Brokeback Controversy

At my high school shortly after Brokeback Mountain's releases, new additions developed in the already rich vernacular of insulting language. One of the most prominent was "brokeback (insert person's name)."

This, I would say, was the typical rural Indiana reaction to the film. The main controversy, I think, revolves around the fact that the stereotype of a typical, macho, red-state-bred, male is broken down. The film transcends the boundaries that have been created surrounding the ideal male image. First of all the men are cowboys, a staple in the American repertoire of uber-male roles along with firefighters and construction workers. Secondly the men come from two true-blooded Christian-conservative states, Texas and Wyoming. Lastly the men are defiling the sacred Christian tradition of marriage, cheating on their wives, with another male nonetheless.

The true controversy lies not in the fact that the men happen to be homosexuals, but that the men match every stereotype of the perceived ideal male specimen. The men engage in their sexual activities while doing the things that males are normally seen doing: camping, fishing, hunting, wrangling sheep, etc.

The controversy stems from the fact that they are regular guys and that any of the regular guys you see everyday could also be a homosexual.