Is Bruno Homophobic?

Local News, By Tim D, 1st July, 2009

Is Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest creation, gay Austrian TV star Bruno, homophobic?

That’s the question being asked as the movie launches in Australia this week in the wake of Baron Cohen’s appearance on the Sydney red carpet this week at the State Theatre to launch the film.

Check out photos from the Red Carpet by clicking here.

Whilst a lot of the gay community seem to get the joke, gay 10 Years Younger in 10 Days hairdresser Troy Thompson reportedly did not see the funny side of the film, according to the Daily Telegraph.

“He’s trying to appeal to rednecks and basically saying to them that its OK for rednecks to be homophobic,” said Thompson after viewing the film at Monday night’s premiere.

It’s a statement that doesn’t sit with 2DayFM’s Geoff Field. “No offense, but a gay hairdresser really shouldn’t be talking about gay stereotypes,” Geoff told Same Same today after the issue caused heated debate on his radio show this morning. “We’ve all got to lighten up and take a chill pill…a sense of humour is what gets you by in life.”

What do you think? Is Bruno offensive to you?

Check out the many faces of Bruno in our Snapshot! gallery here.

Your Thoughts

Urban

said ages ago

Which doesn't even enter the equasion in the case of the Bruno movie, so not sure what point you're making here. I was replying to your comment "My point being if we find OTT gay 'traits' or 'behaviours' offensive or damaging we run the risk of wanting to be straight or at least wanting to appear to be straight...it's happening now -- 'straight-acting' gaydar profiles..." I don't think that if a gay man finds a Bruno type repulsive that that necessarily means that he wants to appear straight - that would assume that appearing straight means being non-effeminate/being out means behaving effeminately. I wouldn’t say that making the same observation most make but actually speaking it amounts to having ‘hang ups’ about these overnight Bruno clones in our midst, just the conviction to say what so many think but are to hung up to verbalise it.

Asherbella

said ages ago

Well, Bruno is effeminate, but his effeminacy doesn't define the homosexual identity for anybody but himself: he doesn't pretend to represent anybody?

Urban

said ages ago

That's a matter of opinion, not fact - but the bottom line for many is that he does say he is gay, and therefore many of the mainstream would perceive this as him intending to represent gay people. It's this that was bothersome to the gays objecting, I think. I grant that this doesn't make Bruno homophobic, but to many it is a careless angle to approach gay portrayal from.

Asherbella

said ages ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQhfKmpvisU

Asherbella

said ages ago

Many? How many?

Urban

said ages ago

The ones globally who have objected to being thought to have been represented in this way. Bruno has not had an overall gay tick - he is a divisive character in this sense and SBC has used this divisiveness gratuitously (which is another mark against his favour for me) to make a packet.

Asherbella

said ages ago

Well, some gays objected to Russell Crowe playing a gay character in The Sum Of Us merely by virtue of the fact he isn't gay in real life....you can't please everyone...

Urban

said ages ago

But then the issue of an actor's sexuality is not remotely connected to whether Bruno's stereotyping is offensive to gays - the anti response would have been as virulent and as valid if SBC was a gay actor (as in the case of John Inman playing Mr Humphries and upsetting gay groups globally).

Asherbella

said ages ago

So how could Bruno be modified to make him 'funny' in your eyes? What does Bruno say or do that is offensive to you?

Urban

said ages ago

Offensive? Nothing to this gay man, but apparently offensive to those feeling portrayed/represented by him. I thought the thread was about Bruno's link to homophobia. (I don't believe there would be anything remaining of him if he were 'modified' - but while he isn't offensive to me, neither is he funny - it's just plain naff to me, as in tit and fart humour a la Benny Hill). My own objection has never been that he is offensive, but that he fuels existing homophobia and is otherwise unfunny. Nevertheless I do understand where the world's gay men who find him offensive are coming from - I'm thicker skinned, but that doesn't mean they don't have a point. (Interestingly, too, I have actually worked with several straight men who are just like Bruno – and they would no doubt object to him being officially gay.)

There are 45 more comments

View them all

To post a comment, you need to be a SameSame Member

Log-in now or signup for a new account