Gay Undertones


Does anyone think that there is alot of gay undertones running the whole way through the movie?

who knows where thoughts come from they just appear - Lucas Empire Records

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Too much spare time! It's a movie. I try not to think about stuff like that, in a second rate action flick.

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I wholeheartedly agree. At first i assumed that it was trying to slip in some appeal for the ladies.

I mean, whenever the boys were hanging out in their room together it always seemed like one of them was just back from the shower, another was busy doing some bicep curls and another was spending quality time in their underpants. As a guy i found that a wee bit strange but tried to focus on the unfolding plot rather than the gratuitous male exposure.

I thought about going to wil wheaton's website and posting a question about it to him but i figured it would hurt his feelings.

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I wholeheartedly agree. At first i assumed that it was trying to slip in some appeal for the ladies.

Yeah because the ladies can not get enough of gay men

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[deleted]

hahahahahahahahahaha

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"I mean, whenever the boys were hanging out in their room together it always seemed like one of them was just back from the shower, another was busy doing some bicep curls and another was spending quality time in their underpants."

I'm with you Ricardo, showering and using underpants is sooo gay!

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In nearly every movie with a largely male cast, someone questions the so called "gay undertones". Ever thought maybe you're seeing what you want to see?

Stay away from movies involving submaries, and all male prep schools/fraternities etc.

I suspect these people are seeing what they want to see, and perhaps should spend more time considering their own gay undertones.

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In all fairness all male prep schools and fraternities are basically founded on the concept of homoerotic undertones.

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I think DBDianna hit this on the head.


People are obsessed with a person's sexuality these days. This movie was made at a time when culture still hadn't rid itself of things like tight bluejeans.


I often hear people look at footage of the 80s and 70s, and through hindsight, they pick out something that they feel seemed gay. But they are looking at these decades from the eyes of someone who has experienced the post-1990 world. Times have changed. Men actually wore leather pants in the 80s. Men actually performed like this in the 70s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzxeBykMOuk


I love that song, but damn if George McCrae doesn't come off as a complete pansy in that clip. Now, eventhough I can't watch that clip without noticing how much of a pussy George McCrae seems like in it, I still love the song, and I'm smart enough to know that the 1990s I grew up in is only one decade out of several. I am perceptional enough to realize that what is considered masculine today is not necessarily the same as yesterday.




I suspect these people are seeing what they want to see, and perhaps should spend more time considering their own gay undertones.
Especially on this thread. Any man who can't watch this movie and see that there is absolutely nothing subtextually sexual or homosexual about it has got serious perception problems. A bunch of smart kids who save the day stand around in their underwear for a few scenes and somehow there's a gay undertone to it..? WTF?! How..?

The idea that this movie has gay undertones is one of the worst ideas ever. I think the OP (and many others on this thread) simply WANT there to be gay undertones in the film. Rest assured... there are none.






I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way

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I only have seen the movie in spanish translation, so I can`t be sure it`s not an error, but in spanish, when Joey Trotta is killed, and later the main character - Billy Tepper - is with his friends in their room plotting revenge, they say something to him like "we know what he ment for you" or "we know how you feel" and he answers (in spanish ) "malditos mirones" that is "damn sneakers"..It let me wondering what that was implying. Somebody can tell me the original lines in english? fans

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in the scene that you are talking about where he says "malditos mirones" in spanish, he says, in english, "you guys are *beep* morons, you know that" after they convince him that they should still go through with his plan, even though joey was killed. not a great translation

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didn't realize I would be edited- he says "fuc*ing morons"

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There really was no need to keep having that dude in his underwear everytime the boys were alone together in their room.

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[deleted]

No, only you that are probably homosexual.

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I'm a straight female who really likes this movie, but yes, I have to agree to the major gay undertones.

Let's bypass, for a second, those scenes that you are all denying have undertones (yes, the ones with five or six boys in their underwear ) and concentrate for a second on the scenes between Joey and Billy that take place when they're alone.

Joey is in bed, he sits up, and Billy comes and stands practically between his legs with his hands on Joey's knees! Their faces aren't too far apart during the following conversation. OKAY, so there was never any admittance in the movie, but are you telling me that scene wasn't meant to send off some kind of undertones to certain people?

I think the whole point of an undertone is that you pick up on it if you want to, and you ignore it if you don't.



Dean, Alec, Dean, Alec, Dean, Alec...*whimper* I really can't just have them both?

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Can’t comment in authority but when it comes to men standing closer than usual etc bear in mind it is a film and camera angels, set restriction, lighting problems etc etc can make for some contrived positions that look mighty peculiar when revisited.

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You are female, you think like homos do and therefore your opinions isnt valid.

Know why??

Cause that happens ALLLLL THE time in boys locker rooms, in footbal, soccer, basketball teams... everything.

And i dont think you´ve ever been in any boys locker rooms.

Period.



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sorry girls but i gotta agree with de la capital here.... i may be female but i was considered one of the guys in college when i was coaching an intramural team and seriously... that's just how guys are ... they get in each others faces and they do sit around in their underwear no matter who is around sometimes

i defanitly don't think this movie was meant to have any gay undertones.

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1) "homos"? Geez, there should be IQ tests involved in internet sign-up.

2) Maybe it happened all the time where you went to High School (IF you in fact ever attended High School), but any straight guy who did that to another straight guy in MY High School would've been asking for free dental work.

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<<No, only you that are probably homosexual.>>

I agree with this. Eye of the beholder sort of deal.

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Not sure if anyone here has ever went to private school, but thats what its like man, 5 guys to a room, lots of sruff you may think is "gay".

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undertones? This movie was gayer than Elton John's fanny pack. But still badass, like 300 !

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[deleted]

Oh really? EVERY movie has gay undertones to it if you're gay? That comment is so insulting I'm astonished. Well I'm a gay guy and there WERE gay undertones in it. These guys were always shirtless or in their underwear or coming from the shower. It seems some str8 guys are so homophobic that they react in absolute horror that an action film they like might actually be homoerotic. I mean that must mean THEY'RE gay! That's ridiculous of course but some guys think that way. Get over it guys! It's got hunky guys running around with next to nothing on--but it's NOT homoerotic. Right.

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[deleted]

Your argument is so flawed its ridiculous.


My girlfriend and I just watched this movie for the first time in years about an hour ago. After entering this thread a few minutes ago, I looked back at her and told her that the folks on this thread are saying the movie had gay undertones. She reacted prettymuch the same way I did. She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes at the notion.


While we were watching the film, she even mentioned how attractive she thought some of the guys in the film were because of the underwear scenes, and she asked me, "How old are these 'boys' supposed to be?" And then she went on to say, "They sure do have bodies like men."


And I had to explain to her that these are likely grown actors who are simply playing teenagers in the movie.


My point is...

It's got hunky guys running around with next to nothing on--but it's NOT homoerotic.
...no, it's not.

When a movie is filled with scenes of women who are half-clothed or running around naked, no one says that the film has lesbian-undertones. This is because, we know the reason the movie is filmed with these scenes is because producers want to appeal to male viewers.

Why can't movies also do the same for female viewers?

If females on this thread are saying that they found the guys in the film hot, and my very own girlfriend is saying the same, why can it not be the case that the filmmaker didn't mind appealing to female viewers with the underwear scenes?

I usually trust the opinions of gays on most matters, but in this particular case, Preppy-3 is wrong. You have it the other-way-around. Men on this thread who have gay undertones themselves are reading things into the film that are not there.


Now, with all that said, my fictitious theory above about producers possibly including so many fleshy shots of the students as a way of appealing to female viewers is totally bogus and hypothetical. In actuality, my girlfriend agreed with me on the real reason why we suspect all the underwear scenes are thrown into the movie. And that reason is simple: Shots of the students in their underwear made the setting seem more homely to audiences. By making the school feel as homely to the students as the film does, it in essence enhanced the characters, the story, and the bond of friendship between the characters.






I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way

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I don't agree with any of what u said. Quick--name all the films u can think of that have hunky, attractive men spending a large amount of screen time in their underwear. Can't think of many can u? Mostly the guys are wearing pajamas or something else. And saying that they were in their underwear just to attract females to it doesn't make a lot of sense. Most women don't like action movies and guys in their underwear are not going to make them run out and see the movie. Also, being str8, u probably can't see how the scenes are homoerotic.

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You have to be young then if you can't accept two guys talking face-to-face in their underwear close-up, because in the early 90s and before, the concept of masculinity wasn't quite as strict as it is now. "Homophobia" wasn't as apparent back then. I suggest you view my other post further up this thread for better perspective on this mater.


In the scene when the protagonist is standing close to his friend while the latter is sitting up at the edge of the bed, they are both clothed, and one of them just finished saying that he wanted to go to sleep so that he could dream about a female. If he was lying about wanting to dream about a female, why would the writers write such a "lie" into a thriller that doesn't explore sexuality? Not one moment do the boys show any interest in eachother sexually or even intimately. Two heterosexual guys can share a somewhat intimate relationship in life without any existing degrees of homoerotica (depending on how you assess the term "intimate," I suppose).

What significance would providing examples of other films with guys in their underwear bring? How does this help your argument? Your argument is based on the assumption that a bunch of guys in their underwear in a film is homoerotic to begin with. You must feel that a male stripclub is homoerotic then, eventhough 99-to-100% of its clientele are female.


And saying that they were in their underwear just to attract females to it doesn't make a lot of sense.
I suggest you stop being impulsive and anxious, and reread the last paragraph of my previous post carefully this time. I provided two reasons in the post, and I eventually declared that one of them was bogus before I stated the true and earnest one at the end.


There are tons of movies from previous decades that today's generation would watch and view as potentially "gay" because of the difference in the way masculinity was portrayed in those eras-- namely the 80s and 70s. This may help: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103112/board/thread/15918440?d=204341995# 204341995


Your statement about me not being able to pick up on what you did because I am heterosexual is totally foolish. The word "homoerotic" is in the dictionary, you brilliant genius. If a person is ever unclear on what to look for or what the term specifies, regardless of his or her sexuality, we are free to look it up to learn its definition. It's just that simple. Don't be a pompous moron.


You start off your post by saying you do not agree with anything I said instead of tackling each point I make and attempting to refute it with a decent argument. Very classy. Eventhough we are on a thread full of men and women, and at least half of them are saying they disagree with there being any gay undertones in the film, you somehow feel your interpretation is guaranteed.


The majority of the guys on here who feel this movie had gay undertones are actually heteros who are uncomfortable watching multiple scenes of guys standing around in their underwear. The gay guys who are agreeing with them are doing so out of enjoyment of the idea. So the latter group agrees out of their sheer enjoyment of the scenes, while the former group agrees out of their sheer uncomfortableness of the scenes.


I have a gay friend by the name of Jeff. I lost his number (I may have his E-mail address somewhere). If I watched this film with him, and asked him if he felt there were any gay undertones, I believe there is (at the very least) a 50-50 chance he would say "no."


Again... you would not say that a film had lesbian undertones just because it features lots of half-clothed women standing around at times. Why must the reverse be scrutinized further? Your argument is flawed and flat. Movies also feature more full-frontal female nudity than full-frontal male nudity, by far.






You so want there to be gay undertones in this film, that you might actually be disappointed if the director himself went on to state for the record that he and David Koepp did not incorporate any such undertones in there at all.

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You've got it spot on.

There is no gay undertones in the movie. It's simply a marketing tactic to make an action movie enjoyable for women too. It's obvious. It is a business after all. It has nothing to do with the characters sexuality that the boys are half-nude. It just attempts to get more female ticket buyers.

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i think you guys are reading way to much into this movie. i do not think that the director intended to make a movie with all kinds of subtle hints and symbols. it's pretty straight forward in my opinion. as someone said early on, it is a decent action movie, and thats about it.

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Yes I think there are gay aspects to it - perhaps even more than there are in "White Squall". The scenes of the guys together in their underwear (particularly the revealing briefs worn by George Perez) are part of this. There is also a strong closeness between Wil Wheaton and Sean Astin.

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I totally agree with imanafrican. All the closet-ed homos that are obsessing over whether or not there are gay undertones in this movie need to be honest w/themselves and just come on OUT. Young men in underwear making you a little nervous? Maybe it's your homosexual tendencies getting the best of you. Gay undertones, no gay undertones... It's not the point of the movie. All you weirdos that think there ARE gay undertones are likely just GAY and in denial.

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"All the closet-ed homos that are obsessing over whether or not there are gay undertones in this movie need to be honest w/themselves and just come on OUT."

Your comment is not very mature.

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This thread and subject has been beaten to death.
Wait; I think there's a joke there somewhere.... ;)

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That's what I'm talkin' about, moviesean8071! You are SO right. Demonstrating my maturity wasn't the objective I had when I posted my comment. Pointing out the ridiculousness of obsessing over whether or not there were gay undertones was the objective. Maybe that will sink in for ryanoconnor-1. Oh, and by the way-- Nah nah nah nah boo boo, RYAN.

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Well, if we're determined to keep this Toy Soldiers/Gay/Underwear thread alive, I think everyone should at least get a little "film school" about it.

Perhaps we can hear everyone's analysis on each character's choice of colour and style of underwear and what it says about them, their personality, and their ability to cope with the situations that unfolded throughout the film....... ;)


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HA!!! moviesean8071, you make me laugh! I'll have to watch a few more times to give an accurate analysis. Unlike some on this thread, the Underoo scenes have not been permanently etched into my brain. If ryanoconnor-1 isn't too angry about my immature and insensitive previous post, maybe he'd like to start us off. Whattayasay, ryan? Maybe after we examine the underwear choices of each character and how it affects them in stressful situations, we could explore the effects their underwear has on global warming. I like the way you think, moviesean8071! ;-)

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if you over analyze any movie i'm sure you will be able to find hints of homosexuality. if you really wanted to you could argue pretty much anything about any movie, but that does not mean it is true, or the writers/directors intentions. toy soldiers is pretty straightforward. i really doubt the creators were thinking about symbolism and undertones when they made it. it is a story about a bunch of guys in an all male school. thats it. but i was a little thrown off when i saw the dvd and they had a deleted scene that featured sean astin in a soft core porn scene with the lead terrorist. so maybe your right. toy soldiers is officialy gay.

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How funny!! Thanks for the info imanafrican! I guess it IS official!!

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"but i was a little thrown off when i saw the dvd and they had a deleted scene that featured sean astin in a soft core porn scene with the lead terrorist. so maybe your right. toy soldiers is officialy gay......"



Sean replies:

"Hmmm.... you must have bought the UNCUT edition......;) "





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im unsure as to what exactly guys wore to bed back at the time this movie was made

but im pretty sure its slightly different to what we wear today?

a lot of the old fashion is seen as 'gay' by many of the current generation...

dont think too much about this kind of stuff when watching a movie
watch it to be entertained.
if you don't like it, then forget it and move on.

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"Hmmm.... you must have bought the UNCUT edition......;) "


ironically enough, sean astin is uncurcumcised (sp?).

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Well THAT is certainly a tidbit of news. (moviesean, insert joke about "tidbit" here), (Now insert joke about the word “insert”) Might you indulge us and tell us how you acquired this knowledge? I'm just curious and the gay men on this thread would almost surely enjoy any information regarding such. Do tell.

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oh, haha, i was just kidding.

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Sure you were. That's what they ALL say...... ;)

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ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZuuuzzzzz...(the sound of me on your fishing hook, coming out of the water) You reeled me in on that one, imanafrican! I totally took the bait! I thought we might actually be getting some made-up inside dish here. Oh well, it was SO worth the big howl I got! Thanks! (Sorry to the gay men who were anxiously awaiting your sordid, detailed account.) You guys crack me up.

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sorry to lead you on, haha. i think this topic is offically dead.

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"Perhaps we can hear everyone's analysis on each character's choice of colour and style of underwear and what is says about them"

You've kind of made fun of what was meant to be a serious topic by now making it about underwear. However, since you brought it up, some people do believe that underwear choice reveals something about personality - that's why people ask, boxers or briefs?

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"Yes I think there are gay aspects to it - perhaps even more than there are in "White Squall". The scenes of the guys together in their underwear (particularly the revealing briefs worn by George Perez) are part of this."
by ryanoconnor-1 (Sun Oct 15 2006 02:06:39 )




That's YOUR post on this thread from about a month ago. So, tell me again, WHO's the one that wanted to discuss the character's underwear preferences?.... ;)



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This topic is just absurd. I just don't see what all those that are trying to read some gay subtexts into this film. I was seven years at prep school in New England from twelve to eighteen. Boys would be in there underpants at night before lights out and in the mornings. Yes, some boys would strut naked, as the day there were born, up and down the halls to the showers.

As for gayboys or those that were 'Experimenting', yes, there were a few.

Now if there was something I missed in this film, please bring it to my attention.

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"WHO's the one that wanted to discuss the character's underwear preferences?"

When I mentioned the underwear, I was responding to several posts before me who had discussed it. I was confirming the fact that the guys do sit around in their underwear with each other a lot, but I was not the one who first brought it up. You can start at the beginning of the thread and work your way through and you will see several people mentioned it before I did.

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Well, imanafrican, I was in agreement with you there, but it appears as though someone's panties are all in a twist over this underwear thread. I think the comedy stylings of you and moviesean just keep 'em coming back for more. ;-)

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