Linz's "Open" Forum

My, oh my.

Now Cary Grant's no longer sexy cause he's bi?

Do we all have to throw out our TV's, VCR's & DVD's?

As for Rupert, he was okay in The Importance of Being Earnest. But who the hell would want to sleep with him?

Ted

Post 81

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 8:05pm

Bob wrote:

> My Son, the Greatest: the Best of Allan Sherman

Bob:

I have that CD, but it doesn't have many of the songs that I personally thought were his best. That's the trouble with these "best of" compilations. I usually don't agree with the choices. Still, it's fun to listen to it occasionally. Thanks for the memories!
--
Jeff

Post 82

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 9:53pm

What? This is supposed to be a Linz bashing thread. Whats all this talk about bisexuals? You are all a bunch of trolls. Bah.

Post 83

Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 10:28pm

I had a friend back in the '70's who worked as a short-order cook selling hot dogs and hamburgers. He would often remark to his customers, "Hey, did you hear about the bisexual built for two? or the new breakfast cereal, 'Queerios'? -- put 'em in a bowl and they eat each other -- or the new alternative to Rice Crispies, 'Prostitutios'? They don't snap, crackle and pop; they just lay there and bang, or the SLA hamburger? Open it up and there's no Patty inside." This was in San Francisco, during the time of the SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army) kidnapping of Patty Hearst. Nowadays, you couldn't tell half these jokes, especially if you worked in a fast food restaurant. You'd get fired and the restaurant sued for sexual discrimination. Here's another one: What's the soup of the day in a gay Chinese restaurant? Soup of Sum Yung Men. And: What do they serve in a Sushi Bar frequented by Jews? No, not sashimi. Sosueme!

- Bill

Post 84

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 5:52am

Ted: I have to believe that an actor is actually feeling the emotions of the character he's playing. If I know that he's gay then I can't get to that point because it's impossible for him, as a romantic lead, to feel that way. Then there's no point in watching the movie.

Post 85

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 9:50am

Ted: I have to believe that an actor is actually feeling the emotions of the character he's playing. If I know that he's gay then I can't get to that point because it's impossible for him, as a romantic lead, to feel that way. Then there's no point in watching the movie.

Sam, what if an actor is happily married and is playing the husband of a woman who is not his wife. You know that he doesn't actually love his screen wife -- that he doesn't actually feel the same emotion towards her as he does towards his real wife; he's simply acting if he does. Or how about an actor who is playing a murderous villain -- like Tom Cruise in one of his more recent movies. Would you have trouble identifying with Cruise's character, because you know that Cruise himself doesn't like murdering people? If not, then what's different about these two cases vis-a-vis a gay actor who is playing a straight romantic role?

- Bill

Post 86

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 10:00am

Sam, is this the same logic that leads people to conclude Fred Thompson is a racist because he played one convincingly on television? Movies are about suspending disbelief and a great actor, gay straight or otherwise, can tap into such a universal human emotion as romantic love.
(Edited by William N. Green
on 5/11, 10:01am)

Post 87

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 10:46am

I think there may be a lot of baggage that comes with a celebrity that plays a certain role. While of course one can act like they are a murderous thug in a movie role but not actually be one, some celebrities tend to get typecast because the audience can have a hard time forgetting a previous acting role they were in. Sometimes I have that issue and that's probably just my problem. For example knowing Jack Nicholson typically plays a snide, sarcastic character, it would be difficult for me to see him essentially "miscast" as a character that is for example honest and sincere.

Post 88

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 10:55am

Bill W: "You know that he doesn't actually love his screen wife"

Of course, that's what makes him a good actor. But if he's known to be gay you know that it's impossible for him to have those emotions. Perhaps this is just a quirk of mine but I don't make any apology.

Bill G: "Sam, is this the same logic that leads people to conclude Fred Thompson is a racist because he played one convincingly on television?"

There is a difference between what an actor brings to the role and what he conveys. Anthony Hopkins is believable as a serial killer because he is a good actor but I doubt if Hannibal Lecter played a Casper Milquetoast character that he would be believable no matter how good an actor he was.

Similarly, I would have difficulty with a straight actor playing a serious part as a homosexual. I dunno if the actors in Brokeback Mountain were straight or gay and I haven't seen it.

Sam

Post 89

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 11:08am

If you tire of the bisexual built for two, try a biplane. It goes both ways.

Post 90

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 3:54pm

Sam,

What if a straight actor is playing a gay guy who's in love with a straight man, who's gay in real life? <g>

Post 91

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 4:30pm

Damnit, Ted!

I just spent like 30 minutes fiddling around with this old black and white photo of myself at 1 year old, and it's not showing up.

Its been a long time, so I don't remember if the image is supposed to show up immediately or not.

Post 92

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 4:32pm

Ack! There it is! Can't see it very well, can you?

Let me mess with it some more!

(Edited by Teresa Summerlee Isanhart on 5/11, 4:34pm)

Looking for the new one now...

(Edited by Teresa Summerlee Isanhart on 5/11, 4:37pm)

Post 93

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 4:38pm

LOL!

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 5:51pm

Ye look the beautiful ye always did, baby......;-)

no need to muck with those infantile presentations...

(Edited by robert malcom on 5/11, 5:53pm)

Post 95

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 6:05pm

I don't have any problem with Sam's "disillusionment" (I assume that's a fair characterization) with openly gay actors playing straight characters. I do think it's more of a personal quirk than a reasoned position. But I don't think there's "anything wrong with that" because we're talking about aesthetics and optional values. I personally don't like movies with Tom Hanks in them, or a lot of other actors such as Ben Affleck. I've been told to watch, and have tried to watch "Good Will Hunting" so many times that it hurts. I can't stand it, I'll never watch it, and the loss is mine. Who cares?

Actors are quite aware of the various phenomena such as typecasting and the dangers of playing a villain, of coming out (Richard Chamberlain evidently had Hong in mind when he intentionally avoided revealing his otherwise open homosexuality when he starred as the romantic lead in the Thorn Birds) and so on. An audience's response to a star is tied up with many more things than just a set of cut and dried logical premises and conclusions.

I think that a good follow up question would be, who could ever watch any film with Tom Cruise in it if "believeability" were a criterion for enjoying a movie?

John Armaos' example of Jack Nicholson is generally true - and when an actor is "cast against type" and does a good job, it's an aesthetic triumph.

As for Bill Dwyer's Jokes, I am just old enough to get the SLA one, and it was the best of the lot.

Ted

(Edited by Ted Keer
on 5/11, 6:46pm)

Post 96

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 6:27pm

Teresa: "What if a straight actor is playing a gay guy who's in love with a straight man, who's gay in real life? "

I just can't get my mind around that one. :-)

Sam

Post 97

Friday, May 11, 2007 - 6:43pm

In the spirit of good humor and the self-stereotyping of many gays I tender the following Favorite Jazz Pieces for Gays:

Fella By Starlight

Penis from Heaven

Dream a Little Ream of Me

I Got Nothin' Butt a Bruise

I Can't Give You Anything (... Butt Love, Davey)

Mouth of the Boarder (Down Mexico Way)

Route 69

Carl of My Dreams I Love You (Honest I Do)

Sade Louis Bruise

Strange Fruits

Come To Me My Mel and Cal and Davey (cuddle up and don�t feel blue)

When a Man Loves a Foreman

Mike and Dale Sang in Berkley Square

Mike and Ray (You Are The One)

Dust one of those dinks,

Dust one of those fabulous dinks,

A trip to the moon on gossamer wings

Dust one of those dinks.

Kevin, I�m In Kevin (when we�re dancing cheek to cheek)

Buddy and Sol

Post 98

Saturday, May 12, 2007 - 6:24am

> What if a straight actor is playing a gay guy who's in love with a straight man, who's gay in real life?

As long as they are beautiful men I wouldn't care less if they are gay or straight or whatever!

Post 99

Saturday, May 12, 2007 - 8:42am