Monday, November 3, 2008

Son of Double Feature’s No on Prop 8! Homoerot-athon

I apologize to those California readers who might have seen ads on this blog (and its sister blog 11 Word Movie Reviews) advocating a Yes vote on Proposition 8. For those unaware, Proposition 8 is a measure here advocating the elimination of gay couples’ right to marry in California.

I don’t typically want to make this blog a soapbox for my political ideals, but I’ll make an exception here. I’m requesting the ads be removed. This is not just because I support gay marriage (in the context of a civil union, primarily, I don’t think it’s the state’s obligation to tell churches what they can and can’t do, but that’s hardly the point,) but because I believe this proposition is extremely discriminatory. Even if it does pass, however, I fully expect the State Supreme Court to overturn it. These same people want to defend their personal rights (like gun ownership,) while trampling on the rights of others (like abortion and gay marriage.)

Furthermore, to pretty much mock and defy the Yes on Prop 8 ads, and in solidarity of those LGBT folks out there to show I do not personally support this anti-gay marriage position (which is what Prop 8 boils down to,) I have here a list of four of my favorite gay and lesbian (or, at the very least, same sex) kisses.

4. Gandhi and Abe Lincoln
Clone High USA, Episode 3, “A.D.D.: The Third D stands for ‘Disorder.’”
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Clone High USA was one of my favorite shows on MTV for its brief tenure in 2003, before being cancelled for Punk’d. The premise follows a Dawson’s Creek-esque high school populated by the clones of famous historical figures (the core cast was Abe Lincoln, Gandhi, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, and JFK.) In this episode, Gandhi has been diagnosed with A.D.D., which the student body assumes is AIDS, and thus, shun Gandhi, fearing him to be contagious. After a message from special guest and ADD sufferer Tom Green (“Look a Ferris Wheel! I can make a muscle! Plastic bag, plastic bag! Plastic bag, plastic bag!”) Abe shows Gandhi is not contagious by kissing him. Which, of course, this being high school, makes him shunned more than Gandhi for his homoerotic gesture.

3. Naomi Watts and Laura Harring
Mullholland Dr (Lynch, 2001)
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I don’t get much out of David Lynch movies, other than wondering what exactly I was supposed to get out of them. But, what I primarily remember from this movie (other than the bizarre cowboy interlude near the end) was this scene. This is probably because I’m a heterosexual male (I’m apologizing in advance for my #1 choice, as well.)

2. Gabriel Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna
Y Tu Mama Tambien (Cuarón, 2001)
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Which is Spanish for “and your mother, also.”

Alfonso Cuarón is one of the great new Spanish-language filmmakers (although I wracked my brain to try to find some same-sex pairings in a Guillermo Del Toro picture.) This movie has some really intense love scenes in it, but, it’s the film’s climatic same-sex kiss that made its way on to the countdown.

1. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair
Cruel Intentions (1997)
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I apologize for being a male. If you ask any guy who came of age (especially who hit puberty right around this time) they will not only have fond memories of this scene but, likely, wore out the tape or scratched the DVD with repeated rewatchings (I did not own it on tape or DVD, but I have friends who definitely did.) It’s relatively tame by our contemporary semi-acceptance of female bisexuality (what with Ant-headed Tila Tequila’s “A Shot at Love” dating show on MTV, and future one-hit wonder Katie Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl.” Not to mention the seeming ancient history of Madonna and Britney Spears locking lips at the MTV Video music awards.) And, although lesbian kissing not exactly being a new thing, this was the scene that many people my age will likely remember.

In short, I doubt any google ads will sway you, and I also doubt I’ve done little to help either. But, for those of you in California who want to preserve the right for everyone to get married, vote NO on Prop 8!

Sorry for that, this blog is more about movies less about ideology; I swear this will (hopefully) never happen again.