Hollywood homophobes
Myles Herod
Issue date: 11/24/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
More recently, Jodie Foster, respected actress and two-time Oscar winner, reluctantly admitted to her homosexuality, not by means of self-acceptance but from being outed by none other than self-proclaimed "Queen of All Media", Perez Hilton, and the LGBT magazine, Out. Her script choices, usually more intellectual than commercial, have strangely stalled in the last few years from a creative standpoint.
As for Perez, he's a self-made industry. A magnet of much criticism, Hilton's tactics have not only assisted in "outing" Jodie Foster and Lance Bass, but have brought on speculation about the highly personal lives of celebrities like Tom Cruise. While Cruise's personal attributes have been widely discussed and written about, most recently in Andrew Morton's unauthorized biography of the star, these accusations have taken a backseat to his inane theories of psychiatry and the almighty Xenu.
I can see Hilton's intent. Although obnoxious in terms of degrading his peers as well as his enemies, he strives for unification in an industry still wary of the unknown, where the perception of an actor and their sexuality are still highly magnified.
Why should it matter though? A great film is a great film. An actor's job is to achieve the goal of having us believe in them as that character. Frankly, I couldn't care less about their sexual orientation. What I do care about is the craft of the art form, and how it makes one feel.
"New queer cinema", a subgenre of the American independent film movement that started in the late 1980s, focuses heavily on issues of identity and culture, bringing about a bevy of talent that's still prospering in Hollywood today. Its most prominent graduate, director Gus Van Sant, started off on low-budget features, casting unknown street kids and imbuing a stylistic atmosphere in black and white rather than developing a fully formed narrative. Over the years he has gradually moved away from his humble beginnings and onto high profile pictures such as Good Will Hunting, Elephant, and My Own Private Idaho, which quite possibly features Keanu Reeves' greatest acting achievement, as a homeless street hustler.
As for Perez, he's a self-made industry. A magnet of much criticism, Hilton's tactics have not only assisted in "outing" Jodie Foster and Lance Bass, but have brought on speculation about the highly personal lives of celebrities like Tom Cruise. While Cruise's personal attributes have been widely discussed and written about, most recently in Andrew Morton's unauthorized biography of the star, these accusations have taken a backseat to his inane theories of psychiatry and the almighty Xenu.
I can see Hilton's intent. Although obnoxious in terms of degrading his peers as well as his enemies, he strives for unification in an industry still wary of the unknown, where the perception of an actor and their sexuality are still highly magnified.
Why should it matter though? A great film is a great film. An actor's job is to achieve the goal of having us believe in them as that character. Frankly, I couldn't care less about their sexual orientation. What I do care about is the craft of the art form, and how it makes one feel.
"New queer cinema", a subgenre of the American independent film movement that started in the late 1980s, focuses heavily on issues of identity and culture, bringing about a bevy of talent that's still prospering in Hollywood today. Its most prominent graduate, director Gus Van Sant, started off on low-budget features, casting unknown street kids and imbuing a stylistic atmosphere in black and white rather than developing a fully formed narrative. Over the years he has gradually moved away from his humble beginnings and onto high profile pictures such as Good Will Hunting, Elephant, and My Own Private Idaho, which quite possibly features Keanu Reeves' greatest acting achievement, as a homeless street hustler.
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