We need a Celluloid Closet Part 2!

The Celluloid Closet was filled with scenes that made me pause and rewind just to see it over - mostly to hear the insightful commentary. The one that really resonated with me was hearing the words “love is spelled with the same four letters”. I think that would have been a great anti-Prop 8 slogan as it gets to the core of marriage equality.

I realize, after watching the celluloid Closet, that the film business has done a disservice to civil rights in its depiction of gay people, rather than just be neutral. I don’t think Joel Schumacher is correct in saying "The business doesn't care what you do in bed, but it does care what you do at the box office." in the Times article http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975226-1,00.html. If Hollywood didn’t portray every single gay person negatively (either their character or their fate), then people, many of whom don’t know an out gay person, wouldn’t have solely that negative image on which to rely. The nonprofit organization Marriage Equality attempted to depict positive images of everyday gay people with a you tube video that was so compelling and heartwarming that it made me cry when I watched it at work. http://www.eqca.org/site/pp.asp?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=5609559

If this film was made in 2010, social media would have definitely changed its distribution. For example, following the ITVS’ Digital Strategies would have really helped broaden the distribution, far beyond gay activists and academics. It would have been helpful to “connect with bloggers who cover the issues in your film” It would have been especially helpful to post clips on social networking sites with links back to the website. There, people might share a clip with people who wouldn’t otherwise see the film, but who may like a certain actress, actor or film that is in the clip. Also, if people are allowed to make their own mash up or trailer, they will certainly want to share/show off their work (which would also increase awareness of the film). It would also help to have DVDs available, perhaps for sale or rental at events that are popular with would-be viewers.