Hey, Matt, what was up with ...
Question: Hey, Matt, what was up with that worthless, homophobic B-story on
Las Vegas on March 31, with Mike and Danny posing for a calendar they later are horrified to find out is popular with gay men? Is that a little
Brokeback-lash? It really put me off the show, which I tape in favor of watching
Close to Home. I'm not sure I'll be taping it anymore. Do you have any insight?
Answer: I have no great insight, because I'm not watching
Vegas these days. (Not a judgement call. It was just never part of my weekly menu, and now that it's on Fridays, like most everything else on that night, it's out of sight, out of mind for me.) But this hardly surprises me. Gay jokes like this are still very easy punch lines, especially among macho characters like these. Which brings me to this sour reaction to my own recent attempt to make light of a male-bonding situation.
Sonia writes: "Matt, I am disappointed in your answer to the question about the relationship between House and Wilson on April 3. No, the relationship may not be a sexual one between them but they love each other nonetheless. Straight-male paranoia about deep friendships between men has become the hot thing since the release of Brokeback Mountain. It shows a lack of maturity and insight to believe that the only way two people can express their feelings for each other is through sex. I'm also disappointed in you personally. It's a real shame that a respected critic such as yourself has to stoop to such grade-school comments as 'Brokeback Hospital' to prove a point."
OK, deep breath. To be honest, my first impulse was to write back, "Lighten up." I had attempted to respond to what I felt was a tongue-in-cheek question about the House-Wilson Odd Couple-like living situation in a similar manner. I certainly didn't mean to offend. In which case, I'm sorry. And I also agree that Brokeback jokes are too easy and ubiquitous, so I'll probably declare a moratorium instantly. On the bigger issue: If you've ever read me, you'll know I wouldn't cringe from a gay subplot on any show, especially one as terrific as House. But there's nothing remotely homoerotic about this friendship, though even they may joke about it from time to time. And as for the broader implications of what Garrick refers to as "Brokeback-lash," it's true that homophobia is still unfortunately alive and well (if "well" is the word), but not so much on prime-time TV, thankfully. So seriously: Lighten up, and have a good weekend.
