Screaming Queens at 10 O'Clock

[andrewducker]

I went to see The Producers a few days ago, and came out of it feeling remarkably unsure of my feelings.

Not about the movie itself (it's a competent filming of a fun musical stage-show.  Worth seeing, with some wonderful moments.) but about its portrayal of gay people.

The director of the musical within the musical is gay.  And screamingly camp.  As is his "live-in" entourage.  All of whom delight in dressing up as members of the Village People and prancing around.  Except for the lesbian, obviously, who wears a shirt and is dumpy.

In other words, they're remarkably obvious caricatures.  Who are then used to make jokes about gay sex and campness.

Should I be offended by this?

I mean, I'm not gay.  And I know there _are_ remarkably camp people out there.  And also butch lesbians in shirts.

But if the caricatures had been similarly broad takes on, say, black people - we'd have been watching blacked-up white people doing a modern Black and White Minstrel Show, and a huge fuss would have been made.

So I feel like I should have been offended, but I'm not entirely sure.  Anyone else got a take on it?

Comments

[andrewducker]

I just checked, for amusement value, and both Buffy and Six Feet Under are equally mainstream - three and a half million viewers each in the US.

Probably not all the same people - although I do wonder how big the crossover was.