A Gay Satirist Fears 'Bruno's' Satire

I have to agree with a couple of commenters here. Even Dick Cheney and many other conservatives like me support full gay rights, including marriage. Why the H8?games

Also, as I recall, 70% of African-Americans in California voted for Prop 8, yet I don't hear anyone calling them a bunch of dumb niggers.

^ I don't know the validity of this statistic, but I do know that African-Americans on the whole are a very religious people, so if they did vote for Prop 8, it was most likely not out of spite; it was just against their beliefs... just like with white Christians. So, when liberals attack Fundamentalists, they don't have to specify white or black. It's all encompassing.

I understand what he's saying. Recently there was a study that said conservatives belived Stephen Colbert's show was aimed at conservatives even though most people know he's mocking conservatives. I think some people won't realize Bruno is meant to mock homophobia. Some people will thuink he's mocking gays. Someone once stated tha americans don't get satire.

Can't argue with you there Josh. I'm not pro church but I don't see how it helps progress any dialogue.

I have to agree with a couple of commenters here. Even Dick Cheney and many other conservatives like me support full gay rights, including marriage. Why the H8?

Let me ask LGBTs this. How many new voters against ballot initiatives do you think you'll win constantly deriding conservatives as fascist white Christian right wing redneck morons? Did it ever occur to you voters take that kind of stuff personally, and may vote against gay rights out of the same spite gays hold for them?

Also, as I recall, 70% of African-Americans in California voted for Prop 8, yet I don't hear anyone calling them a bunch of dumb niggers.

You get more bees with honey, not vinegar. WISE UP!

I think it's the churches that started the harassing of gays first, ryuku.

To anyone interested, from Marc Shaiman:

I just wanted to say I agree with the majority of what has been written in these coments. Not all, but a lot!

When THEY called ME, I told the reporter many, MANY times that I felt it was rather silly for them to be asking me or for me to be talking about a movie I hadn't seen. And that any thoughts I had were strictly hypothethetical. And he assured me many, MANY times that he would make that unequivocially clear. He didn't. He only made clear I had not seen the film. Big difference. Ah well, live and learn.

I also mentioned to him many, MANY times that I lived in a glass house where this kind of satire is concerened, having co-written the SOUTH PARK film and created PROP 8-The Musical, so I realized if I live by the sword I must die by the sword. He also chose not to mention that.

I still believe that most people who see the film will only laugh at the outrageous fag, not with. Bruno makes me laugh. Borat made me laugh, and I didn't feel much guilt about laughing at an entire culture, albeit one being represented by an over the top character, so I am not saying I am better than others at knowing where to draw the line. And Borats exist and Brunos exist, there can be no doubt.

Anyway, to make matters even worse, when I talked to the reporter I was on my first day of an anti-biotic called LEVAQUIN, which it turns out makes one feel like you are turning into a combination of Mike Tyson, Barry Bonds and Lawrence Talbot the Wolfman! I was trying to get off the phone before I ripped it out of the wall and strangled whoever was standing closest to me, so, I that was just bad timing.

In other words, I never should have said yes to this "article" and am happy that I can use this "comments" section to say so.

-Marc Shaiman

The "gay community" should worry more about their own actions and not how they are perceived. Maybe it might help with others perceptions when you stop harassing churches, stop having open sex during your gay pride parades and stop defining your entire life by your sexual preference.

I work in management at a TV company and I've spent countless hours over the years in conversations with advertisers, stations, audiences and special interest groups complaining about our projects BEFORE they ever saw them - comments and charges usually based only on hyped-up media coverage, second-hand opinion or calls to action from advocacy groups. This kind of unsubstantiated criticism shouldn't come from a member of our own community. There's certainly a decent chance that "Bruno" will offend both gay and straight audiences. But Mr. Shaiman should wait and see it before he offers judgment, for the same reasons i believe he'd want his own work to be viewed or heard before others comment on it.

The Gay community should worry about Perez Hilton..more then a movie that will open close and go to DVD...Hilton is here everyday...and setting the G&L community back every time he types a word.

The belief that gay marriage affects anyone but the people getting married is illogical and since that belief is mostly held by Christians, Conservatives and Red State folks they are unfortunately seen to be less intelligent. This is a stance they have chosen to take so they cannot blame anyone for thinking this of them. Maybe one day they will evolve and begin to think rationally like the rest of us.

I'll go when "Dicks are for Chicks, The Comedy" hits the screen. I just have to watch Bwaney Fwank, she with the stretch-mark-induced speech impediment, to laugh at a queen.

And what exactly does the mainstream gay community think of all those wonderful examples of gayness who flaunt their gay wonderfulness on the oh so important Gay Pride Day parades?

Excuse me while I take a moment to experience a twinge of self-realization.

This all really is a joke. Hollywood can't get enough of bashing red state America, but just the thought that some people might be laughing AT Bruno instead of WITH Bruno is strangely hilarious to me.

As long as its Bruno and the audience laughing at the eville red state people, everything is wonderful. But if its the audience laughing at Bruno, OH NO! Hate Speech!

[Cohen's] one character does not represent the mainstream of the gay community? Fair enough, and I understand Shaiman's concern. I just wish he and others would remember that when it comes to equally slanted portrayals of conservatives, Christians, business-owners, and soldiers.

Cohen's humor is just stupid in a Tom Green-ish kind of way. Sort of like dealing with what a 13-year-old thinks is funny. Whatever agenda he has in his films is lost in the silliness. Like Letterman (and many other funny people) have said, if you have to explain the joke, then it's not a joke. Too much of Cohen's stuff has to be explained but he thinks it's your fault for not getting it.

So it is ok for Americans to laugh at rubes Bruno is trying to satirize, but heaven forbid if Americans should laugh at a queen on screen. Another example of the Left thinking they are oh so much smarter and sophisticated than the rest of us. BTW, that joke of a presentation, Prop 8: The Musical" was insulting and a wholey misrepresentation of the facts. But, like Al Gore's fantasy film and anything from Michael Moore, it gets a pass, because it promotes liberal causes. Please, go away.