Controversy over 2013 Tropfest Winner

[ravenstar]

I saw this last night and I thought it was coming across as a rather strange and unexpected love story but the twist at the end I thought was quite nasty. I wasn't overly offended, but apparently the GLBT press, along with a bunch of bloggers have taken to the web to voice their displeasure at what they see as a nasty and homophobic ending. The trans community is also voicing its displeasure at the film.

I'd be interested to know what you think about it?

 

[ravenstar]

Good gobsmacked or bad gobsmacked Cupid?

 

[Redsox]

I'm OK with it. I don't see it as homophobic at all. A bit of fun. Some people will have a go just for the sake of it.

 

[LilBit]

Not very funny, and I do think it's awfully transphobic. I really don't care for it.

 

[braex27]

I think it's crass toilet humour. Not worthy of winning tropfest. And aside from being offensive to the LGBT community, it was rather racist too given some of the discussion about the way the guy looked.

Awful. Awful film.

 

[pat grimshaw]

....the way the guy looked.…

which one??

 

[Taz]

Stupid. Who picked that to win? this is a joke right?

 

[unloadonme]

Schoolboy humour!

 

[dereperez]

How childish. It was on its way to being decent before the "punchline" just killed it.

 

[ravenstar]

The film maker came out yesterday in defence of the film saying it had nothing to do with homophobia or transphobia and was instead a satire on the growth of the reality tv industry. He also said he'd shown it to some gay friends who warned him he was going to cop shit for the subject matter.

I don't see satire anywhere in the finished product, and I find it funny that people always tend to pop up and say "oh it's satire get a sense of humour'. Mind you it's done what it needed to do. It's created buzz around both the film and the festival itself.

And Pat there's a whole scene at the beginning when Harry comes out as Helen and they talk about how he had a whole Mediterranean wash. I think that's what braex was referring too.

 

[Kulindahr]

I'm gobsmacked.

Just gobsmacked, I don't really know how I should feel about it.

I didn't think it was funny, or very upsetting. I'll have to think about it more.

Schoolboy humour!

At best.

 

[Kulindahr]

The film maker came out yesterday in defence of the film saying it had nothing to do with homophobia or transphobia and was instead a satire on the growth of the reality tv industry. He also said he'd shown it to some gay friends who warned him he was going to cop shit for the subject matter.

I don't see satire anywhere in the finished product, and I find it funny that people always tend to pop up and say "oh it's satire get a sense of humour'.

Satire?

Hmm... may-be.


Though my very first thought when the camera crew showed up was that if someone had pulled that on me, there would be dead people in the room.

 

[DonQuixote]

As an American, it fell very flat with me. Trying to remember the different, and typically much less PC Brit humour, I can understand the producer saying it was satire - and coming from that vantage, it is.

As to whether is was satire in good taste, no. And, no, that's not an Oxymoron.

 

[Taz]

As an American, it fell very flat with me. Trying to remember the different, and typically much less PC Brit humour, I can understand the producer saying it was satire - and coming from that vantage, it is.

As to whether is was satire in good taste, no. And, no, that's not an Oxymoron.

The thing with satire is, if people don't get the message then it has failed at being satire.

I don't think anyone took that as a dig at reality tv. It just seems like a bad joke. The set up in particular takes it away from the satire thing as well.

I don't think even brits or aussies got this one. except the tards who chose it to win.

 

[ravenstar]

The film, prior to the "punchline" took the story in a very different direction to a satirical kick in the face to reality tv. As I was watching it I thought it was a really sweet story of love being love regardless of gender. I think a lot of people - at least from the comments I've read - got that message until the twist that made the lead a laughing stock for sleeping with a guy and the apparent humiliation.

The film, without that ending would have been a much different beast and would have received a much different level of support, at least I think it would have.

As for satire, I agree with Taz, if the audience fails to see what you're trying to do, then you fail as writer and a film maker in making it satirical.

 

[DonQuixote]

I'm not really disagreeing with either of you - I tried to step back and see through another's eyes - in this case, allegedly the eyes of the producer.

I agree - it was bad. I'd like to hear Lord York or our Foxy Lady or Autolycus's take on the clip, to hear from some Brits - although you two may well be full on - is Gosford in the UK? And I know Aussie humour can be at least as no holds barred as UK.

 

[ravenstar]

Gosford is 2 hours north of Sydney in Australia DonQuixote

 

[DonQuixote]

OK. I didn't know that you and Taz were countrymen.

 

[Kulindahr]

The film, prior to the "punchline" took the story in a very different direction to a satirical kick in the face to reality tv. As I was watching it I thought it was a really sweet story of love being love regardless of gender. I think a lot of people - at least from the comments I've read - got that message until the twist that made the lead a laughing stock for sleeping with a guy and the apparent humiliation.

The film, without that ending would have been a much different beast and would have received a much different level of support, at least I think it would have.

As for satire, I agree with Taz, if the audience fails to see what you're trying to do, then you fail as writer and a film maker in making it satirical.

Absolutely! All the wya through I kept thinking, this is superb! It was such a great twist on a love story -- and then the monkeys came along.

The thing with satire is, if people don't get the message then it has failed at being satire.

I don't think anyone took that as a dig at reality tv. It just seems like a bad joke. The set up in particular takes it away from the satire thing as well.

I don't think even brits or aussies got this one. except the tards who chose it to win.

From what I learned in my Art of Film and Film as Communication classes, I give this a D- as satire -- only not going to F because I can see the satirical angle once it was pointed out... barely, and because it was really well done as film. But it should have ended with the guy admitting that before they left high school he'd done some thinking... and then bring out a ring he'd bought those years earlier to ask her to marry him, and ask him....

As it is, it makes me think that the people at that festival are just idiots, or jerks, or perverse, or all three.

 

[ixthrock]

I'm sure a compassionate intelligent person could think of a dozen different ways to satirize "reality TV" that doesn't involve an apparently successful attempt to homo-shame. I think the film needs to end with our protagonist telling Harry that he feels no embarrassment or shame for having sex with a man - given the context - but rather that he feels chagrined for having been duped by someone who lied so and misrepresented himself. "I had a really good time with you - I hadn't laughed like that in ages. I was seriously reconsidering my sexuality, I was thinking about asking for another date - until you had to ruin it by being false. Goodbye, Harry, and... good riddance, Helen."