NATHAN LANE ON "LETTERMAN" ( Brokeback Mountain-the musical)

[DAME]

Who watched?

[DAME]

The musical number was cute. Not great. The funniest line was the reference to Oprah ( layers) and 'David Letterman Presents Brokeback Mountain The musical".

[crzyrocket]

I sort of felt like I was going crazy...

The thread on the Off-Topic board about Brokeback Mountain, the Musical was a cute joke, and all of a sudden I was watching it come true right before my eyes.

[DAME]

I was a little offended to tell you the truth.

[Feathah]

I thought it was hysterical!

[DAME]

Oh it was definitely hysterical.

[CapnHook]

I MISSED IT DAMNIT!

[YankeeGal#24]

OMG, it was HILARIOUS!!! Loved it!

[TennesseeTwang]

Brokeback is thoroughly in the mainstream. Even people who haven't seen the movie get the jokes.

I want a t-shirt that says "I wish I knew how to quit you!"

[JerseyGirl2]

Dame, why were you offended? (if I may ask)

[DAME]

I don't know. It was more with Letterman. I have had enough of his gay cowboy movie jokes.

[billyweeds]

The good news: it means that "Brokeback Mountain" is definitely mainstreamed enough to merit a musical spoof (SNL also confirmed this).

The bad news: the number was strained, borderline homophobic, and quite unfunny.

[SamIAm]

The number was HOMOPHOBIC? It was a parody...a joke...

When Lane was on the Today Show he talked about making too much of the gay story line and said basically 'get a room'.

The parody was meant to discount the whole OMG it's a gay story line thing with a little elbow to the ribs. Just as Mel Brooks takes the fire and power out of Nazi hatred by making fun of it, I think Lane was trying to say...so what? They are gay? What's the big deal.

IT WAS FUNNY!!!!

The point that most gay actors and many gay people are trying to make about Brokeback is that the fact that we are making such a big deal out of the gay love story illustrates that gays are still not considered mainstream. They are something to be pointed out and the straight actors that play them have to strongly protest that the scenes were SO HARD TO DO. Whereas, as one journalist said, straight actors are encouraged to talk about how HOT it was to play a straight love scene with a woman, and gay actors are not expected to talk much about how hard it may be for them to do a straight love scene.

If there was a point made here by Lane's humor (and there usually is) it is that the media has made way too much about the fact that these guys are GAY (in capital letters) and as he said on the Today Show, it is a beautiful movie, but what the heck is all the hype about the gay love story?

As a gay friend said to me in an email this week: "They are treating this movie like a porn film. And the media has been like a leering invitation for the red state folk to go see what all the fuss is about. We aren't animals in the zoo for God's sake. Yes, we kiss just like everyone else does, thank you"

[apdarcey]

it was hilarious, and that's that.

[lamentingenvelope]

I loved it!

[DAME]

On second viewing I thought it was pretty stupid.

[zelda]

this parody not only was disrespectful to the movie, to the hardwork by all involved, it was a huge slap in the face by nathan lane to fellow movie actors. the lack of respect he showed to the BBM is disgusting. that movie is not a porno. it is a movie that needs to be seen. SHAME ON NATHAN LANE.

[Nothatsmrt]

I loved Nathan's "Brooooooooke BACK MOUNTAIN!!!!!!!!!!" His little Nathan Lane yell-a-line was just fabulous!!!!! The lyrics were typical late night fare, but it was entertaining.

[CurtainPullDowner]

it was pretty funny
too bad the COwboys kept their Cowboy Shirts on
The Tent pounding was very amusing

[EverythingIsRENT]

Zelda, get a funny bone asap! Don't be so uptight, it was an amusing parody. The movie isn't some sacred untouchable work of art that we can't poke fun at. Sheesh.

[wendy72]

Why is no one objecting to his slam on Tom Cruise and Scientology?

[zelda]

everthing. sheeesh. are you a complete vapid entity. maybe after the oscars it would be fun to do somehting like this. but just prior to nationwide release. dont be so naive. it can really impact the total overall acceptance and audience of this movie.
and fi you accuse me of not having a sense of humor. boy your better have something to back that up . just because i dont find it funny doesnt mean i dont have a sense of humor and just because you do find it funny ...doenst mean it is funny. maybe everything..you arent funny, maybe you have no sense of humor or your lack the ability to determine what is funny. so take your arrow back and next time respond to postings with opinion not accusation to peoples character.
this goes for everyone on this site. stop calling people names. express your opinions and leave it at that.
sheeesh

[EverythingIsRENT]

I wasn't calling you names, YOU are the one calling me "vapid" or whatever. I just can't believe how seriously you were taking a simple parody. It's not that big a deal to get offended about.

[SamIAm]

Actually Zelda, the creative team of Brokeback issued a statement after Lane's comments on the Today Show, to say that any publicity for this film was good publicity. He didn't say anything OFFENSIVE about the movie...he just made a joke saying 'guys get a room'. What's the problem with that? After all, when you see a couple in the clutches of a deep kiss on the street, don't you think the same thing?

As far as this being a movie 'that needs to be seen' as though it makes some political statement, I don't think that is the case at all. There have been movies about gays like Jeffrey for example that attempted to make light of issues while still exploring them. Pointed comedy, like the comedy by Prior and Bruce has ALWAYS made a statement and asked us to THINK about things. That's all Lane was trying to do. The idea that he should bow to the movie as if it is some holy grail is simply not valid.

It is a MOVIE that happens to have a gay love story in it and if you really think about it...until we are able to describe people without using the word 'black' or 'gay' in the descriptive sentence we really aren't color blind or blind to any OTHER difference, including sexual orientation. A movie like this isn't going to change the homophobes out there. It is positive that we are getting a broad release to something with a gay theme but all Lane and other gays are saying is "let's not make this all we can talk about". Gay actors do not want to be though of first as GAY...they want to be recognized for their talent just as a gay businessman would not want to be DEFINED in total by his sexuality.

I'm not sure I understand why people are making this movie into something that even the filmmakers didn't intend. It isn't supposed to be the campaign platform for gay marriage or sex.


As for the bit Lane did on Letterman last night...again...it was funny and cute but it didn't say that gays cowboys were sick or bad...if you want to focus your attention on people who really hate gays, try reading some of the articles out there about the government spy program involved in spying on gay organizations and groups. That will make your hair stand on end.

[DAME]

Lane has been doing the same shtick on a few of the talk shows. It is repetitive. I am starting to find him extremely annoying. By the way.. Brad garret ws in the audience at jersey Boys last night. Didn't they have a show?