Love (spoilers)


I was pleasantly surprised, when I saw this 1919 short (actually the 2005 restoration) which shows a kiss between what most characters believe are two women rehearsing getting married to each other (one standing in for the groom) and nobody bats an eye. Of course the joke of the rehearsal being a valid marriage works because of marriage inequality that is slowly being corrected today, but there isn't the extreme reaction (pullback, slap) from Winnie that would certainly have been in something from the 1980s, even if she knew the real identity of who she was kissing. It's refreshing to see that even back in 1919, they knew how to make jokes involving gay or trans issues without being mean about it. Of course, this film was pre-Code, so that probably explains it. Too bad this wasn't found early enough to be included in The Celluloid Closet.

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It wasn't uncommon for two women to kiss each other. There are some Arbuckle comedies where he does make some motion, like flitting his hands like small wings, when there's a somewhat effeminate acting man.

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You're acting like they were groping each other and shoving their tongues down each other's throat. It was an innocent kiss that lasted a fraction of a second.

Perhaps if you stop pushing your agenda by being "pleasantly" surprised at a same-sex kiss and get off your "marriage inequality" soapbox, you'll see this innocent, non-sexual scene for what it really is. To refer to the scene as a "gay or trans issue" simply because Arbuckle was in drag and kissed a woman is pretty laughable. At least you didn't use the word "subtext" though.

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