Topic: News Coverage March 6 - March 12

[tpe]

Artistic parity is a complex issue which should be studied at an important American university.

Like the University of Chicago, perchance? 

[ennisandjack]

This clash of the titles is just one aspect of an anti-Haggis backlash that has been brewing since the envelopes were opened at Sunday's ceremony. Crash has been belittled as a safe, conservative choice for those too timid to endorse Brokeback Mountain.

"I have to say I find that view hysterical and absurd," says Haggis. "I thought Brokeback was a really good movie but, if you decided to vote for it, the best reason would be you thought it was a great movie about two human beings, not because it's a social statement.

"And if you wanted to see the gay community embraced by Hollywood, well, the fact is that happened a long time ago. I mean, look at the popularity of Will & Grace on television."
Haggis has been alternately attacked and embraced by both right and left for the presumed politics of Crash.

This idiotic quote just proves he has no idea what he's talking about. You won by default. Admit it.

[Lost_Girl]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_metz/20060307.html

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TREVOR METZ:
China's Brokeback Mountain dilemma
CBC News Viewpoint | March 7, 2006 |

Trevor Metz Trevor Metz is is a radio journalist working in Beijing. He also writes columns for the Beijing Youth Daily and Prince George Citizen. Trevor is a Jack Webster Award winner for outstanding radio journalism in 2003. After a couple years working in radio and television he moved to the Middle Kingdom.


The Chinese government and its media policy never cease to amaze me. I know it's not a laughing matter – many courageous people are jailed, fired and bullied every year for speaking out against the Communist Party – but I can't help chuckling a little. The situation itself is not funny, but some of the ridiculous battles the Chinese government tries to fight are.

On my daily radio show, we discuss current lifestyle and cultural topics with young Chinese listeners. The program is broadcast across China and internationally. It's pretty benign, but it's fun. My co-host and I introduce a topic and then invite people from around the country to contact us with text messages or the internet.

The program is quite popular and I like hearing what the average Chinese youth or college kid thinks about various issues. In a land of over a billion people, it's a good way to make our listeners feel appreciated.

This is where the government policy part comes in. In China, as in Canada, many moviegoers are talking about Brokeback Mountain. However, unlike in Canada, the controversial Ang Lee film will not be shown on the big screen because of its homosexual content.

I guess the Communist Central Government feels a film like Brokeback Mountain will undermine the "Harmonious Society" it has worked so hard to promote. (Meanwhile, you can buy a pirated DVD copy of the movie on every street corner, at every subway entrance, and every illegal DVD shop in Beijing.)

Naturally, I recently suggested we make the radio show's topic of the day revolve around Brokeback Mountain and the general attitude toward homosexuality in China. To be honest, I never thought the censors would let me talk about homosexuality on live radio, or let me read listeners' text messages, but to my surprise they did.

Mind you, everything has a catch; there were some parameters.

One: I was allowed to say I had seen the movie but not that I had seen a pirated version. I asked the obvious question, "How did I see it then? It's not in theatres here." The censors were a little baffled by that. In the end, they just told me not to mention where I saw it.

Two: I was not to mention anything negative about government policy towards the movie. In fact, I was not to mention government policy on anything.

But beyond those two stipulations, I could fly at it.

I was delighted by the lax conditions, but a gay colleague of mine was not as thrilled. He said there was no point in "discussing" something if we weren't allowed to discuss it. His point was well taken, but I am of the opinion that an open window is better than a closed door.

Many of my Chinese colleagues were excited to listen to the show; I had a feeling that listeners would respond positively and we would get a high volume of response.

The media has been flooded with stories and opinions on homosexual topics lately. The Chinese are a very proud people; when international accolades started pouring in for the Taiwan-born Ang Lee and his film, many Chinese championed him as one of their own. (Remember, mainland Chinese people still consider Taiwan part of China and vow to one day reunite the strait.)

Also recently, an openly gay professor at the renowned Fudan University in Shanghai made headlines for teaching a course that provides basic knowledge of homosexual lifestyles and tries to dispel misconceptions about gay people.

On our radio show we discussed Brokeback Mountain and other media stories relating to homosexuality. The reactions from listeners were varied, but overall quite positive:

"I think most Chinese do lack basic knowledge about homosexuality, many people incline to relate them to some dirty things," said one listener. "The professor has done a good job, I think, because only the more we know, the less bias, even ridiculous thoughts, we would have towards homosexual people. Then our society would be more tolerant and harmonious."

"In China, homosexual exist since the ancient time, but till nowadays, it can hardly be widely accepted by most ordinary people, I'm no exception," said another. "Despite that, I'm on the side of providing moderate basic knowledge on homosexuality to public." "It's better that more and more people come to recognize and respect to the homosexuality, especially in younger generation," one wrote. "Meanwhile, we are hoping that the society we're in will get more tolerance."

"I knew these related discussions and conversations about homo would come after the movie Broke Back Mountain showed," remarked another. "In my opinion, it's one's own affair since he/she won't hurt others. On the other hand, I guess the thoughts of mainstream of society are gradually accepting this phenomenon, even if some are still disgusting with homo. But I expect that Chinese will eliminate discrimination on homosexuality with the progress of civilization."

There were some negative comments, but I have to admit I was surprised at the level of compassion shown by a group of people who are generally censored from discussions about homosexuality. I was shocked that the vast majority of respondents rejected what I thought were traditional Chinese family values.

Now, I'm not suggesting that the Chinese government actively lobbies against homosexuality. But I am reminded of last year's incident when the Beijing government cracked down on a small gay pride celebration planned in the city. The power was shut off at the venue and the police forcibly cleared out participants. It was hardly an enlightened display, but then again, the Chinese government isn't known for its tolerance of peaceful assembly.

While some actions by the government may appear ambiguously grey, there is a rainbow breaking through the clouds. In the late 1990s the government took homosexuality off its official list of mental illnesses. University professors are teaching courses in tolerance and radio talk shows are airing the views of their listeners.

Attitudes won't change overnight, but as long as the Chinese government doesn't change its policies on copyright infringement, traditional attitudes are open for debate with movies like Brokeback Mountain.