Not Getting It Lately
It's not so much the difficulty in admitting that one reads a tabloid that causes discomfort, the true difficulty lies in accepting a simpleton's take on things without having the concrete opportunity to inform said simpleton of their inability to understand. Lloyd Grove writes the riveting Lowdown for the New York Daily News which is preceded in profound revelation only by the New York Post's Page Six. Today the brilliant Mr. Grove called Nathan Lane's very New Yorkese sense of humour an "'Emperor's New Clothes' Moment" for Brokeback Mountain. It's a mole hill, Mr. Grove. There's no story here. It's Nathan Lane being funny. It's what he does. Ever see The Birdcage? Jeffrey? Isn't there something better to report? Perhaps Bill O'Reilly making an obscene telephone call or harassing a hapless woman? Grove wrote:
But openly gay stage and screen star Nathan Lane went on the "Today" show Friday and, instead of treating the Ang Lee movie with customary reverence, had a satirical field day at "Brokeback's" expense.
"I wish I could quit you," twanged Lane - who was on the show ostensibly to promote "The Producers" - mocking Gyllenhaal's cowboy confession to his bunkmate.
"It's really when [Ledger] said, 'This thing gets hold of us the wrong time, the wrong place, we're dead,' " Lane recalled as Katie Couric and "Today" crew members giggled. "I thought, 'What do you mean, like the A&P? You're in the middle of nowhere! Get a ranch with the guy! Stop torturing these two poor women and get a room! What's the problem?' "
Quite funny and right on the money. The Producers on film unfortunately is neither it seems, but there's no need to feel sorry for Mr. Lane. He's not about to go on welfare or have all those years of a great career be erased. It could be worse: he could be writing a gossip column for a tabloid.
Comments
I doubt it. But with Lane we make allowances because we know it's coming from family. However, it does in fact make light of something that is at the core of the film. Because when it does "get hold of" Jack in the wrong place it's assumed it resulted in his death. Certainly it did so for someone like Matthew Shepherd.
As I say, perhaps it's because it comes from Nathan Lane that I can both make some allowance and at the same time think it was not really very funny, bordering on the tasteless.
Datalounge posts pointed to Lane's coming out as a result of the Shepherd murder from www.glbtq.com:
"Lane has never made a secret of his homosexuality. He came out to his family when he was twenty-one and about to move in with a lover. He did not comment publicly on his sexual orientation until 1999, however.
He has been criticized by some activists in the gay community for waiting so long to come out publicly. In an interview in The Advocate Lane explained that he "[found] it difficult to discuss [his] personal life with total strangers" but was moved to speak out after the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard. "At this point it's selfish not to do whatever you can," said Lane. "If I . . . say I'm a gay person, it might make it easier for somebody else. So it seems stupid not to."
The real issue is Grove stirring the pot. "Emperor's New Clothes?" Really as if Nathan Lane's blessing is required. His regurgitating a phrase he learned during Bush's travails.
Nathan's gay roles are not those that have the impact that Ennis and Jack do. He may get the chance when he does 'Butley'. Is he up to it?
Tasteless as his comments may be, it's probable that Nathan was not being vicious. He'll have to deal with viciousness after 'The Producers' goes into wide release. Oy, such mugging.