship in relation to the lesbian and heterosexual relationships. Homophobia isn't just a conservative thing - it can also be practised by liberals who are particularly uncomfortable with male homosexuality. RENT the movie seems to be a reflection of this.

[Katecab99]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:01pm

i'm worried about the same thing, emcee.

it's being advertised like crazy around here, so alot of people know about it, but in the same token, i've heard alot of people say "i never wanted to see the broadway show, why would i see the movie?"

plus, as previously said, with all the other big stuff ("harry potter", "walk the line") being released around the same time, they have some tough comeptition at the box office.

i guess we shall see...

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:02pm

I feel like we all go "EVERYONE is so excited!!!" and.... are they? Sure, BWW is excited. But the entire world is not a harem of Rentheads.

[kasim]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:04pm

I can see how you will miss its a musical.

You shouldnt, but i can see how you would. But its silly to dwell on that.

As far as the homosexuality, yeah some hick places it may offend and not like. Oh well. Will and Grace seems to be doing pretty well.

What i mean by in your face is more how Alexandar was when they have a half naked boy bent over in front of you. not anti-gay, but not exactly what i wanted to see. Luckily the Rosario scene afterwards made up for it.

[DiamondGirl]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:30pm

I know plenty of people who won't see it because of the homosexuality. I've not been allowed to see it onstage (even though the tour has been near me TWICE on my BIRTHDAY!) for that very reason. (Let's put it this way... whenever two guys kiss on SNL, even if one is actually PLAYING a woman, my mother turns her head, covers her eyes, and goes, "Ew, ew, ew" until they stop.)

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:35pm

I have actually witnessed the opposite. There is this lady that I work with who is VERY homophobic and she walked by my cubicle and saw my RENT wallpaper on my computer and said, "I am going to see that movie when it comes out." I told her that it had gay people in it (just to give her a heads up so I wouldn't hear about it after she saw the movie), and she said, "There is? Oh well, I like that song on the trailer and it has my man from Law and Order in it, so I am still going to see it." Trust me when I say that I was shocked. But, I have had a few people walk by my cubicle and say that they are looking forward to the movie, even if it is a musical.

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 01:35 PM

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:40pm

*groans*

Sorry I brought the argument over to this thread, as well... Updated On: 11/22/05 at 01:40 PM

[alli2]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 2:01pm

sweetestsiren, no offense to you, but JUST IGNORE HIM. Delete your post.

[La_Becca]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 3:37pm

Hey art2, can you say "sanitizing the gay male relationship in relation to the lesbian and heterosexual relationships" one more time please? I don't think you've pressed that quite enough on the boards.

HEY EVERYONE! In case you haven't heard, ART2 THINKS THAT THE RENT MOVIE SANITIZES THE GAY MALE RELATIONSHIPS IN RELATION TO THE LESBIAN AND HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS!

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 3:51pm

I have to confess, I really haven't had any desire to see the musical. I've heard some of the songs, but nothing really generated enough interest for me to see it. That said, I probably won't see the film either, until the DVD is released.

My question is: Beyond the Rentheads, who is the audience for this film?

I know, strike me dead, but it has no major stars...unlike "Chicago."

The movie trailer doesn't really inform you of anything, except that this promoted HIGH energy story. Lotsa running and jumping.

If it is geared towards the 20-something generation (unfamiliar with the musical), don't you think it might have been better to have cast very talented but much younger unknowns?

I guess maybe I'm suffering from the generation gap...

[xoxRogue]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 4:29pm

Well, just an imput today: We were watching The Color Purple movie because we had read the book, and what was strange to me is that my friend (as well as one or two other classmates) were going "Ew, ew, ew, ew" at the part were Celie and Shug kiss. I actually said (loudly, I might add): "What is your problem?" (to my friend). She said: "It's just...ew." I could have been nicer, it just it struck me all of a sudden. Others: including Rent fans acted the same if it were anyone else. (My teacher was intently reading her book because she gets embarrassed at any sexual thing. It's really funny. Like, we were watching Othello and she ran out of the room, but we forced her back, rewound it, and made her watch that part because Iago sits up abruptly and says: "Triffles!" It's hilarious.)

Audience:
Well, one of my best friends, is not a musical fanatic. I mean, she doesn't hate musicals, she just isn't exposed to them alot. She saw the trailer and thought it looked interesting. I'll ask her tomorrow why she wants to see it. But, anywho, I played the movie soundtrack (because it was the movie cast she would be seeing) and to my surprise, she asked me to make a copy of it. This is my friend who never has asked me to even listen to any other musical recordings or soundtracks I have.

Maybe it has to do with the themes of it or even how it applies to everyones life. For example, even the fact that the characters are struggling through their lives or living them how they want to. (You can sort of see that through the trailers.)

I just saw Chicago because my mother and father had and they enjoyed it. I was on vacation too...

"If it is geared towards the 20-something generation (unfamiliar with the musical), don't you think it might have been better to have cast very talented but much younger unknowns? "

Um...no. Mainly because when casting the original preformers, you're immediately bringing an audience that loves Rent. Even my generation who has seen it buys the OBC and hears them. If you had a very talented unknown cast, you're not bringing in the extra emotion that can not be.."faked"..on screen. And also, why would they have to be younger unknowns? Their age doesn't matter. (Though I can sort of see what you mean. Younger audiences=younger movie-going swooning over them. Like for LOTR, fans were swooning over Orlando more than Viggo. Though, my nickname for Viggo as Aragorn is a sexy man-beast. O.o )
But with the OBC, they are not OLD! Some don't even look like they have aged *cough*Anthony*cough*.

For unfamiliar people, I don't see why different casting would have made a difference. They wouldn't know who they were. Quite a number of people still know preformers from the OBC. Mainly Jesse ....but with the addition of Rosario, people do recognize her. Both don't have as much star power as say..Angelina Jolie, but people still recognize them. This film will stretch people's knowledge of the cast out more.....

Well, those are just my thoughts. Hopefully they are understandable.

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 04:29 PM

[sadiem100]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 4:35pm

Whoever doesn't see it because of homophobia doesn't deserve to see it in the first place.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 4:48pm

I'm not a RENThead for many reasons and I don't think I'll be seeing the movie in the theater. The only thing keeping me from shrugging the movie off all together is that my girl, Idina, is in it.

Why on DVD and not in the theater?

One word: fast-forwarding

I have no desire to see Rosario sensuously dancing around in skimpy clothing, nor do I want my boyfriend to see it. Call me prudish or Victorian, but I find it wholly innappropriate and I don't believe the story would suffer without it. There are always other ways to convey what a playwright needs to convey. And, to be perfectly honest, I'm not anxious to see the male/male female/female action.

*runs back to her conservative Christian foxhole lest she gets ripped to shreds*

EDIT: And I wouldn't call it "ignorant">http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ignorant">ignorant" as the title of the thread does. People who wish to stay away from this movie for reasons similar to mine do not lack education or knowledge, nor are they unaware or uninformed about the "gay lifestyle" (or whatever the proper or "in" term is nowadays). Perhaps they do not know what YOU believe the movie is about, but, even if they did, they still might not want to see the film because of content they find distasteful. There are plenty of movies/plays with the theme of love between friends that do not contain the content these "ignorant" people object to.

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 04:48 PM

[sadiem100]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 4:54pm

Wait... you want to see Idina but don't want to see the female/female relationship?

[sadiem100]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 4:56pm

"There are always other ways to convey what a playwright needs to convey."

Not when the playwright passed away 10 years ago.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 4:56pm

Is there something hard to understand there? Idina happens to be a favorite actress of mine. Yes, I am aware that she is part of the female/femal relationship in the movie. What is your point?

[sadiem100]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 5:01pm

I don't mean to be offensive, I'm just curious because in all of the scenes that Idina is in she's flirting with a woman. The female/female relationship is only seen when Idina is on screen.

[freeadmission]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 5:02pm

But I can't NOT see "Over the Moon".

[sadiem100]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 5:05pm

VERY TRUE.. ohmeegosh. So funny I was almost crying. She has these little TV screens behind her that shows her doing weird faces and such. You CANNOT miss that.

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 05:05 PM

[greenegirl87]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 6:28pm

freeadmission...the reason i referred to it as ignorance is due to the fact that i cannot find a better word to describe but chose not to due of a certain group of people being in it. i completely respect your opinions and understand being uncomfortable, and i can see where you are coming from with what you consider inappropriate, and i think those are completely legitimate reasons to stay away from the movie. however, although i myself am straight, feel that staying away from this movie for that reason is just another thing thats keeping our country from truly being tolerant.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 6:35pm

I personally haven't heard any homophobic remarks made about the film.

In fact, my mother who is EXTREMELY conservative has accompanied me to the stage show on several occasions and just adores it, she'll probably come with me to see the film at least twice.

Maybe I'm just lucky.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 6:46pm

Read this article and it will give you an idea of what I am talking about.

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=5385

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12121

[greenegirl87]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 6:46pm

haha colleen..you obviously dont live in the south :]

[VivaBohemia]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 8:33pm

I have dealt with people who won't see it because of homosexual relationships. Its unfortunate because they are missing an amazing story.

It irratates me so many people cant get beyond the "homosexual" part and look at the story. I feel for them.

[greenegirl87]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:52pm

VivaBohemia thats exactly what I meant! It is naive of me, but I just want people to be able to see what a beautiful story it is and to realize that it doesn't matter if you are gay, straight, bi, black, white, or purple!