Irony and Homophobia (was Re: Hitchens on homophobia)

Yoshie Furuhashi furuhashi.1 at osu.edu
Sun Feb 28 19:02:17 PST 1999


Michael Pollak wrote:
>Well yes. But his intention here is to prove he isn't a homophobe. And
>joking that he's only straight because he's too ugly to be gay is arguably
>the kind of crack a homophobe wouldn't make.

Sometimes, homophobia and an ironic comment on homosexuality can coexist. Stanley Kubrick's _Full Metal Jacket_ has many good examples of it, but here's the best one. The scene is set in the Parris Island boot camp during the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Hartman: Where in hell are you from anyway, Private?

Cowboy: Sir, Texas, sir!

Hartman: Holy dogshit! Texas! Only steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy! And you don't look much like a steer to me, so that kinda narrows it down! Do you suck dicks!

Cowboy: Sir, no, sir!

Hartman: Are you a peter-puffer?

Cowboy: Sir, no, sir!

Hartman: I'll bet you're the kind of guy that would fuck a person in the ass and not even have the goddam common courtesy to give him a reach-around! I'll be watching you! (emphasis mine, the script available at http://www.sawnoff.demon.co.uk/script.txt)

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