Heath Ledger Angry At Ban (Compares Anti-Gay Bigots To Racists)

[ruggerson]

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17786057%255E2902,00.html

<snip>

Heath Ledger angry at ban
Claire Sutherland and Mark Moor
11jan06

Hot Oscar tip Heath Ledger yesterday compared US bans on his gay cowboy film to racism.

Ledger said he was not surprised a Utah cinema had banned Brokeback Mountain, which depicts a lifelong love affair between two Montana cowboys. "I heard a while ago that West Virginia was going to ban it. But that's a state that was lynching people only 25 years ago, so that's to be expected," Ledger said.

"Personally, I don't think the movie is (controversial) but I think maybe the Mormons in Utah do. I think it's hilarious and very immature of a society.

"If two people are loving . . . I think we should be more concerned if two people express anger in love, than love."

<snip>

[bammertheblue]

1. Good for him

I hope he really thinks this and is not just motivated by $$$$...yeah, I'm jaded.

(PS. He's beauuuutiful! Ok, I'm done).

[Ian David]

2. South Carolina had an attempted lynching last July

By Emanuella Grinberg
Court TV

Five white South Carolina teens will spend two to six years in prison for lynching a black teen on a country road in July 2005.

The defendants, ages 17 to 18, faced up to 30 years each for the severe beating of 16-year-old Isaiah Clyburn, who was left on the roadside bruised and bloodied from the attack.

Speaking through 7th Circuit Solicitor Trey Gowdy, Clyburn told his attackers that he forgave them for what they had done.

"He wants me to tell the five defendants he has forgiven them and holds no hatred in his heart for what they've done to him," Gowdy said as Clyburn, now 17, stood next to him.


<snip>

Race or ethnicity is not a factor of consideration in lynching allegations as it is with federal civil rights violations. Despite the racial difference between Clyburn and his attackers, federal authorities investigated the case and determined that civil rights charges were unwarranted.

More:
http://www.courttv.com/trials/grice/011005_pleas_ctv.html

[saigon68]

32. Indiana too loves lynching WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTO

Lynching 1930

A mob of 10,000 whites took sledgehammers to the county jailhouse doors to get at these two young blacks accused of raping a white girl; the girl’s uncle saved the life of a third by proclaiming the man’s innocence. Although this was Marion, Ind., most of the nearly 5,000 lynchings documented between Reconstruction and the late 1960s were perpetrated in the South. (Hangings, beatings and mutilations were called the sentence of “Judge Lynch.”) Some lynching photos were made into postcards designed to boost white supremacy,

[wiley]

3. I'm so ashamed of some Americans.

It's a movie. Give em Hell Heath.

Yeah, like we don't have serious race issues anymore. Forget NO already?

[northzax]

4. way to paint an entire state with one brush

West Virginia ain't all crazy fundy, you know Heath?

[Rowdyboy]

5. What an incredibly stupid thing to say....

"I heard a while ago that West Virginia was going to ban it. But that's a state that was lynching people only 25 years ago, so that's to be expected," Ledger said.

First, I haven't read a single word about West Virginia "banning" the movie (feel free to correct me). As to lynching, please cite a single instance of a lynching EVER occurring in West Virginia.

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb....

[ruggerson]

6. Well, there's this:

http://www.nathanielturner.com/lynchingbystateandrace.htm

[Rowdyboy]

8. Sorry, I did look before I said that but evidently not hard enough....

That said, I still think it was a VERY stupid think for Heath Ledger to say and I predict you'll hear a LOT more about this comment in the days to come. He may have just cost himself an Oscar.

[Heddi]

9. and there's this

http://www.soulofamerica.com/towns/wvtowns.html

In the 1890’s when an epidemic of lynching occurred in the mining communities, in particular Pocahontas, black miners met 700 strong to demand an end to the brutality.

and this

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/shipp/lynchingsstate.html

, etc:

http://courses.washington.edu/spcmu/speeches/idabwells.htm

In 1892, when lynching reached high-water mark, there were 241 persons lynched. The entire number is divided among the following States:
West Virginia.... 5

[Rowdyboy]

11. I spoke too quickly in anger because I don't want to see this movie harmed

Now I am totally unfamiliar with any effort to ban this movie in West Virginia (and I've read about it compulsively). Unless Heath knows of something I don't concerning a banning, I don't get why he attacked West Virginia. It is senseless. And I'd love the date of the last lynching in WVA. I'd bet $20 it was prior to 1950. The religious right will use this to destroy the films chances in small, rural areas and now they have a snotty comment from one of the stars to back them up.

Sorry, IMHO this was a very stupid thing for Heath Ledger to do and will hurt the movie, seriously I'm afraid.

[ruggerson]

15. I don't think it will have any effect whatsoever

He is Australian. Pretty unfamiliar with our country. "West Virginia" is a symbol of red neck, hillbilly ignorance to foreigners, rightly or wrongly. He doesn't know that there are millions of terrific W. Virginia citizens, he just knows what he was taught about the American South in his gradeschool in Australia. And our country's battles with civil rights have not been our finest moments; its definitely the weak link in the history books.

[Rowdyboy]

16. Damn, I hope you're right. We'll know in a week or so...

[ronnykmarshall]

20. Calm down, hon.

You're still wound up about your "Hump a Hunk for Hanukkah" nomination.

[Rowdyboy]

21. Oh, you!

I'm just beside myself!

[Critters2]

34. The examples you cite

are all more than 25 years ago. Mr. Ledger says they were still doing this "25 years ago". They weren't. That's all.

[LiviaOlivia]

7. Rumor is Focus Features may sue exhibitors

who pulled this movie.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1979&p=.htm
Utah Theater Snub Can't Bridle 'Brokeback Mountain'
by Brandon Gray
January 9, 2006

Last week, distributor Focus Features set up 484 theaters for Brokeback Mountain's expansion, but on Friday that figure was revised to 483. The difference was one theater in Utah.

The Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy decided to pull director Ang Lee's cowboy love story at the last minute on Thursday night, despite having agreed to play the picture. The theater is owned by Larry H. Miller, who also owns the Utah Jazz, a National Basketball Association team.

"It's the most despicable practice that any exhibitor can do," Focus' head of distribution, Jack Foley, told Box Office Mojo. "It was a flagrant dismissal of a commitment, and without even a phone call. So I'm not in business with him anymore. It's a breach of contract. It's unethical. We can sue him."

~snip~

[LostinVA]

26. I wondered if exhibitors could do this to a movie not rated

NC-17 or unrated. I suspected they could be sued.

[customerserviceguy]

29. Larry Miller

is a Mormon asshat who thinks he owns half of Utah. I'm exceeding glad I moved away from there in July.

But, that said, Heath Ledger probably should have kept his mouth shut, and let the other side do the talking. Too bad Pat Robertson hasn't come out and condemned Brokeback Mountain the way he did Sharon, the movie could use the free publicity!

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. Ummm... if Heath thinks it's "hilarious"...

I'm not sure he understood his own movie.

Hopefully it was just a poor choice of words.

[Kaylee]

12. He doesn't think the movie is hilarious....

he thinks that the immature response of some people to the movie is hilarious (not in a funny, ha ha way, but a in pitiful ironic way)

[Smarmie Doofus]

18. It's not the best word to describe the Mormon reaction.

Mormon craziness has ruined the lives of *thousands* of folks... just like the Brokeback characters. It's not "hilarious", it's not amusing, it's not funny, it's not cute, it's not even pitiful or ironic.

"Scary", "offensive", "dangerous," "deranged" "destructive"... my mind tends to run in this direction. But I'm not trying to promote a movie.

I think we tend to let haters get away with a lot more if they cloak their bigotry in "religious" garb than we would if they didn't. It's confers on them a sort of "right" to their POV, in the sense of others do not then have a right to dissuade them... at least not without appearing to trample over some kind of "right" to religious self expression.

Movie promotion or no, Heath should not be minimizing the lethal significance of the Mormon reaction.

[Zhade]

22. "Horrific" is a good word, too.

NT!

[Gusto md]

24. In this context, hilarious is meaning absolutely crazy

(yes, it's an Aussie expression of sorts)

[LostinVA]

27. And even ironic -- I'm American, but I use it that way, too

[Charlie Brown]

13. How long will it be before Robertson calls for his assassination?n/t

[Olney Blue]

19. LOL.

:spray:

[Skittles]

14. these fundies should let the people decide

show the movie; if the people have the same sick values the fundies do, they won't go see it - right? It is all-telling when THEY make the decision FOR the people.

[brentspeak]

17. Good grief, this is like the Neil Young "Southern Man" thing

Ledger, not an American, is implying that W.Virgians in general are racist and still support lynching. And I'm sure there's a lot of W.Virginia residents who don't mind "Brokeback Mtn" playing at their local theater.

Look who's being "holier-than-thou"?

[mantrid]

28. Yup. You can't fight ignorance with ignorance.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

31. Just curious, but were you born in West Virginia? Do you live there now?

[Beausoir]

23. Wow! He's an Aussie. I wonder how the movie will be received down under.

I am furious that because of these sick Tali-born-again fundies, I have to drive 120 miles to see this movie. It looks like a great film and I am outraged that people who are so insecure about their own sexuality that they are threatened by it are ruining it for the normal people in this country.

That being said, I'm not sure if Australia has a much better record of tolerance regarding gay people than West Virginia.

Anyone care to enlighten me a little on this?

[Gusto md]

25. Can't recall it being an issue at our last election.......

(in reply to the gay acceptence issue)

But then you get rednecks all over the world... so places are just more concentrated than others

[stanwyck]

30. Do you think fellow Aussie Mel

will be going to see Brokeback?
Probably not. He's more into bashing gay people than understanding their lives.
Remember his "hilarious" gay impersonation in "Bird on a Wire"?
Must be his deep spirituality which gives Mel such depth.

[foreigncorrespondent]

33. Well let's see...

...WV has some pretty horrific laws regarding gay people/couples. I remember when those laws were passed one of our DUers (who has now passed away) was very upset with what his state had done. Yet around Australia many of the states have laws protecting gay people/couples.

Apart from Australia's very own FMA, Australia is actually far more accepting of gay folk than America is. And the majority of Australian's would like to see federal laws giving gay people the right to civil unions. Tell me, do the majority of W. Virginians want the same for gay folk in their neck of the woods?

[samhsarah]

35. good for him n/t

[AnnieBW]

36. Spoken Like a True Aussie!

Aussies are cool. Except for the ones who were out getting drunk and bashing Lebanese recently.

Exhibit A - "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". You'll never see Agent Smith from "The Matrix" the same way again. :D