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Hollywood’s perverse incentives

“Stonewall” caused a great deal of controversy before anyone had seen it, thanks to a trailer that pushed the real-life heroes of the riot—namely, trans people, drag queens, people of color and women—to the side in favor of a made-up white Midwesterner named Danny (played by Jeremy Irvine). Emmerich and Baitz defended themselves, saying that the trailer wasn’t representative of the whole movie. Emmerich also said explicitly that the focus on Danny was a way to win straight people over–a strange goal if ever there was one, but a goal that underscores the perverse incentives of Hollywood as well as anything could.

It’s a perverse incentive to try to market a movie to 100% of the population rather than the 3% that identify as same sex attracted?

Sheesh.

21 thoughts on “Hollywood’s perverse incentives”

  1. So Much For Subtlety

    It is in Hollywood. As they hate their audience and do everything they can to belittle it.

    Besides, it is probably a myth that there were a lot of non-White gays at the protest. Or even many gays. The riot was started by people attracted to the arrests from outside. The only surviving picture shows a solidly White, and not noticeably Gay, crowd.

  2. “Oh, and if you want to see a wonderful movie about a gay boy’s coming-of-age against a real-life political backdrop, watch “Pride.” It is as good as “Stonewall” is bad.”

    According to Box Office Mojo, it had a global box office of $7.5m. Which meant it probably would have lost money except that the BBC bankrolled a lot of it.

  3. It’s amazing how lawless the police were in those days – really not so long ago – and how “normal” it was.

    “Power corrupts” is not just a worn-out cliche, but big government enthusiasts “ignore that”.

  4. @Jack C

    Quite so. And nowhere more so than in Los Angeles, which has a long, long tradition of corruption in both the city government and the police. James Ellroy gets it spot on in his ‘LA Quartet’ series.

  5. Yeah, it would be hard to overstate how militantly indifferent I am to this movie. In fact the very thought of it makes me positively sob with boredom. Glad gays have achieved equal rights under the law etc., but predicated on the idea that someone’s sexuality is probably the least interesting thing about him, I am sure this will be a tendentious, self-congratulatory yawn-fest.

  6. Jack C:

    It’s amazing how lawless the police were in those days – really not so long ago – and how “normal” it was.

    It’s still all too normal. Look up Radley Balko or a blog like “Photography is Not a Crime”.

  7. So Much For Subtlety

    Jack C – “It’s amazing how lawless the police were in those days – really not so long ago – and how “normal” it was.”

    Where is the lack of law? The police were enforcing the law by shutting down an illegal club when they were attacked by a mob of yoof. What were they doing wrong?

  8. So Much For Subtlety

    john square – “The irony is- as a straight, white male, I have absolutely fuck all interest in seeing this flick.”

    Well if you are a straight white father you may have no choice. After all, rumour has it that this is basically the same plot as the next Star Wars film.

  9. “Oh, and if you want to see a wonderful movie about a gay boy’s coming-of-age against a real-life political backdrop, watch “Pride.”

    What’s wrong with “Billy Elliot”?

  10. rumour has it that this is basically the same plot as the next Star Wars film.

    SMFS, you daft homophobe, Star Wars has always been gayer than Noel Coward in a big phallic battleship full of seamen.

    The first film is a love story about two gay robots, FFS. The subplot is that a shady older man takes his wide-eyed naif “nephew” away to strange bars and shows him how to handle his “lightsabre”. Uh huh.

    Chewy and Han Solo were quite obviously an old married couple. The Milennium Falcon probably smelled like a Turkish prison.

    Darth Vader is a leather daddy with a thing for “turning” men to “the dark side”.

    There are only two women in the entire original trilogy.

    Jabba the Hutt was the only unambiguously heterosexual character, and you know what the Sarlaac was supposed to represent, don’t you? That’s what fannies look like to gay men.

  11. SMFS: “Where is the lack of law?”

    Well, breach of contract obviously. The Mafia were paying the authorities good money to ensure the smooth running of this and other operations.

    Shocking customer service as well.

  12. Steve – “you daft homophobe, Star Wars has always been gayer than Noel Coward in a big phallic battleship full of seamen.”

    Oh come on. You will be having a go at Biggles next. Two men can just be chums OK!

    The point is not that Star Wars is light on its toes. The point is that it had a Gay subtext. That is disappearing as the radical insist that you are not allowed to go and see a film in order to enjoy a film. You have to make a political statement. So the parents of five year olds are going to get the Gayness rubbed in their faces.

    Jack C – “Well, breach of contract obviously. The Mafia were paying the authorities good money to ensure the smooth running of this and other operations.”

    Shocking, I agree. What has the world come to when a bought policemen doesn’t stay bought?

  13. So Much For Subtlety

    Steve – “What’s wrong with “Billy Elliot”?”

    Some people might not think the underlying message – that Thatcher makes working class boys Gay – is a positive one.

    Although if Corbyn stood on a “Vote Labour and your boys will become boxers” platform, he might yet sweep the nation.

  14. “the underlying message – that Thatcher makes working class boys Gay”

    Anything you want to get off your chest, SMFS? Your obsession with gay sex is becoming a little disconcerting.

    At least you’re not President of Russia or something.

  15. According to Box Office Mojo, it had a global box office of $7.5m. Which meant it probably would have lost money except that the BBC bankrolled a lot of it.

    Pride was moderately entertaining, but otherwise seemed to be a by-the-numbers ‘It’s all Thatcher’s fault!’ lefty movie. Except, thanks to Global Warming, the miners are no longer the Glorious Heros Of The Revolution, but homophobes brainwashed by the Phallocracy until enlightened by the loveliness of the Heroes Of The Sexual Identity Revolution.

    Still, it was better than Phantom Menace.

    As for this movie, never heard of it, no interest in seeing it.

  16. I can think of 3 women in the original trilogy.Still not many I guess. I’m surprised there hasn’t been more moaning about that.

  17. Jack C – “Anything you want to get off your chest, SMFS? Your obsession with gay sex is becoming a little disconcerting.”

    Not really. But perhaps we can discuss it over a glass of chilled chardonnay or something. I know a very quiet and private little bar. I am sure they are fully paid up.

    “At least you’re not President of Russia or something.”

    It is a sad day when Putin starts to look like the best politician in the room. Even with his shirt on.

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