In 2010, Newsweek columnist Ramin Setoodeh argued that, "While it's okay for straight actors to play gay (as Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger did in Brokeback Mountain), it's rare for someone to pull off the trick in reverse." He further argued that unlike straight actors who play gay, the sexuality of gay actors who play straight is an issue because "the fact is, an actor's background does affect how we see his or her performance." Not surprisingly, the column resulted in a sharp rebuke from the gay community. Later, author Bret Easton Ellis also stirred up controversy when he argued that openly-gay Matt Bomer wouldn't be convincing playing straight hunk Christian in the then upcoming Fifty Shades of Gray adaptation—a role that eventually went to straight actor/model Jamie Dornan. Is an actor's sexuality really only an issue for audiences when he or she is gay, but playing straight? When you are watching a gay actor play straight, does his or her sexual orientation factor into the believability of the performance? While gay actors playing straight on television have made major strides in recent years (e.g. Jim Parsons on The Big Bang Theory, Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother), why are there currently no openly gay A-list actors or actresses in movies?
Include at least two of the following pieces in your discussion:
- "By the Way, We're Gay: The New Art of Coming Out" (Entertainment Weekly)
- "Is It a Big Deal That the Actor Playing the Flash Isn't Straight?" (Vice)
- "Why Gay Movie Stars are Staying Locked in the Closet" (Variety)
- "Homophobia in Hollywood: Why Gay Movie Stars Still Can't Come Out of the Closet" (Independent)
- "Study: Audiences Buy Gay Actors Playing It Straight" (Queerty)
- "Why the World is Not Ready for a Gay James Bond" (Daily Telegraph)
Requirements:
- Must be in MLA Style
- Must be one full page in length
- Works cited page
Due: We 9.16
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