<p>Well I might agree with you that it was better than Crash, I think that's a tough call, though I wouldn't necessarily say that the depiction ofn race relations was inaccurate. I though Capote was an awfully powerful movie, but that's just me. Also, I hate it when people say well that's the way it was SUPPOSED to be. I didn't say it was an accident, I said it didn't help the movie. I think they intentionally did it that way, but it didn't help the movie. I just didn't fall in love with the pair as a couple. They don't say much to each other before they rather suddenly have sex, and then we're supposed to assume it's a very meaningful relationship from that point forward. I would like to emphasize that I think Brokeback was a good movie, I just wouldn't have given it best picture, and I don't think homosexuality necessarily cost it the award.</p>
<p>Like Lori1122 (post #14) said, if it helps being gay, let me know.</p>
<p>"Gay" is not an option on your application. Unless you blatantly put it anywhere, it can't possibly help you unless you write an essay about it (which would probably end up pretty cliche). Unlike race or other factors that are blatant and that give you an automatic plus no matter how it's affected you, with orientation you need to go a step forward. Nowhere in my application did I mention that I was queer but my essay was about leadership and community challenges with running my school's gay-straight alliance and various other gay rights activism. If you can talk about it queer <em>issues</em> an indirect way (how many high school kids run GSAs/get involved in activism?) it might be able to give you a plus, but otherwise and unfortunately, just randomly mentioning it isn't going to help you. :]</p>
<p>think about it....</p>
<p>your roommate might be straight......... would a college admissions officer want to know that you are checking out a roommate or suspect it?</p>
<p>not that you would, im jsut saying if the admissions officer assumes</p>
<p>What it comes down to is has being gay changed/done anything for your life. Are you involved in your schools GSA, do you volunteer at your local LGBT youth center. Has it made you different, or made you do anything different. From your comments I'm gonna say no. It doesn't sound like your comfortable with your sexuality yet, but that's not bad I'm definately still not comfortable being gay, it bugs me every day, I live in the constant fear that someone will find out and spread it like wildfire (I live in a very conservative community) To be honest my parents are probably more accepting of me being gay than I am, and like you activism certainly is not my forte. The point is that you can't really expect an advantage if your not willing to step out of your shell and tell the world. I'm not going to use being gay to help me get into college because I'm not willing to be overly public about it, but maybe you are, in which case it would probably help.</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>I guess I can't have any personal opinion on this matter, but I proof read my friend's essay on her struggles to come to terms with her own bisexuality. Honestly, it was very poorly written in terms of prose and grammar, but it was so earnest and packed with emotion that it just hurt to read... I guess with a more accepting admission officer, it would def. help.... though I can see a more conservative admof freaking out over the nakedness and rawness of both the essay and the issue... Could go either way.
I'm really glad you have such a great mother, you have no idea how lucky you are. My friend had far worse things to go through... it was incredible but her parents just decided to not accept that there is such a thing as homosexuals... take care and good luck :)</p>
<p>Not sure playing the gay card is the way to go. Not because it won't help you, it may, but do you really think thats a good and honest thing to do?</p>
<p>Should I write an essay about being straight? I don't think so. Sexual orientation is something personal, not something that goes on the same paper as your academics and activities.</p>
<p>It sounds like a pathetic way to win over an admissions office if you ask me.</p>
<p>The day needs to come when "being gay" is not a novelty to be exploited or an agenda to be pushed for college admissions. We see it constantly being exploited, however, on TV and by Hollywood filmmakers. This "in your face" homosexuality, I feel, is not helping to further the cause of general acceptance. We middle-aged folks find ourselves saying, "OK, OK, you're gay. We get it."
There must be a clever and creative way for the original poster to write about the subject, but she needs to be really careful. The line between creativity and triteness can be tellingly thin.</p>
<p>To shoe66: You get what? What is the "'in your face' homosexuality" that you speak of?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think the rawness of the film was one of its chief strengths. The movie was an artistic masterpiece rife with symbolism, visual motifs, allusions, and other elements that weave together to reveal a profound and haunting message. In case you didn't notice, every scene, gesture, and emotion was carefully calculated (Heath Ledger's acting was particularly brilliant). Now, explain to me what you make of the imagery of hearth vs. the river, the allusion to Grant Wood's American Gothic, the singificance of the door (with the mountain shot on it) being positioned next to the trailer window at the end, and of course, the metaphor that is the Mountain. The film has a lot of layers that English, psychology, and sociology majors, in particular, would find intriguing. What could the characters have done to make the relationship more meaningful?</p>
<p>gianscolere:</p>
<p>What I mean is, OK, I can understand that you're gay and I don't have a problem with that. But why do you feel the need to tell me again and again? If you were promiscuous, would you announce it as often as possible?
Once is fine. Let me get to know you. The complete you, not just the sexual orientation part.
Maybe I'm dating myself here, but some of us think that TV and Hollywood engage in overkill when it comes to sexuality. I am naive enough to think that the entertainment industry's primary agenda is acceptance. Yet, in seeking acceptance, the industry too often falls back on stereotypes and labels, and in so doing, a gay character's full self goes unexplored.
This will be a better world when every other movie doesn't feel that it needs to have a gay "lesson" included in it.</p>
<p>I agree with you shoe. Way I feel too.</p>
<p>Sometimes people feel the need to always remind me that they're gay or something with everything that they do, and I'm just wondering if they're expecting me to applaud them or something. Sometimes people keep talking about gays and straight people need to embrace each other, but how am I supposed to act all cool with people when they can't seem to stop reminding me for an instant that they're gay? </p>
<p>Some gaysI know are cool about it, but then there's also a whole group that seem to be insecure or something, and can't seem to stop reminding people about it.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Who is telling you over and over again? and how?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Heterosexuality? yes.</p>
<p>
What gay lesson are you talking about?</p>
<p>And no, you don't "get it."</p>
<p>gianscolere,</p>
<p>Thanks. You just made my point. </p>
<p>Have a nice life.</p>
<p>You made mine. </p>
<p>If you pay attention to the radio or TV, I'm sure you will find numerous references to heterosexual relationships, and they are commonly accepted, no questions asked. Why shouldn't homosexual ones be perceived the same way? You are part of the reason non-heterosexual couples are afraid to hold hands in public. Beneath your rhetoric lies a dangerous and abusive mentality.</p>
<p>I hate to interfere in your... discussion. Just thought you like to know that homosexual couples have no scruples in showing their affection in public where I live :) They are just like any other couple...</p>
<p>Inaina...</p>
<p>You must live in utopia. ::envious::</p>
<p>Inaina, WHERE do you live, I must move there.</p>
<p>Gianscolere, you have overrated, and overanalyzed to a ludicrous degree a film that was pretty good, not a "masterpiece" in any arena other than the breathtaking visuals. Heath Ledger being stoic yet conflicted was a good performance, one that doesn't even approach the quality of Philip Seymour Hoffman's in Capote. If you wan to see a truly perfect performance you should check it out. None of the points you made about the symbolism, which you seemed to unjustly imply that I couldn't appreciate, addressed the film's primary flaw which is that the characters do not play off of each other enough. We need more dialogue between them to give that couple added depth. As for the bit about English and Psychology majors, those are the subjects I plan to explore in college, however that film is not as psychologically intricate as you seem to think it is.
By the way, I couldn't agree with you more about the lack of positive homosexual relationships in mass media today. You're right on with that point.</p>
<p>Also I'll be honest, I missed the allusion to American Gothic. I fail however to see how an allusion to a painting of a farm couple with a pitchfork adds any genuine depth to a film. I'm obviously your intellectual inferior, perhaps you could enlighten me.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/01/AR2006020102477.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/01/AR2006020102477.html</a>
The "breathtaking visuals" were not there just for aesthetics. I mean, Ang Lee is the director for goodness's sake. The article above confirms and articulates my impressions of the film.</p>
<p>"...the characters do not play off of each other enough. We need more dialogue between them to give that couple added depth."</p>
<p>More dialogue would have detracted from the characters' identity and authenticity. Ennis had a troubled childhood and for this reason, he was a "clenched fist" (notice that he was quiet around the women too). Even when he spoke, his voice was suppressed. Jack was more light-hearted and talkative because those characteristics fit his character. Your assessment of the screenplay is way off. Brokeback Mountain won the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the Golden Globes, Oscars, WRITERS' GUILD AWARDS, and pratically everywhere else... not to mention that one of the writers, Larry McMurtry, is a Pulitzer Prize winner. I think that professionals' opinions hold more weight than yours, and I happen to agree with the professionals.</p>
<p>I admired Hoffman's performance in Capote and rooted for him to win Best Actor. You made the wrong assumption that I preferred Heath Ledger.</p>
<p>"By the way, I couldn't agree with you more about the lack of positive homosexual relationships in mass media today."
I made no such statement.</p>