Straight guy trying to explain his insecurities appears to excuse chauvanism and homophobia

Larry David who helped create the Seinfeld show wrote an NYTimes op-ed piece on why he was afraid to go see Brokeback Mountain at this link.

Now honestly there's really no reason for a straight man to want to see Brokeback Mountain -- given there's no lead character of romantic interest to him. Well, I guess there is another reason: curiousity. Why or how could two men love each other? Find out by going to a movie conveniently screened in a cineplex near you. This is exactly the reason why a straight man like Mr. David cannot go. He's afraid of losing his masculinity by going; people will make fun of him, call him gay (there is of course nothing wrong with it: he refrains the old Seinfeld "joke" which wouldn't be really a joke, if straight people believed it true). He jokes, and everyone understands his joke.

But I think not everyone sees the bit of homophobia still embedded in his logic. When he says, 'I just know if I saw that movie, the voice inside my head that delights in torturing me would have a field day. "You like those cowboys, don't you? They're kind of cute. Go ahead, admit it, they're cute. You can't fool me, gay man. Go ahead, stop fighting it. You're gay! You're gay!"'. His statement is kind of a curse, a taunt for the playground. He's treading on the old stereotype: only sissies are gay men he implies. He doesn't want to be one of them or even associated with them. In other words, to like other men is to be female and weak. He even says, if two cowboys can 'succumb', how can he fight it? To him, two masculine cowboys in love is completely absurd. He probably hasn't heard of the gay major league baseball player Billy Bean or NFL player Esera Tuaolo.

His point of view is not unique; it is a reflection of society. To be ignorant and stay that way about homosexuality, is to be excused because one is afraid of any association rubbing off and making one the subject of gay/sissy jokes. And no straight man one wants to be called a sissy or gay.

Now that societal pressure which Mr. David points out must be awfully strong. An intellectual such as himself cannot even overcome it even while pointing out it's ridiculousness.

The macho model for male living should have outlived it's usefulness after departing the playground and certainly after graduating from high school. Similarly, calling people names and stereotyping other groups through ignorance and fear. It's really too bad Mr. David and much of America hasn't outgrown that stage of their lives yet.

--updated Jan 8th

Also related to Brokeback mountain, Gene Shalit gives what many call an anti-gay review of the movie: here's the Advocate article. He later apologizes for characterizing one of the cowboys as a 'sexual predator.'

--updated Feb 8th

This well thought out review of the Brokeback Mountain movie and short story explains it all to those who didn't understand it.