MovieChat Forums > In the Loop (2009) Discussion > Homophobic and transphobic humor is acce...

Homophobic and transphobic humor is acceptable or not?

posted 9 years ago by wheresjacquez
21 replies | jump to latest

I'm confused because on one hand society is telling gay and trans youth that "it gets better", but in this film it's considered adult humor to have a man insult a man by implying that he is gay and then immediately insult another man by implying that he wears women's undergarments. Later there's a Brokeback Mountain reference used to insult a man by implying his willingness to have gay sex. What a hilarious way to use a film that actually had gay characters in it. See this kind of "humor" is not only hypocritical, but it's even more offensive because this film doesn't even have gay characters in it only gay jokes. Somewhere about 2/3 in Gore Vidal (a gay hero and icon) is mentioned (because in the universe this film takes place in, gay people are only discussed, never seen). A straight (goes without saying in this film) male character compares himself to Gore Vidal until someone tells him that Gore Vidal was gay, then he says he better stop comparing himself to Gore Vidal.
This is a political satire, is it not? What do gay and trans jokes have to do with politics, or is offending gay and trans people just fair game for lazy comedy writers?

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] wheresjacquez 9 years ago

Am I supposed to be embarrassed by the fact that my truth is boring you? Is that your attempt to shame me into not saying things you don't want me to say? LOL! Do you think I don't know that my truth isn't going to bore some people? Do you think I expect every single person to care about other human beings? Do you think I expect everyone to agree with me? Do you think I expect everyone to want to hear what I have to say?! ahahahaAHaHAHaHAHAHAHAhaahaHaHAHaAHahah1!!!!1!1!! Nice try, but it would be better if you were actually brave enough to share your truth with the world instead of trying to silence other people. Health and happiness to you.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] wheresjacquez 9 years ago

I'm not interested in "bigger problems", and you don't get to minimize mine. Who do you think you are? LOL! Meine fuhrer! Where do you think you are? What do you think freedom of speech is? Do you think that freedom of speech means the freedom to offend people, but not the freedom to stand up to offense? Sorry, but all you do is try to minimize, diminish, shame, and silence. Oh I missed the "cry hard", so insult, as well. Well, I'm sorry that you don't have anything to actually contribute, and I'm sorry that you seem to think that trying to be a bully is the way to go. It's no surprise to me, since you're defending bullying behavior that is being shown in movies an tv. You probably think it's acceptable, but are too afraid to say so.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] wheresjacquez 9 years ago

I'm going to offer this to you, because I want you to be healthy and happy. You lack respect. I hope you find some.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] wheresjacquez 9 years ago

Burn! Pleeeeeeease.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] bluersun 9 years ago

I just spat my chips out at this :)

[–] PeterDuck 9 years ago

People choose to get fat so they can be made fun of.

People don't choose to be gay so they shouldn't be made fun of for that.

The two things aren't even remotely the same and one definitely has more social ramifications than another.

[–] PeterDuck 9 years ago

Ah

The typical "there are bigger things in the world to worry about" fallacy.

As if one problem should preclude or minimize another problem.

Try harder.

[–] wheresjacquez 9 years ago

What makes you think I missed anything? Did I say they were meant to be good people? No. I asked IS TRANSPHOBIC HUMOR ACCEPTABLE OR NOT? Take a stand and answer the question. Say what you really mean instead of trying to undermine me by making pseudo observations about whether or not I missed something.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] angelofvic 9 years ago

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Yes, of course it's acceptable, particularly when it mirrors reality so closely.

Plus the Gore Vidal dialogue was actually improvised ... something that Gandolfino actually said off the top of his head, and then Mimi Kennedy ran with it, and they kept that in.

What do gay and trans jokes have to do with politics

Everything, just like they have everything to do with the military as well. If you do not think that the corridors of power in this and in most countries are bastions of straight white male patriarchy, then you are sadly naive.
.

[–] MrHooba 9 years ago

As one of the posters said earlier, these are horrible people. You are laughing at them. You are not laughing at gay people. As for the Gore Vidal line, it came from US Army general who probably is in the "don't ask, don't tell" belief system so his line makes sense.

The original OP needs to understand there is a big difference between one the characters telling another "they would go all brokeback mountain" and actual homophobia. This film is not homophobic. Real homophobia is systematic. It is fear of the unknown and different. Some of the roots of it fall on messed-up christian and muslim principles based on fairy tales. Homophobia also comes from those who are gay but won't admit it and have self-hatred. You can spot these people easily-they are the ones who scream out *beep*

I don't even know where to start with the transphobic accusation. It's utterly stupid, just like Mt Holyoke Women's College this year stopping the Vagina Monologues because it could be "offensive to women who do not have vaginas." Mind you, they were not talking about women without a uterus (which women don't after a hysterectomy), they were talking women without vaginas.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] BobbyDupea 9 years ago

Of course homophobic and transphobic humor is unacceptable to humane people. However, this movie does not portray homophobic or transphobic humor as acceptable - it simply portrays characters making those kinds of remarks, many of which in this movie are not meant to be jokes or humor at all - they're meant to be insults.

In this movie, such behavior seems to be in keeping with the characters of the characters, so it seems appropriate for the movie to have characters making those types of remarks - as much as I wince when I hear them.

My real name is Jeff

[–] firstwinsgop-1 9 years ago

Why do you assume that none of the characters are gay? Sounds to me like you are the one being homophobic with your assumptions.

[–] 9 years ago

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