He begins with the assumption that his twentysomething audience is going to be bored and confused by the 38-year-old, self-hateful gay bitch fest, and guess what? They kind of are!
Also, they kind of aren’t. To wit:
“Why are they so fuckin’ bitchy? Although I could probably see this same thing playing out at the Abbey on any given night — just change the neck scarves to Fendi and D&G.” [says Steve.]“And the gays now are just as racist,” Juan adds.
White points out that even gays watching the film during its original 1970 release, or seeing the Broadway play it was based on, weren’t totally on board with this being one of the first pieces of semi-mainstream American culture centered on a gay cast of characters. We agree it’s historically relevent and hilarious (as White wittily puts it, “It’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with eight more Elizabeth Taylors.”) and we agree it’s flawed. But because of its place so early in the timeline of gay cinema it’s considered seminal, and therefore we’re all still sitting around bitching about how it doesn’t represent us.
Can’t we just enjoy the uncomfortably cunty, occasionally funny birthday party movie for what it is?
Anyway, here’s the trailer, in case you’re interested. It’s just out on DVD and you just might like it.
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Buy The Boys in the Band on DVD at TLA Video.