Lying To Make Friends

First, I want to be clear that I laughed often and loudly at Bruno, and highly recommend seeing it. I am, however, troubled by the broader implications and share Emily’s fear that the movie “may push certain audiences to continue to believe that homophobic beliefs and behavior are acceptable.” As I’ve read assorted commentary on the movie, I keep thinking about Chris Rock’s routine about loving black people but hating, uh, another type of black people. While I remember finding the routine hilarious when I first heard it, I soon became troubled by how many white people I heard describing their own views on race in the exact same terms. I fear that, rather than exposing and shaming homophobia, Bruno could drive a similar distinction with regard to gays: as society becomes more tolerant of homosexuals who conform to mainstream norms of behavior, attire, and domesticity, people may develop a more intense and open hatred for those who do not conform and justify that hatred as being motivated by certain behaviors and characteristics rather than homosexuality as such. I suspect many people share the sentiments of my fellow Duke alum Shavlik Randolph, who infamously said he would be fine with a gay teammate as long as he didn’t “bring [his] gayness on me.” Since Bruno most certainly does bring his gayness on almost every one he meets, many will end up sympathizing with the people the movie supposedly exposes and find their reactions to Bruno justified.

After the movie, my friend and I engaged in a discussion about the Ron Paul scene. We both agreed that, at least up until the point where he shouted “that guy’s queer as blazes,” Paul came off as very sympathetic (especially to anyone unfamiliar with his politics). My friend and I disagreed on whether the “queer as blazes” comment revealed Paul’s homophobia or was part of a justifiable reaction to the deeply uncomfortable situation in which he was placed. Which gets to the problem with Bruno as a vehicle for illuminating homophobia: Bruno is so over the top and obnoxious that it’s difficult to disentangle whether people’s reactions to him reveal homophobia or are perfectly reasonable reactions to what qualifies as obnoxious, anti-social behavior regardless of the character’s sexuality.

-AR