Does anyone else find this a bit disturbing? (Gender Benders)

[Behind the Aegis]

Last edited Mon Aug 6, 2012, 04:37 AM - Edit history (1)

Gender Benders: 15 Actors Who Play Gay But Really Are Straight or Vice Versa (Are Their Roles Believable?)
http://styleblazer.com/58508/gender-benders-15-actors-who-play-gay-but-really-are-straight-or-vice-versa-were-their-roles-believable/1/


The site is slow and you have to go from one, to the next, and so on. It isn't just a straight up list. I have problems with the term "gender bender" and some of the "roles" they chose as examples of "believable." What do y'all think?

[msongs]

1. crap page design, one has to scroll down each pic to advance to the next lol nt

[Justice wanted]

2. Very interesting.

[FreeState]

3. Gender is not the same thing as sexual orientation

I hate it when people use them as they are the same thing.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. I dislike that as well, which is one of the reasons I posted this.

They aren't the same, and, in this case, don't really have anything to do with the question at hand.

[LuvNewcastle]

4. I think of a "gender bender" as an androgynous person.

Those roles played by Tom Hanks, Eric McCormack, etc. don't really qualify.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. I don't even see that as the descriptor of that term.

Given the list, I would say Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo would be what most people would see as "gender-bending," but only if they were straight (in the role), and still playing a drag queen/female impersonator.

[Warpy]

5. Well, I don't know if I consider some of them believable.

However, regarding straight actors and actresses portraying gay characters and vice versa, well, that's why they call it acting.

It doesn't matter whether or not they have real life experience playing gays, heteros, or hang glider pilots. All that matters is whether or not they can sell the story and competent actors can do that.

When a character isn't believable, it's most often the script or the direction, although there are a lot of pretty boy/girl types out there whose looks are supposed to sell the character and whose poor ability shows rather glaringly.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. I was more taken aback by the "article."

I agree acting is acting and it really shouldn't matter what the sexual orientation is in real life. However, the article seemed to have a rather odd tone to me, which is why I posted it with the question I posed.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. None of them are "disturbing" to me.

It's a role. It's not real. If anything, it's impressive if they can bring a character to life.

Look at Freddie Kugger. The actor who played him was described as a nice guy that's fun to work with.

Then there's out and out spoofs like Monty Python with their dressing as old housewives regularly.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. I don't find them "disturbing," I found the 'article' disturbing.

It seems more to rely on stereotypical representations or the assumption that "drag" is an indication of being gay. Like you, I don't watch movies with serial killers and wonder "Is so-and-so a real serial killer?" or "How did s/he really prepare for the role?".

[Spitfire of ATJ]

11. No kidding. There's a club in Hollywood called "The Queen Mary"

It has guys in drag doing stage performances as famous women. There's one there that, I'm telling you, you would SWEAR that you saw Cher preform live. Turns out that after the show he goes home to his wife and kids. It's just a job that he's really good at.

Then there's a dear departed friend of mine form the Malloy board. Maddie Blaustein who's main claim to fame was doing the voice of Meowth in the Pokemon cartoons. On the Malloy Show she did several characters including Smegol/Gollum and Dubya. A call where she was herself is here:

http://server4.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyMemories/Walking_on_the_wild_side.mp3

She has wiki and imdb entries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maddie_Blaustein

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006851/

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. some fucking idiot without a clue wrote this

plus pages took way to long for me to finish

[Hassin Bin Sober]

13. Norton anti-virus displayed a blocked "trojan.gen" something or other on that page.

Not sure what that is. Never seen it before.

[Behind the Aegis]

19. I hate websites like that. I wanted to just publish all the results, but didn't know if I could.

Copyrights and all.

It was amazing how poor the "journalism" was; it was offensive. I just said to another poster, I keep looking at the calender because it just doesn't seem like it is 2012, but more like 1996 or something. It is very discouraging.

[stevenleser]

14. Very lazy journalism from someone who is uneducated about LGBT issues, if not in fact homophobic.

They and their editor should be taken out to the woodshed.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

16. yup

[Behind the Aegis]

17. Agreed. It was very shoddy and the website sucked too!

The premise didn't even really make sense to me. How many actors have played serial killers over the years? Did they all "practice" for the part? I highly doubt it. Seems you and the others also noticed how stereotypical the gay roles were that they chose. I keep looking at the calender and it is indeed 2012, though I still question it!

[William769]

15. Seems to be a whole lot of stupid going on the past week.

[Behind the Aegis]

18. It was like there was a sale on it, and people stocked up!

[Jamastiene]

20. The Stoopid...

it burns. o.0

Yes, it is disturbing. The article seemed to be written by someone who doesn't know anything...about anything, especially not about the GLBT community.