Brokeback

Two interesting bits regarding Oscar-nominated Brokeback Mountain.

First, Brad Pitt is apparently looking for scripts that would allow him to play a gay character, noting the success of the cowboy romance. "He has never shied away from taking on controversial films, and he has often chosen to do smaller, more challenging movies," said a source. Patronizing? Maybe. But I'll tell you, I'll take homosexuality as a fad as opposed to a felony. A reasonable argument could be made that the lives and loves of gay people are being trivialized by things like this, but on the other hand, it is best to balance such a perception with the knowledge that, merely a few decades ago, gay people could be thrown in jail. The ultimate goal should of course be for homosexuals to be acknowledged as people first and gay as an afterthought, but given the millenium of persecution that gays have faced in western society, no realistic person should expect total integration to happen overnight. So I see this as encouraging, as opposed to patronizing.

Second, the government of Alberta (the only government in the country officially opposed to gay rights) is bragging about the success of Brokeback Mountain, which was filmed in Alberta. I guess gay is okay as long as it makes you money, eh Ralph? (Hat tip: daveberta.)