Comments on: 'Bruno' Revisited http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited Seriously, this could not be more beta Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:41:15 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: johnabcd http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-14922 johnabcd Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:49:00 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-14922 Sacha Baron Cohen takes advantage of people's good intentions because he is a classic psychopath. Just read the literature on this subject, e.g. Robert Hare's book Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us, or any other authoritative book on psychopathic personality. Baron Cohen fits the profile so well, it isn't funny -- and, believe me, "isn't funny" is the right term. Sacha Baron Cohen takes advantage of people's good intentions because he is a classic psychopath. Just read the literature on this subject, e.g. Robert Hare's book Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us, or any other authoritative book on psychopathic personality. Baron Cohen fits the profile so well, it isn't funny — and, believe me, "isn't funny" is the right term.

]]> By: kitten_witawip http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13573 kitten_witawip Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:00:44 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13573 Rod, I like your "The Pride" pieces and get them, being a straight female notwithstanding. They call to mind a literary Béla Bartók. A gay man searching for himself in Bruno would be akin to me searching for myself in Lady Bunny. Rod, I like your "The Pride" pieces and get them, being a straight female notwithstanding. They call to mind a literary Béla Bartók.

A gay man searching for himself in Bruno would be akin to me searching for myself in Lady Bunny.

]]> By: andrea http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13357 andrea Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:19:22 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13357 Ahhh, best piece on Bruno, and also on bad people who run riot on society, ever. Ahhh, best piece on Bruno, and also on bad people who run riot on society, ever.

]]> By: clarencerosario http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13352 clarencerosario Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:14:07 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13352 I dunno. Don't you think that this is at odds with the notion that "people will do anything with a camera present"? Including powering through totally insane circumstances? Perhaps they were just waiting for the payoff, like the rest of us. I dunno. Don't you think that this is at odds with the notion that "people will do anything with a camera present"?

Including powering through totally insane circumstances?

Perhaps they were just waiting for the payoff, like the rest of us.

]]> By: gaytheist http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13343 gaytheist Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:25:46 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13343 This is so right on. I kept waiting for him to "expose homophobia," as everyone said he would. All he really exposed is the fact that people, when faced with total insanity, will generally power through much longer than we would expect. It was funny as hell to watch but by no means is it some kind of cultural masterpiece. This is so right on. I kept waiting for him to "expose homophobia," as everyone said he would. All he really exposed is the fact that people, when faced with total insanity, will generally power through much longer than we would expect.

It was funny as hell to watch but by no means is it some kind of cultural masterpiece.

]]> By: KarenUhOh http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13336 KarenUhOh Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:09:39 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13336 You nailed it here, Choire. You nailed it so nailed you actually found a teeny seed of virtue in the film. It's almost as if someone opened the back of "The Confidence-Man" and all the works shot out. Not that the auteur would know or care, I suspect, so long as there's money to be made from more of the same. You nailed it here, Choire. You nailed it so nailed you actually found a teeny seed of virtue in the film. It's almost as if someone opened the back of "The Confidence-Man" and all the works shot out.

Not that the auteur would know or care, I suspect, so long as there's money to be made from more of the same.

]]> By: hockeymom http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13333 hockeymom Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:27:53 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13333 ...I always read "The Pride", too. I've just been too damn tired to come up with any comments (but I always enjoy it!) …I always read "The Pride", too.
I've just been too damn tired to come up with any comments (but I always enjoy it!)

]]> By: Vulpes http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13332 Vulpes Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:07:29 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13332 As one of those "non-New York gays," I don't really understand The Pride, either. The product placement! My eyes glaze over and then I sit astounded thinking, "How does he keep all that straight!" As one of those "non-New York gays," I don't really understand The Pride, either. The product placement! My eyes glaze over and then I sit astounded thinking, "How does he keep all that straight!"

]]> By: linernotesdanny http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13330 linernotesdanny Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:25:48 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13330 God that's so true. I'm not going to <i>name any names</i> here, but how often have you heard decent people say of an insane narcissistic nightmare-person on television, "He/she is just like you and I!" No, no he/she really isn't, he/she's a fucking monster. This whole thing is great. God that's so true. I'm not going to name any names here, but how often have you heard decent people say of an insane narcissistic nightmare-person on television, "He/she is just like you and I!" No, no he/she really isn't, he/she's a fucking monster.

This whole thing is great.

]]> By: sigerson http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13327 sigerson Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:54:15 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13327 Needs a "deep thoughts" tag Needs a "deep thoughts" tag

]]> By: NinaHagen http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13320 NinaHagen Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:17:40 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13320 At least Hedda Lettuce wasn't hosting. At least Hedda Lettuce wasn't hosting.

]]> By: Tuna Surprise http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13319 Tuna Surprise Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:11:48 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13319 For what it's worth, I enjoyed your last "The Pride". For what it's worth, I enjoyed your last "The Pride".

]]> By: dongrey http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13318 dongrey Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:02:25 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13318 Not sure I will be going to see it, probably wait till it comes on DVD. Cohen was funny in Borat but... sometimes just goes too far. Not sure I will be going to see it, probably wait till it comes on DVD. Cohen was funny in Borat but… sometimes just goes too far.

]]> By: wiilliiaamm http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13316 wiilliiaamm Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:49:42 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13316 It appears to me that at the end of all this overwrought dissection of the cultural implications of not only the movie--but our meta and beta reactions to it is that the main character is a clown...simply...a clown. No matter if he is a clown with lumberjack leanings or Cater-waiter leanings. And the moviemaker used many different tools and tricks to articulate and present said clown--I dont beleive that once the story lines, story boards, improvisitations and editing tricks have all been employed that there is enough cinima verite left--afterall it is not a documentary...to merit a seriously argued critique of it intellectual integrity-- rather it is a finely (and hilariously) constructed piece of summer entertainment. Enjoy. Laugh. Bleach your Asshole. It appears to me that at the end of all this overwrought dissection of the cultural implications of not only the movie–but our meta and beta reactions to it is that the main character is a clown…simply…a clown. No matter if he is a clown with lumberjack leanings or Cater-waiter leanings. And the moviemaker used many different tools and tricks to articulate and present said clown–I dont beleive that once the story lines, story boards, improvisitations and editing tricks have all been employed that there is enough cinima verite left–afterall it is not a documentary…to merit a seriously argued critique of it intellectual integrity– rather it is a finely (and hilariously) constructed piece of summer entertainment. Enjoy. Laugh. Bleach your Asshole.

]]> By: El Matardillo http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13313 El Matardillo Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:16:56 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13313 My friend David and I enjoy going to restaurants frequented primarily by a gay clientele and we let the wait staff assume we are on a first date. One of us usually throws a minor fit over some aspect of the food and we like to see how they react. Later, we go to a straight bar and laugh and laugh. We'll be seing Bruno sometime this week. Super! My friend David and I enjoy going to restaurants frequented primarily by a gay clientele and we let the wait staff assume we are on a first date. One of us usually throws a minor fit over some aspect of the food and we like to see how they react.

Later, we go to a straight bar and laugh and laugh. We'll be seing Bruno sometime this week. Super!

]]> By: rod_townsend http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13311 rod_townsend Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:12:00 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13311 I think the main thing learned is that movies that have gay central characters need not be "gay movies". Not to change course on the above, but here's what I mean. Because gays are so culturally starved for icons most of their life (like little African-American girls in the 70's with no black Barbie) as soon as something comes on the screen with some mintrelized gay thing, there is not really an evaluation of cultural worth but more of "this thing is like/not like me". With this "The Pride" project, I had a conversation with non-New York gays who were very much like, "I don't understand" when I was telling them more about Mark and Eric and Stephen and Greg and Omar and Devin and the gals. So there is this cognitive dissonance where, because they don't identify with the (urban/slutty/like-my-friends-and-me) characters that they shut off their story intake. (My city friends "get it".) (Oh, and? No comments last week? Damn.) This leads back to my point that after searching for themselves in Bruno, the audience either reject it or they can look for the story/meta-story of the piece. Only after moving to this level do you realize that it's, well, okay and pretty funny in a fratty kind of way, but that's all it is. If you expect less, you might get more. I think the main thing learned is that movies that have gay central characters need not be "gay movies". Not to change course on the above, but here's what I mean. Because gays are so culturally starved for icons most of their life (like little African-American girls in the 70's with no black Barbie) as soon as something comes on the screen with some mintrelized gay thing, there is not really an evaluation of cultural worth but more of "this thing is like/not like me".

With this "The Pride" project, I had a conversation with non-New York gays who were very much like, "I don't understand" when I was telling them more about Mark and Eric and Stephen and Greg and Omar and Devin and the gals. So there is this cognitive dissonance where, because they don't identify with the (urban/slutty/like-my-friends-and-me) characters that they shut off their story intake. (My city friends "get it".) (Oh, and? No comments last week? Damn.)

This leads back to my point that after searching for themselves in Bruno, the audience either reject it or they can look for the story/meta-story of the piece. Only after moving to this level do you realize that it's, well, okay and pretty funny in a fratty kind of way, but that's all it is.

If you expect less, you might get more.

]]> By: Abe Sauer http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13310 Abe Sauer Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:10:04 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13310 YES! Now, when are we getting a Flickd Off about the REAL WTF gay movie of the summer, "Hump Day?" YES!

Now, when are we getting a Flickd Off about the REAL WTF gay movie of the summer, "Hump Day?"

]]> By: kitten_witawip http://www.theawl.com/2009/07/bruno-revisited#comment-13308 kitten_witawip Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:06:10 +0000 http://www.theawl.com/?p=7277#comment-13308 I am supposed to see this tomorrow at a free screening. So Sasha won't be making a dime off of me. I am supposed to see this tomorrow at a free screening. So Sasha won't be making a dime off of me.

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