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LGBT News Actor Matt Damon: Gay Actors Should Stay in the Closet

Discussion in 'Current Events, World News, & LGBT News' started by HuskyPup, Sep 28, 2015.

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  1. sldanlm

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    So what's that got to do with whether he's a good actor in the film, or whether the film itself is good or not? When I watch a movie, I'm judging the movie not on the personal beliefs of the actors or actresses or director, producer, etc., but on the film itself. There are plenty of actors, sports figures, etc. that I don't like their personal beliefs on certain subjects, it doesn't seem they don't do their job well. The reverse is true also. If I'm watching a movie and I'm thinking all the time "that's Matt Damon" instead of the character he's playing, he's not a very good actor.

    A possible exception I suppose would be if it was something so outrageously bad that every time I saw his face I couldn't disconnect myself from the character he's playing. (like if he was a child rapist murderer or something) Having a hypocritical opinion that I don't agree with? If that affected me I couldn't watch 95% of the actors/actresses.

    In the end actors, actresses, sports figures, etc, aren't heroes or role models, they're just people.
     
  2. RawringSnake

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    [​IMG]
     
  3. allnewtome

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    I think those that are saying they won't watch his movies now are sort of proving his point that the "less you know about actors the better", aside from sexuality it's a point he's talked about endlessly for years. Particularly when Afflecks career suffered after the whole J'lo thing.

    Obviously he's become more vocal about his relationship, children etc over the year but for a very long time there was almost never a mention of him in a tabloid or media attention his personal life.

    It's a sentiment that many actors have shared in one form or another. I think even as far as sexuality even those that have come out in recent years have done so in a much more causal way than once seemed the normal route: Jodie Foster in a speech, Matt Bomer thank his husband in a speech, Jim Parsons in an article where it was far from the focus.

    However there's no denying that in the past that had an incredibly negative effect on ones career. Yes TV wise careers have continued (some thrived after coming out) like Parson's, Neil Patrick Harris but the jury is still out as to whether or not someone can be out and be seen as a bonafide movie star. I think Matt Bomer and where his career continues to go will be the tell tale sign. He's super hot, very charismatic on screen and someone who had been thought would make the leap to big time movie stardom.
     
  4. 741852963

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    There is a lot of people taking this way out of proportion here.

    He has said something quite dumb, but something that does stem from a bit of truth (as evidenced by his Ellen interview today).

    He was basing his thoughts on past cases of sexuality impacting career in Hollywood, which has definitely happened historically and continues to happen today. Now of course he should have been progressive and called for the industry to change rather than recommending the status quo, but either way his remarks hardly justify the vilification he is receiving now.

    Have we become that sensitive and "on edge" as a community that the slightest dumb statement causes outrage and lynchmobs?

    Do you not think it is slightly hypocritical to attack Mr Damon for his ignorant remarks re homosexuality by using a term steeped in homophobia as it implies there is something inherently wrong or humorous about being gay and/or closeted?
     
  5. HuskyPup

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    I don't think he's a villain, he just sounds like he has a poor understanding of other people's emotions.

    He'd have to be more coherent and logical to raise to level of a decent villain!

    And no mob is trying to lynch him; my word, have we become so hypersensitive we have to resort to using such exaggerated, dramatic phrasing?

    I think the crticism he has rasied is wholly justified; after all, if you're straingt, it A-OK to be 'out' about that...he should know.

    Why doesn't he do a better job of hiding his own sexuality?
     
    #25 HuskyPup, Sep 29, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2015
  6. Invidia

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    Matt Damon is such bae. Why'd he have to say this? ;__;
     
  7. Hawk

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    :eusa_doh: He clears things up in his latest interview with Ellen Degeneres. He didn't mean it in the way that "gay actors should 'get back/stay in the closet'". They just took it the wrong way.

    [YOUTUBE]BuFjunbPXi4[/YOUTUBE]​
     
  8. Devil Dave

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    He says:

    Whether you’re straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality

    I get the impression he's talking about a person's sex life. So, if you're a straight actor who is dating and screwing hot women, keep it to yourself. If you're a gay actor and you're dating and screwing hot men, keep it to yourself. Has Matt Damon ever spoken openly about his own sexuality? (maybe he has, maybe he hasn't I haven't read many of his interviews in the past) He talks openly about his wife and kids, but talking about family is not quite the same as talking about dating and sexual experiences.

    Having said that, though, Ian Mckellen has been out for years and I don't remember him getting a lot of flack over his sexuality while he was playing Gandalf and Magneto.
     
  9. greatwhale

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    I did a year of professional theatre school when I was 18, one of the things I learned is that the best actors are, in real life, rather enigmatic. I'm thinking the likes of Anthony Hopkins or Laurence Olivier, or more contemporary actors like Daniel Day-Lewis. In real life, they seem to have a kind of neutrality to them, like some kind of blank canvas upon which to paint the characters they play.

    I think this is where Matt is coming from; this actor's ideal. Necessarily, as with all ideals there is also reality. If I see Zachary Quinto playing Spock, I am not necessarily thinking about how gay he is (but I often do, as I drool...).

    Matt chose sexuality as one of those things one should hide, perhaps an unfortunate choice in these sensitive times, but really, Matt Damon a homophobe? Nah.
     
  10. RavenTheRat

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    I have no idea who Matt Damon is or why I should care about him, but this made me sad.
     
  11. Gen

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    Exactly.

    People who call others out on the ignorant things that they say are not the hypersensitive of the modern era. People who are unable to admit that sometimes the things that they say come from a ignorant or biased perspective are the hypersensitive of this generation.

    Call me out! Drag me on twitter! Jump into my inbox like "What the fuck, Gen?!"

    If I publicly say something that others perceive as ignorant, there is nothing that I want more than for people to call me out. The only alternative is people secretly being upset about something that I've said and I am never given the opportunity to clarify what I meant or education myself and learn from it. People need to get over their egos and get rid of this mindsets that the world is out to get their innocent, pure souls. News flash, sometimes the things that you say actually are ignorant, stupid, and misguided. Sometimes you have to step back and reevaluate yourself rather than immediately becoming defensive because you have convinced yourself that you are above the rest of the human race who has to learn to be more socially aware and thoughtful individuals every single day.
    He decided not clarify on the actual sentence in question, which ties back to the very point that I am making. Stop acting as though everything that comes out of your mouth is golden. Quotes are not twisted by publications; that is the lie that we all tell ourselves to excuse the stupid comments of our favorite celebrities. It is against the law. When that happens publications are sued for millions. Publications capitalize on the stupid things that celebrities say, but the celebrities do in fact still need to say explicitly them.

    People say things and then hear them again and think, "That was a stupid/ignorant thing to say. I shouldn't have made that analogy. I should not have used that word. I should not have made that comment." We have all done it. However, that is when we have an obligation to come out and say, "What I said was stupid and here is what I should have said or here is what I've learned since saying what I said". Not insult everyone's intelligence by claiming that they took it the wrong way because they don't have ears or they can't read text. You said something stupid. Who cares? Own up to it, make amends with it, and move on.
     
  12. Mlpguy88

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    I can't say I disagree. It isn't anyone business

    Don't worry Matt, I still like you
     
  13. RawringSnake

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    By extension, it's not Matt Damon's business what other actors chose to disclose publicly or how they present themselves outside of a movie set.
     
    #33 RawringSnake, Sep 29, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2015
  14. LesbianThrasher

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    I don't see a problem with what he said. I mean, people are getting worked up over this?
     
  15. Blackbirdz

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    And what about those who call others out for the ignorant things that they didn't say?
    That is not what it means to be hypersensitive. Hypersensitive is when you're extremely suceptible to getting hurt by other peoples' comments or when you get offended far too easily. When you falsely attribute a homophobic statement to someone and that person denies that they ever held that belief, that is not hypersensitivity. That is called defensiveness and that's a normal reaction.

    Hypersensitive is people reacting in a disproportionately harsh manner to a popular celebrity saying "Gay actors should stay in the closet", when in fact, he never said such a thing. Let's look at some of the bashing going on in this thread.
    "closet case alert"
    "shut the fuck up"
    "Matt Damon is to gays what Mel Gibson is to Jews"
    (Mel Gibson, by the way, said that the fucking jews were responsible for all the wars in the world. What a comparison)
    "ignorant asshole"
    "his movies suck"
    "pompous, spoiled, white asshole"
    "shitty actor"​
    Really? Is this the type of knee-jerk rush to judgment that we should expect from the EC forum now? We don't even stop to consider the possibility that maybe Matt Damon doesn't actually espouse this particular homophobic viewpoint?

    I read the relevant section of the Observer interview and I understood the point Damon was trying to make, even if it was poorly worded. In my reading of it, I don't get the impression that he was trying to say that gay actors should stay in the closet. His point was that actors are more effective at portraying their characters when the audience knows nothing about the personal lives of the actors themselves. And he actually clarified this same point later when he went on Ellen.

    So, to recap, the guy never actually said the statement that he's being criticised for. And, to remove any ambiguity over his wording, he then clarified that he doesn't espouse the idea that gay actors should stay in the closet, and never intended to say such a thing. So why are we here? What is the point of the outrage? Why all the insulting comments? Oh, it's okay though. Damon is a celebrity. And celebrities aren't people. They don't deserve the same consideration that we might offer a forum member, for example. I'm sure the member with the Britney-Spears-meltdown-avatar can appreciate that sentiment.

    Listen, I'm not a die-hard fan of Matt Damon, but I know that he supports gay marriage; I know he's an intelligent educated person; I know he's a liberal; and I know he's portrayed gay/bisexual men in two of his movies. So, yeah, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. Matt Damon is not the enemy here. What I'm not willing to do is jump on the Damon-bashing dogpile that some of you seem to do so impulsively. That's an overreaction (a hypersensitive reaction) to something that, turns out, wasn't offensive to begin with.
    Is that so? Publications never twist peoples words. And which reality are we talking about here? Is this the same reality in which Al Gore purportedly 'invented the internet'? That quote wasn't twisted, correct? I suppose he really does think he invented the internet.
    Matt Damon might be able sue for defamation over this if he feels that the accusations adversely affected his marketability as an actor (although I don't believe they have). This doesn't really prevent publications from twisting the truth however. Media are well protected by the first ammendment and have the freedom to express their opinions that Damon is a raging homophobe whether he is one or not.
    Clearly not true. "Shut Up, Matt Damon: The Actor Argues Gay Actors Should Stay in the Closet" - The Daily Beast. Did Damon explicity say that gay actors should stay in the closet? No he did not.

    Great. I'll be more than happy to call you out. How about this:

    According to Gen: Cis straight white males have no right to talk about race or diversity. "Stay in your own lane," he writes.

    I hope no cis straight white males read that statement of ignorance and intolerance. Or if they did read it, I hope they're ok with it because, you know, they don't really have the right to respond to it. You believe that they should listen, but keep their privileged mouths shut when discussing minorities, right?

    Feel free to own up to this faux pas and retract it at any time. Or if you feel that I've twisted your words and misrepresented your position, just remember that quotes that are published somewhere (in this case, EC) cannot be twisted, as per your own argument. And if you do happen to issue an apology over the statements I've attributed to you, or if you attempt to give a clarification of your statements, please know in advance that I will not accept any of that because I will automatically assume that you are being insincere and insulting of my intelligence. Have a nice day.
     
    #35 Blackbirdz, Sep 29, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2015
  16. Psaurus918

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    I'm glad actors feel they can come out nowadays without affecting their careers (for the most part) but I think we should leave actors personal lives alone. I don't care about their sexuality, religious beliefs, political stances etc. I just want to watch their movies without judging them on their personal life and just focus on the character they're playing.
     
  17. allnewtome

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    It's pretty odd to make the claim that quotes aren't twisted by publications when the article the original post links to says "Matt Damon says gay actors should stay in the closet" and then nowhere is he actually quoted as saying those words.

    Yes perhaps it can be inferred by his actual words particularly if we ignore the fact that he mentioned straight people in the same manner and the overall context of his point.

    This sort of thing happens regularly sometimes resulting in lawsuits (see Will Smith commenting on Hitler) but often once its out there it's out there and even when a retraction is printed or a lawsuit is won that never gets the kind of media attention as the original piece and people go on believing the false narrative.

    This happens even frequently on a local level, false information or sloppy journalism makes it to the front paper but any retraction/correction is often buried to the back pages in small print.
     
  18. Gen

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    Becoming defensive whenever someone so much as challenges the opinion that you have shared is absolutely hypersensitivity. Defensiveness is a very common and normal defensive mechanism; however, it is also a textbook symptom of egoism and insecurity. Any member of the psychiatric community will attest to that fact. Instinctive reactions are not always the best reaction and sometimes when we find ourselves becoming defensive we have to step back and ask ourselves whether the criticism that we are receiving is valid.

    Inherent defensiveness is a subjective reaction, but we need to follow it with an objective evaluation to ensure that we are being thoughtful about our beliefs and actions in life.

    Are some people in this thread being overly critical? Possibly. However, I don't recall posting a single comment of what was posted above. I said that I found what he said to be ignorant. Even those who defend him have admitted that his comment was poorly worded and unnecessary. In fact, my criticism was rather tame. Speak with minorities, educate yourself, and speak wisely when speaking on the social issues of others. If that is an example of me vilifying him then that belief is easily the truest product of hypersensitivity in this thread.

    Putting alleged allies up on pedestals is about the most dangerous thing that members of minorities groups can do. Homosexuals make ignorant comments about homosexuality every time. You don't make mistakes and expect to not have to own up to them because you save rescue puppies on weekends. You act as a self-aware individual who can admit that everything that comes out of your mouth isn't the words of the Gods. With the exception of those who truly do deal with egoism, which not a single one of Damon's supports can claim that they know him enough to know him psychologically, the concept of going back and acknowledging that something that I said was stupid is not unreasonable; regardless of whether those who have convinced themselves that I am a saint want to bend over backwards to argue in my name.

    It came across as ignorant, but it is not truly what I mean would suffice. You should have known that is not what I mean because I have always been nice to the gays is not how you clarify a statement.

    Except that the statement that you've made above is not covered by the constitution or publication law. First of all, the quote that you have written is cited incorrectly. Regardless of whether you include quotations, if you start a sentence with "According to Gen:" the words in the following statement must have been said in the interview or post that is being referenced regardless of whether quotations are used. That is an example of publishing a false statement. Not taking statements out of context. That is illegal and would cost The Guardians tens of millions of dollars.

    What is truly being referenced in most of these cases is when a publication publishes statements without context. That is not the same as posting false statements and twisting someones words. Some celebrities will come out and say, "Oh no. I never said that." When in reality they mean that it didn't come out right. It wasn't meant to be taken that way. Those are two extremely different reaction and they say quite a bit about our character. When we are able to admit that sometimes the things that we say don't come out right rather than attempting to convince everyone that the world is against us.
    Lastly, the tone that has been showed throughout this post has been very condescending and unnecessary. My posts have most certainly not been the most critical in this thread nor have did I start arguments with everyone who felt differently than I. You can feel how you wish to feel. I have no issue with the opinion that you have shared; however, we should all be able to voice our opinions and speak on the opinions of others without ranting and using tones that are clearly meant to be seen as sarcastic and insulting. You might have felt that the thoughts people shared on the opinions of Damon were insulting; however, Damon is not a member of this community and the way that we approach critiquing the posts that have been posted on this site needs to be done in ways that are much more thoughtful and much less combative.
     
  19. Oh Lilac

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    The problem is, it is so easy for him to make these insensitive remakes because he is a privileged white man. He isn't looking at the other side of it, where the struggle is, that it can actually help society when actors come out of the closet. So it hurts their career... That is a small price to pay to make life better for a lot of marginalized people. And at what cost to a gay actor? Just because intrigue and mystery are good for an acting career does not mean they are good for one's soul.

    And what he said does have undercurrents of homophobia. If being LGBTQ weren't an issue to so many, he wouldn't be saying it. He wouldn't be saying it about a heterosexual person... He has been all over the media with his relationship. Thanks, Matt Damon, for your two cents. It is so refreshing to hear advice from someone who has "lived through it."
     
    #39 Oh Lilac, Sep 30, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2015
  20. Gen

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    That is precisely the issue.

    Damon said exactly what The Guardian printed. He himself has not denied that the quotes were accurate. His argument was that they were meant to be taken the manner that he were. Even in his interview with Ellen is still goes on to claim that he stands by the idea that it is best if actors do not reveal information about their sexuality to the public. He simply argues that he meant in relation to heterosexuals no less.

    The problem is that his statements don't truly apply to heterosexuals because heterosexuals don't have to come out. The sexuality of heterosexuals is never discussed with the pretense of whether or not it is meant to be kept secret. Matt Damon regularly does interviews speaking about his wife and children. Matt Damon is not a hermit in regards to the public eye. He hasn't kept his life secret in the public eye. The concept of not discussing our sexualities, our love lives, our families, our identities, etc, is only brought up on the subject anything of LGBTQ.

    Now does that mean that Matt Damon knew that the comments that he made came from a biased perspective? Does that meant that he is not supportive of LGBTQ? I highly doubt it. However, the comments that he made were not the socially aware. LGBTQ are still not allowed to be even slightly as transparent in the media as heterosexuals. We are not weighed on the same scale as them.

    Us not being open means mis-gendering. It means that we get harassed by a world that assumes our genders and sexuality. Cis-Heterosexuality is not even close to comparable to LGBTQ status when it comes to the need to be open about our identities. It is the very fact that he thought his statements could truly apply to both heterosexuals and LGBTQ alike that made them ignorant.
     
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