At the end of our day out, I watched The Love of Siam with the BF. It was better than I expected it to be; melodramatic, cute and sincerely acted without being over-the-top on stereotypes. I definitely think Mario Maurer (pictured) is the cuter of the two. Small caveats included the schmaltzy music and the creepy stalker girl storyline. Thanks to aznv.tv for streaming it with relative ease.
As for the ending (SPOILERS), I think I understand why things were so open ended, even though it was sadder than I preferred. Tong has a lot to manage (his father’s impending death, his feelings, being out with his mom and friends) before he can be a good boyfriend. But there was enough hope, I like to think, that he’ll be ready eventually. Or at least I’m trying to think that since I can’t find evidence of a sequel being made. The “alternate” ending will have to do.
I found out about this movie when I was a freshman during some online search for gay, non-pornographic Asian cinema. It was the first time I had heard of Wong Kar-Wai or Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and the more I learned, the more I wanted to see it. It was hard to find online so on a whim, I bought a pirated copy on Ebay and watched it on my laptop.
It took me several views to appreciate the organic plot, the slow motion pans of pensiveness, the dialogue that refrains from over-explaining, the saturated colors, and the slow decay of the main relationship. In a way, I prefer that from the typical love stories of redemption and deserved love. Instead, cycles of dependency, abuse, jealousy, boredom and fear drown out moments of rekindled happiness.
At that time, I related a lot with Tony Leung’s character’s loneliness in a foreign country and his desire for a stable relationship, though I didn’t like how he try to reduce his boyfriend to an invalid. No one is actually happy together. It’s when they’re apart when they realize just how happy they were.
I’ve seen other Wong Kar-Wai movies since then. I’ve made it a point that any guy I date should be at least familiar with his work. Perhaps it is true that “lonely people are all the same” in their unhappiness but that shouldn’t stop one from missing chances to be happy, alone or with others.
I haven’t wrote a Disney themed entry in a while (even though I get random hits for them), so here it goes. Like all things with human beings, I think that sexuality has a nature-nurture influence: some is influenced by genes and some is influenced by culture. That being said, it’s likely that Disney had some part in me being gay and looking back, I think I can find some roots in that.
Aladdin spent the first half of the movie wearing a skimpy vest-sort-of-thing with very defined chest cleft which, looking back, was kinda risque. Maybe somewhere in my 5 year old mind, I was disappointed when he got his “Prince” outfit on because it hid everything. Still, looking back, I wonder what all that nipple coverage did for my young mind.
Hercules caught my eye with all of the oversized biceps and strategic skirt placement. It also introduced me to homosexuality in Greek mythology (Hylas, Ganymede, Patroclus), its societal manifestation in Greek society (pederasty anyone?), and the “artistic” merits of Greco-Roman sculpture. So yeah, thanks Disney for exposing me to the merits of ancient history.
Tarzan was a very distracting movie to watch, especially for me as I dawned upon puberty. The guy wore a strategically placed loincloth that hid his junk but showed off everything else in great detail. The Phil Collins music was catchy but really, when a Disney movie has scenes like this, it kept my attention but probably not the way that they intended.
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PS: I was gonna include David from Lilo & Stitch but I was a bit older when that came out so I don’t think there’s much childhood influence there. Still, google “David Kawena” and you get a lot of NSFW images.
Thomas from Pocahontas. After leaving his wife in jolly ol’ England, he was stuck on a ship full of seamen for a few months before reaching the New World. John Smith manages to save his ass when he falls overboard after failing to secure a cannon. Thomas also has a recurring problem when aiming his “gun” and John Smith teaches him to shoot with both eyes open. When Thomas follows Smith into the forest in search of another sexual encounter, he finds Smith in Pocahontas’ arms and channels his betrayed feelings into shooting Kocoum in the back.
Jock (left) and Trusty (right) from Lady and the Tramp. These two are the old gay couple of the neighborhood. I don’t know if they’ve been neutered or not but there is not one point in the film where they display interest (sexual or romantic) in Lady, which doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe it’s because they watched her grow up, but the fact that they often appear together in the film arguing like a old married couple makes me wonder.
Flower from Bambi. When I first saw Bambi, Flower confused the hell out of me. I thought he was a girl based on his flirty, bashful attitude and gender-ambiguous voice. But I was wrong. When they fast-forwarded to the part where they all hit puberty, he pursues the effeminate whorish skunk and conforms just like everyone else. Still, given that he is drawn just as girly as his “mate” even without the pink overtones, perhaps the gay label isn’t too off the mark; I’m sure there are guys that giggle as much as she did.
It’s a stereotype that gays like musicals. Unfortunately, I’m one of those that tend to confirm it. Growing up, I think I’ve watched more musicals than most people. Maybe that affected my sexuality in some subconscious way. Maybe it didn’t. If anything, it probably makes me predisposed for dramatic showy moments and bad karaoke attempts.
Some that I’ve seen: most Disney movies, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, West Side Story (the video is “I Feel Pretty” from that movie), Mary Poppins, Singing in the Rain, Grease, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Prince of Egypt, Anastasia, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Moulin Rouge, Phantom of the Opera. I’ve probably seen more than that but there are many that I didn’t care for.
I like musicals more when they elevate an emotionally charged moment with a powerful song or a well-choreographed dance. At the same time, I hate it when musicals use song as a montage to make time fly faster, or when a song substitutes actual dialogue/character development. Dreamgirls makes excessive use of these latter tricks. There’s a big difference between a musical and a music video.
Unfortunately, I’m not much of a High School Musical or Glee fan (which seems like a can of worms that would take time to catch up on). There’s a lot of musicals I have not seen, both from a long time ago and a few years ago. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen one that has stuck with me though so for now, I’ll sing the ones that I do like to myself.
Given that one of the more common arguments against gay marriage is that it affects the children, I’d like to reflect on a few potentially open portrayals of gay parenting in Disney movies that refute that.
In Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora is raised by 3 fairies deep in the forest in secret. I like to think that Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are lesbians in a complicated 3-way relationship, with Merryweather being the most butch due to her hate for the color pink. Outcome? Aurora falls in love with the first guy she meets, falls asleep after tampering with a domestic object, and wakes up when the guy violates her while she’s in a coma.
The Jungle Book was my favorite Disney movie growing up but it wasn’t until recently that I realized that the responsible Bagheera and the hedonistic Baloo make up a gay version of “The Odd Couple” as they protect Mowgli from notorious child molestors/devourers and argue about his future like concerned parents. Outcome? Mowgli is seduced by a village girl into returning to human society and Bagheera and Baloo leave dancing into the sunset arm in arm.
And of course, Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King. The two of them are gay outcasts a la Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, living in the jungle alone in hedonistic bliss until they adopt Simba, who has been traumatized by the death of his father at the hands of his psychopath gay uncle. Outcome? Simba falls in love with his childhood girlfriend and ends up saving Pride Rock thanks to the convincing of a drug induced vision.
It’s funny how the most problematic aspects of these “gay parents” isn’t so much the parents but the issues the children face, which are mostly threats to their lives. And yet, the kids end up alright in the end: straight and conventional. I think I read that Walt Disney was all for unconventional parenting (no wonder he hated step-parents so much) so it’s no surprise that these interpretable examples came up, just not the way he had intended.
I figured this is a nice change from all the “deep” entries I’ve been writing.
This is from Greg Araki’s movie Totally Fucked Up. I love this scene because it has a lot of sexual tension, after the frankness of the request for a kiss and the restraint from pouncing on each other after their brief make-out. The lines are a little silly (“I’ve got this huge boner with your name on it” and “Don’t touch me unless you mean it.”) but they work in this scene.
One day, I’d like to see this movie. I’ve only seen 2 other movies by Greg Araki: Nowhere and Mysterious Skin and they were pretty crazy. I hope I’m not disappointed.
When I was a young, impressionable boy, I liked Disney movies. So naturally, when Mulan came out, I gobbled it up. Looking back at it though, I realized there was something wrong about Shang and Mulan’s “romance.”
Shang never really fell in love with Mulan. Mulan saves Shang from the Huns and earns his “trust,” but Shang feels “betrayed” when he finds out she’s a girl. Even when she saves China, Shang is nervous about courting her.
Why would he be ambivalent about this? He liked Mulan more when she was a guy.
Shang was impressed by “Ping” when he scaled a giant pole with two heavy weights to hoist himself up. Shang does not have an opinion about what kind of girl he likes in “A Girl Worth Fighting For.” He wants to “make a man out of you” through intense physical activity (i.e. SEX). To top it off, Shang’s voice (not his singing one) is B.D. Wong, an openly gay Asian American actor.
Of course, Mulan has gender issues of her own. “Reflection” could easily be about being gay and in the closet.
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