Today's Example of an Egregious Use of Something a Writer Once Learned in Freshman Philosophy

[scalzi]

(Still fixing the Whatever. In the meantime, here's what I was going to post there this morning)

It comes from Matt Feeney in Slate, discussing whether various action films are homoerotic (in this case, the Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze Surf Crime Dude flick Point Break):

Indeed, claiming a macho film friendship is not-so-secretly gay has become

Comments

[ckd]

Oh, and your internal Mr. Sulu? Also gay.

[captain_button]

ckd wrote: Oh, and your internal Mr. Sulu? Also gay.

I should say so. The man raised flowers in his stateroom, even!

Has someone compiled a list somewhere of what is really all about what? I remember being told that horror movies are all about oppressing women, and that "The Cold Equations" is all about rape, but there are others I've forgotten I'm sure.

[ckd]

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is about the politics of bimetallism in the 1890s, and "Last Train To Clarksville" is about the draft and the Vietnam War.

[captain_button]

Thanks for reminding me about Oz. I hadn't heard the Clarksville one, thanks again.

[dionysus1999]

Watch out, John. The Rand-ites are a dangerous lot, they might bash you in the head with their T-squares.

[caprine]

You are Made of Win.

[chang3002]

My friend Matt Feeney from high school had an older brother who was gay but didn't come right out and say it. I don't know whether or not he liked action films or surfing.

I guess I just wanted to comment without having anything to say. It's been that kind of day.

[wizardru]

"You don't need to drag all of Western philosophy into the discussion, when the present heterosexual male abdication of anything more culturally, emotionally and intellectually resonant than "Dick in a Box" works just as well."

Scalzi, you glorious bastard! That may be the best sentence you've ever written. Although I haven't read "The Last Colony", yet, so...you never know. :)