Fifty Shades of What In The Entire *Fuck* --

[ladyofleithian]

Seriously, say what you will about Fifty Shades of Gray, but this is all kinds of horrible.



Basically, they're doing a film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Gray (yes, really), and apparently, the (former, I believe) screenwriter for Fifty Shades was thinking of not casting Matt Bomer for Christian Gray in the future film adaptation, because the actor is openly gay. *Sighs* No, seriously:

Author Bret Easton Ellis went on another Twitter rampage today, criticizing the possible casting of Matt Bomer as the male lead in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey as "absolutely ludicrous" because the actor is openly gay.

Earlier this year Universal purchased the rights to E.L. James's best seller for $5 million and, via his Twitter account, Ellis quickly made clear his interest in writing the screenplay, as well as his thoughts on casting the film.

On August 5, Ellis, who last month noted that he sometimes tweets after taking Ambien, commented on fan hopes that Bomer would be cast as protagonist Christian Grey. "Casting Matt Bomer is the equivalent as casting Jesse Tyler Ferguson..."he wrote.

In the erotic trilogy Grey is described as "young, handsome, intelligent, business-savvy, and charming," a "control freak with a dark side." Bomer has not been officially cast, but has been near the top of short lists of possibilities for the coveted role, along with Ryan Gosling and Ian Somerhalder.

Today Ellis further expounded on reasons he thinks the gifted White Collar star is unsuitable for the character. "I don't care how good an actor you are but being married to another man complicates things for playing CG," he tweeted early this morning in reference to Bomer and his partner, publicist Simon Halls.

"Okay I'll say it," Ellis added. "Matt Bomer isn't right for Christian Grey because he is openly gay. He's great for other roles but this is too big a game." ...  Perhaps sensing the archaic tone of his comments and obviously responding to real or imagined criticism, Ellis sent a series of tweets to clarify his position on Bomer. "I am NOT discriminating Matt Bomer because of his sexuality," he wrote. "Fifty Shades of Grey demands an actor that is genuinely into women. Get it?!?"

Let's say that he made the statement on August 5, was taken off the project on August 7 (I wonder why. /sarcasm), and further expounded on his closed-minded views just yesterday, when the article was posted.



*Sighs*

Seriously, I'm not even a fan of Fifty Shades of Gray and I don't like this. Some would argue that Bomer dodged a bullet in regards to being in the film adaptation, but in all honesty, it's not about that. If anything, it's about the fact that Hollywood still discriminates against others due to their sexual orientation, their skin color, what-have-you. Even after all this time, Hollywood doesn't seem to get it, really. Honestly, it just...well, it pisses me off majorly, to say the least. Sexual orientation, skin color, what-have-you should not be a barrier to acting, nor to anything else. Unfortunately, we're going to have to have a long way to go before anyone realizes that. In the words of Futurama:



Yeah, that pretty much covers it. :/ 

Comments

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

Ew. That's really gross. Actors can fake almost anything, but they can't fake being attracted to someone? Or they can fake being attracted to anyone of the gender they are attracted to, but not someone of the other gender? That's not only really gross, it is also really stupid.

I absolutely loath 50 Shades, but this is not good at all.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Say what you will about 50 SHADES OF GRAY, but this is...oh, I dunno, fifty shades of *disgusting*. Seriously.

[girlofavalon.livejournal.com]

What the...?! That's gross! This screenwriter needs an Acting 101, really!

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly. :/

[lijahlover.livejournal.com]

OMG just OMG so they are saying if you are gay man you can't act like a straight man. Then if you are straight man you cant take a gay role??????

This makes me so mad to read this, they are actors and they can act. *headdesk*

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

This. Seriously.

[etoiledunord.livejournal.com]

"Okay I'll say it," Ellis added. "Matt Bomer isn't right for Christian Grey because he is openly gay. He's great for other roles but this is too big a game."

Way to go, buddy, implying that a gay man who *isn't* open about it could be ok for the role. Maybe you feel that the practice they gain by hiding their sexual orientation would give them enough of a boost that they could play Christian? That shame actually makes gay men just a little bit straight? Ugh.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

First off, I love your icon, so very much. :)

Second off, this. Seriously.

[pwalkeri.livejournal.com]

Ughhhhh.

Although, tbh, I don't want Matt Homer playing an abusive dickwad because its Matt Bomer and I heart him xD

But wtf. He plays a ladies man on White Collar fantastically!

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I guess the only good thing there is that he dodged a bullet in terms of playing Christian Grey, but other than that... *Sighs* The stupid is just *killing* me.

I sadly haven't seen WHITE COLLAR (that's mostly because other than maybe DOCTOR WHO, LEGEND OF THE SEEKER, FIREFLY, etc. I don't watch much TV), but I can imagine. *Makes note to see WHITE COLLAR sometime*

[caterfree10.livejournal.com]

I... Seriously, does no one look at what Neil Patrick Harris does on a daily basis in his career? He's openly gay and plays straight men all the fucking time. And that's not counting the thousands of LGBTQ folk who stay in the closet, which is a form of acting when you think about it. I just.

Can I beat the hell out of these people? Please? ASKFHKLDSJHSKDJ

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

First off, your icon is amazing. Seriously.

Second off, I agree, completely.

And finally, yes. Yes, you may.

[falconwhitaker.livejournal.com]

Dear Mr Ellis,

IT'S. CALLED. ACTING.

ACTING, MOTHERFUCKER, HAVE YOU HEARD OF IT?

[morwen_peredhil]

Bzuh? It's called acting. Perhaps he should google it.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Exactly. *Sighs* How can he not know this?

[forcewatcher.livejournal.com]

This will likely piss you off further, but... Have you noticed that most of the gay actors in Hollywood tend to be linked to the Church of Scientology? Presumably it's a means to gain some kind of group foothold in the Hollywood circle. When they come out of the closet, they're allowed to act, but not in a leading romantic role. Notable example: Sir Ian McKellan. Feel free to look up other examples. Hollywood doesn't try to "get" anything. They're about dictating their versions, and so far the Scientologists, of all people, are the only ones stepping up as a counteracting force. Scary? Oh yes.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Well, if I didn't know then, I know now. 0.0. Seriously, when the Scientologists are the only ones making sense in this matter, you know things are bad.

And yeah...Hollywood doesn't "get" anything. And I really doubt they ever will. (Or at the very least, we have a long way to go...)

[forcewatcher.livejournal.com]

You see my point. Hollywood isn't going to "get" anything. Another case in point, look up a documentary called "This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated." It'll give you another angle behind that curtain, and it'll drive you nuts. If something as simple as a rating system can have that much secrecy and political nonsense attached, imagine the controversy of something like this. The Scientologists are only able to fight because of the sheer amount of money they make. That's why they go after the gay actors - they have a reason to fight, they make tons of money, and they're overwhelmingly popular in most cases.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

*Makes note to check out THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED*

That's just...depressing on so many levels. :/

[forcewatcher.livejournal.com]

Hollywood has always been a closed system. Much like Vegas, it's in the desert because it was started by mobsters. The studios have always been law, and they're still making policy.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Started by mobsters? *Curious* Well...that's something I didn't know about.

And I'm wondering if it's possible to write them. Or in any way get them to stop shafting actors that aren't straight and cis -- and white, for that matter, but that's an entirely different matter. Because this really does need to change.

[forcewatcher.livejournal.com]

You can write them, and they'll ignore it. The entertainment industry gets one - and only one - message. You vote with your dollar, and convince others to do the same. When you hit their wallet, they start changing tactics. Independent filmmakers (such as George Lucas!) got hit with those politics in the beginning, and they make a stand in their own way.

Makes me proud to be a Star Wars fan. I'm not right wing, I'm not left wing... I'm X-Wing.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

*Chuckles in spite of it all at the X-wing pun*

And yeah...I guess that's all you can do in the end. It really is. *Sighs*

So, on a lighter note, finished CATCHING FIRE and nearly done with MOCKINGJAY. Really good book, if also really sad. :(

[forcewatcher.livejournal.com]

I can't claim the pun. Jimmy Mac of the Force Cast declared it, and I decided that's my official political party. I am, after all, a Rebel on damn near every cause. lol

My Kid Sis seems like the books too. I may get to them eventually, but I've got too many back-era books piled up first. WAaaaaaaay too many... It's a good problem to have.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Well, he's officially made of awesome for making that pun. *grins* *sighs*

Honestly, I think that we could actually use an X-wing party, really. Especially considering both parties seem to have gone just...batshit nowadays. *Sighs* As I said to eldritch earlier, I need some happy news, because...yeah. :/

(Maybe we could move to Sweden or New Zealand or something?)

I can imagine. :) Good luck on said back-books at any rate! :D

[forcewatcher.livejournal.com]

Good news? All things pass, including the BS all around you. All empires crumble hard, all civilizations die, and humanity prevails.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Ah, you worked in your V icon. Nice touch. :)

*Sighs* Maybe. We'll see. :) But yeah -- to quote BRISINGR, "Even gods cannot endure forever." So you're probably right. :)

[forcewatcher.livejournal.com]

:)

Now go forth and enlist into the X-Wing party! lol

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

XD.

Will do, sir. :)

[theladyoffaerie.livejournal.com]

Read about this all over ONTD...its mind boggling to say the least. If a straight man can play a gay man...then the reverse is true as well.

Mostly I'm just here to say I love your tags ^^

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Read about this all over ONTD...its mind boggling to say the least. If a straight man can play a gay man...then the reverse is true as well.

This, so very much.

And thanks. :)

[whisperingwasp.livejournal.com]

Well, I know which crappy movie I won't be supporting with my money...

Also, Neil Patrick Harris is openly gay and plays a womaniser on How I met Your Mother. I didn't realise that until I saw a picture of him with his partner and kids. And when I'm watching HIMYM, I still sometimes forget that he's homosexual. This proves that homosexual men can play straight men well and that this shitty director is just a prejudiced dickwad.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Good decision, I say.

And this. Seriously.

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I’m not surprised to hear this from Bret Easton Ellis, given that he has made several misogynistic remarks in the past. So, it’s not surprising that he’d move from misogyny to homophobia since I believe that both are two sides of the same coin when it comes to straight, white male supremacy.

But yes, straight actors have played homosexual characters and homosexual actors have played heterosexual characters for *years.* Tom Hanks is straight and he played a gay man in “Philadelphia.” Neil Patrick Harris is a gay man and he plays a heterosexual guy in “How I Met Your Mother.” I know that some people in the LGBT community are upset that most of time, straight actors play homosexual characters, because that means less opportunities for homosexual actors to gain prominence in Hollywood. And they have a point, but when it comes to portrayal, actors from both sides of the spectrum can get away with playing each other because sexual orientation is not like race. You can’t look at somebody and automatically know what sexual orientation they have. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with physical markers like race and gender do.

So, in this instance, yeah, it’s called *acting.* After all, many *straight* actors who have love scenes with each other in films either don’t like each other that way in real life or can’t stand each other. And yet they’re able to pretend to be in love with each other. Because they’re *actors.*

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Your Belle icon is, as always, highly apropos.

And yes...this. All the way.

[wyncatastrophe.livejournal.com]

Er. I think that this Ellis guy might be missing something about the concept of acting? Bomer already believably portrays a man who is attracted to women. His White Collar character is a charmer all around, but particularly known for his success with the ladies. And this has fuck-all to do with Bomer's personal preferences in sexual partners. It has everything to do with the craft of acting. Because let's face it: whether the character you are portraying shares your own sexual orientation or not, it is just sometimes going to happen that you do not personally feel attracted to the other person in the scene with you. In fact, that might legitimately be supposed to happen much of the time. But actors suck it up and carry on anyway, because making make-believe is their job. And if they are good at it, why should we care whether they really thought that other person was hot? We shouldn't. Give them props for the believability and move on.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

This. Seriously.

[yukinoomoni.livejournal.com]

The fact that there's a movie deal for these rags makes me angry, but saying that a gay actor can't take on straight roles? Hello, has anyone even seen Frasier?!

Everything touching these pieces of shit automatically turns to shit. Although some small part of me wants the actors from the Twilight movies to play their ripped-off selves. THAT would be funny.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Love your icon. And yes, *this*.