Richard Chamberlain advises gay actors to stay in the closet

[AllardChardon]

I agree that personal tastes in sexuality should be kept to oneself. There is no need for everyone to know what you are up to.

This is a little off topic, but here goes. I am a California prescribed medicinal marijuana patient, visiting my Mother in Tennessee. Therefore, I am behind enemy lines. Although I smoke several times a day, this is not an easy task when traveling back and forth to the nursing home. I feel a kind of constant paranoia that is hard to describe and I truly feel discriminated against for smoking. Therefore, out here, I am more than discreet. My biggest problem is the smell! LOL

So, please add marijuana smokers to the list of people who are discriminated against unfairly. I am not hurting anyone, including myself.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

We knew youre a pot-head.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I agree that personal tastes in sexuality should be kept to oneself. There is no need for everyone to know what you are up to.

This is a little off topic, but here goes. I am a California prescribed medicinal marijuana patient, visiting my Mother in Tennessee. Therefore, I am behind enemy lines. Although I smoke several times a day, this is not an easy task when traveling back and forth to the nursing home. I feel a kind of constant paranoia that is hard to describe and I truly feel discriminated against for smoking. Therefore, out here, I am more than discreet. My biggest problem is the smell! LOL

So, please add marijuana smokers to the list of people who are discriminated against unfairly. I am not hurting anyone, including myself.

Did you smoke back in the days when pot was illegal in CA?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Are you kidding? She cant remember last week.

 

[AllardChardon]

I have been smoking since I was 14 years old. I only stopped during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I have a challenged liver and alcohol wreaks havoc with my system, so pot is a much better alternative. I also find it to be an aphrodisiac and at 58 years of age, that is a GOOD thing. I have always felt like a Stranger in a Strange Land, though, like many of you out there.

 

[DeeZire]

What a masterful reply. It borders on the moronic and it qualifies you as being among the mentally slowest contributors to the thread.

It's simply none of your damn business when it comes to someone elses sexual predisposition, ... anybody's....

Loring - Carney demanded that anyone who doesn't share his hetero lifestyle should keep their alternative lifestyle a secret. My response "Yes, that's too much to ask" was in response to that attitude. In this country were are all guaranteed the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If a person's pursuit of happiness challenges the norms of society, why should they be forced to keep their pursuit of happiness a secret? It goes against the principals upon which this country was founded.

I find it especially perplexing that people like Amicus, who claim to support Personal Freedoms, find it necessary to draw boundaries as to where those personal freedoms are allowed to extend, but now that's he's back on ignore, his intolerance is his problem, not mine.

Back OT - Anne Heche has had success playing straight roles. I wonder if it's different for female actors, especially if they're seen as bisexual rather than exclusively lesbian? Personally, I really enjoy the dynamic of a bisexual woman interacting with a guy, because she's the one with the power in the relationship. If the guy doesn't satisfy her, she has other options.

 

[Stella_Omega]

yeah, I guess being a pot smoker is a little like being gay.

How about you post articles about marijuana for a while? I bet you can find lots and lots of news on the subject.

 

[sr71plt]

Back OT - Anne Heche has had success playing straight roles.

Not really, and I almost used her as an example. Many viewers approach her straight roles twitterpated about her nonstraight persona--and remark that they think she's a fickle dingaling who can't make up her mind. Although probably good enough for the box office, this detracts from the totality of the film and from the creativity everyone else involved put into it. I wouldn't cast her in a anything but a fickle dingaling role now that's she's stereotyped herself.

These are separate issues--how you live your life and how you maximize your income/acceptability in a special environment role.

Actually living the issue rather than being a political dogooder on the outside promoting a political correctness for some following generation of actor (but who knows when?), Chamberlain pretty much knows what he's talking about here.

When the public erases broadcast sexual preferences (as well as other behaviors--as with the cited Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen), it will just happen; it won't be declared or legislated.

Yes, this means there's a wide band of inbetween time when issues have to be forced by declaration of what's right and there has to be legislation. But there's no reason for the Chamberlains of the world to put their current lives on the line for your future comfort if they don't want to sacrifice their present.

And I note again that the world of movies is a special environment. The viewer needs to be able to see the character and erase the reality of the actor. I can't do that for an openly (and especially "in your face") gay male actor trying to disappear into a romantic lead role--and I don't demand that any other viewer do so either.

And this has nothing to do with my stance on gay rights.

 

[AllardChardon]

I found it interesting that Hollywood picked two heterosexual men to play the tormented homosexuals in Brokeback Mountain, not that the actors' performances were diminished in any way. But, with so many gay men in Hollywood, why didn't they go all the way and cast it appropriately?

 

[sr71plt]

I found it interesting that Hollywood picked two heterosexual men to play the tormented homosexuals in Brokeback Mountain, not that the actors' performances were diminished in any way. But, with so many gay men in Hollywood, why didn't they go all the way and cast it appropriately?

A male actor has to think twice about going in that direction too, but not with quite the backlash as the other way around. That said, much of what could be said about the totality of the movie or the actor's performance is then diluted by the twittering about the risk they are taking. Once again, reality steps in.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I found it interesting that Hollywood picked two heterosexual men to play the tormented homosexuals in Brokeback Mountain, not that the actors' performances were diminished in any way. But, with so many gay men in Hollywood, why didn't they go all the way and cast it appropriately?

I found it interesting that Hollywood picked a story about tormented, closeted, homosexuals to make into a film.

Not about a sleuth who happens to be gay, or an auto mechanic who happens to be gay and is looking for love, or a political race between two men who both happen to be gay and one maybe is married to a woman and the other one is out of the closet, or a gay superhero with a gay sidekick, or a gay WWII pilot or a bisexual astronaut who has both a boyfriend AND a girlfriend worrying about him back home or...

The possibilities are endless.

 

[TxRad]

I found it interesting that Hollywood picked a story about tormented, closeted, homosexuals to make into a film.

Not about a sleuth who happens to be gay, or an auto mechanic who happens to be gay and is looking for love, or a political race between two men who both happen to be gay and one maybe is married to a woman and the other one is out of the closet, or a gay superhero with a gay sidekick, or a gay WWII pilot or a bisexual astronaut who has both a boyfriend AND a girlfriend worrying about him back home or...

The possibilities are endless.

Interesting observation.

Since Hollywood seems to follow the buck, maybe it was the one they thought might bring in the most views and money. Controversy makes for interest and it was something totally different for Hollywood. There has to be a motive in there somewhere and money is usually it.

Maybe they don't get that many scripts based on gay characters or good ones in any case. Maybe they do. I don't have a clue. Maybe you should start writing screen plays and scripts.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well if you figure (and I always do) that Hollywood follows the money, that would mean that Hollywood figures tormented gay men are a better ticket than non-tormented gay men...

which is...

Interesting. By some definitions of "interesting."

EVERY script ever written for a hetero couple, or a hetero hero or heroine*-- could just as easily be made with a same-sex couple or a GLBT hero or heroine. Tweak two or three scenes, in most cases. Perhaps a wee bit of nudging for a more accurate hormonally-based reaction here and there...

*(I remind my friends that there's a difference between "heroes" who are proactive, get things done save the day, and "heroines" who are spunky but need help from someone to get things done, and reward the man that saves the day with a kiss in the final credits.)

I know a bunch of screenwriters, and many of them have GLBT charactered scripts languishing in drawers, some of them have sold those scripts after transforming them into hetero characters.

 

[Loring2]

Loring - Carney demanded that anyone who doesn't share his hetero lifestyle should keep their alternative lifestyle a secret. My response "Yes, that's too much to ask" was in response to that attitude. In this country were are all guaranteed the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If a person's pursuit of happiness challenges the norms of society, why should they be forced to keep their pursuit of happiness a secret? It goes against the principals upon which this country was founded.

I find it especially perplexing that people like Amicus, who claim to support Personal Freedoms, find it necessary to draw boundaries as to where those personal freedoms are allowed to extend, but now that's he's back on ignore, his intolerance is his problem, not mine.

Back OT - Anne Heche has had success playing straight roles. I wonder if it's different for female actors, especially if they're seen as bisexual rather than exclusively lesbian? Personally, I really enjoy the dynamic of a bisexual woman interacting with a guy, because she's the one with the power in the relationship. If the guy doesn't satisfy her, she has other options.

Sorry for my abruptness Dee and you and I have the same attitude about this.
I just think you've haven't gone far enough in your thinking about it. I almost called it analysis but the word 'analysis' implies that a conclusion is possible. Let me give you a synopsis of what has a good chance of being right in many if not most cases.

I think that a great majority of hetro men don't find lesbianism to be a bad idea. The fantasies of threesomes is common and most of these fantasies include one man and two women. You'll note that I say most, not all.

I think that bisexuality is the most common sex and that we are all bisexual to some extent. It's just that the homosexual part of many/most men is frighteniong to them even though it leaves many personal questions unanswered and creates many more questions if the thinker of such thoughts will allow further thought.

Remember Dee that in 2011, I'm rolling out the kinder, gentler Loring; but I have to find him first.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Loring, "lesbianism" doesn't mean a threesome with one man and two women.

Lesbians, in general, don't have sex with men. That's what "lesbian" means; "A woman who only has sex with other women."

Once they understand that, many het guys don't like lesbians so much anymore,and suddenly "rape to cure a lesbian" is a common concept.

 

[Loring2]

A

Well if you figure (and I always do) that Hollywood follows the money, that would mean that Hollywood figures tormented gay men are a better ticket than non-tormented gay men...

which is...

Interesting. By some definitions of "interesting."

EVERY script ever written for a hetero couple, or a hetero hero or heroine*-- could just as easily be made with a same-sex couple or a GLBT hero or heroine. Tweak two or three scenes, in most cases. Perhaps a wee bit of nudging for a more accurate hormonally-based reaction here and there...

*(I remind my friends that there's a difference between "heroes" who are proactive, get things done save the day, and "heroines" who are spunky but need help from someone to get things done, and reward the man that saves the day with a kiss in the final credits.)

I know a bunch of screenwriters, and many of them have GLBT charactered scripts languishing in drawers, some of them have sold those scripts after transforming them into hetero characters.

Come on Stella ... you know that men and women are not equal. They never were and never will be. Well I don't know about never but for the 6000 years or so years of Hebrew history things have been as they are.

Part of this has to to with the use of the word equal. No 2 people are equal and the minute you try to make them equal you have a serio-comic situation with a different kind of conflict.

It's quite alright in literature to make the woman stronger than the man but it is not alright to make all women stronger than all men; you have Xena or fantasy.

As to playwrights having written GLBT charactered scripts, I belong to SWAG and I know a few screenwriters myself and I don't know anyone of them stupid enough to do that unless he/she was practicing for poverty.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I didn't say "men and women are equal," not once.

I said that every film script that was written with hetero characters could be written for GLBT characters quite easily. That has nothing to do with male and female equality. James Bond could have been seducing young men (even though completely trussed and gagged of course, by the magnetism of his manly body) and induced them to betray the Evil Mastermind-- it wouldn't have made much difference to those plots.

I know, of course, that all you big strong men out there would puke at the sight. the film would tank, and whoever is playing Ol' James would recieve death threats-- but the plot? no big whoop to write it that way.

Also, evidently, I know more GLBT writers than you do. Most of us had one reason for writing that gay script-- wishful thinking-- and another reason for putting it away-- economic reality.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I didn't say "men and women are equal," not once.

I said that every film script that was written with hetero characters could be written for GLBT characters quite easily. That has nothing to do with male and female equality. James Bond could have been seducing young men (even though completely trussed and gagged of course, by the magnetism of his manly body) and induced them to betray the Evil Mastermind-- it wouldn't have made much difference to those plots.

I know, of course, that all you big strong men out there would puke at the sight. the film would tank, and whoever is playing Ol' James would recieve death threats-- but the plot? no big whoop to write it that way.

Also, evidently, I know more GLBT writers than you do. Most of us had one reason for writing that gay script-- wishful thinking-- and another reason for putting it away-- economic reality.

So it's a good thing that slash fiction sells?

 

[Stella_Omega]

So it's a good thing that slash fiction sells?

Well you know, the economic outlay to produce a slash novel is minimal compared to the money it takes for Hollywood to produce a film.

 

[Boota]

I'd love to see an action series, like a Die Hard type movie series, end with the revelation that the super macho ass kicking hero is gay. Four or five movies into it and you find out in the finale that the ex, Terri, that he always bitches about, is really Terry, and Terry's more macho than the hero guy. Revelation, roll credits, and watch the confusion.

OT- a gay actor in no way effects my perception of a movie, in any role. Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors and the is he/isn't he stuff is always out there. If I were a betting man I'd bet that he was gay, but it wouldn't change his ability to play convincing straight roles. I think the last of the ability to even care about that kind of thing got held up in the generation before mine.

 

[sr71plt]

Kevin Spacey is following Chamberlain's advice, so that's hardly a good example. If anything, it's evidence of the opposite of your argument.

 

[AllardChardon]

Why I feel the need to bare my soul at this point must have to do with the amount of alcohol I have consumed tonight, but I never thought licking a another woman pussy was exciting until after I stopped bleeding. Explain that , will you?

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Why I feel the need to bare my soul at this point must have to do with the amount of alcohol I have consumed tonight, but I never thought licking a another woman pussy was exciting until after I stopped bleeding. Explain that , will you?

I can't but there are several examples of men who spent their whole lives het and then developed a taste for other men in their 'golden years'. Forbes, for one, and Leonard Bernstein for another if the rumor mill is correct.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Why I feel the need to bare my soul at this point must have to do with the amount of alcohol I have consumed tonight, but I never thought licking a another woman pussy was exciting until after I stopped bleeding. Explain that , will you?

You're growing up.

Or, growing younger.

 

[Boota]

Kevin Spacey is following Chamberlain's advice, so that's hardly a good example. If anything, it's evidence of the opposite of your argument.

I wasn't making an argument. I was making a statement. Every one perceives things with their own experiences. For me, it doesn't make one tiny bit of difference.