Gay Bashing & Bullying for Fun
In the 1970 movie M*A*S*H*, Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John, put a microphone in the tent where uptight Frank Burns and Hotlips O'Houlihan were trysting. Their lovemaking, the sighs, the moans and the urgency, was broadcast throughout the base.
Of course, in 1970, I laughed. It was funny, a prank. As I think about the movie today, I remember something that had slipped my mind. Yes, I laughed at Hotlips, but she recovered and got past the incident. Frank Burns did not. He had a mental breakdown and was taken away in a straightjacket. He was broken by a limited live broadcast of a heterosexual encounter. Imagine if it had been on the Net, where it would have lived forever, and it had been gay.
Rutgers student Tyler Clementi committed suicide after webcam pictures of him having gay sex were put up on the Net. While I have no way of knowing the feelings or intentions of the students who took these and distributed these pictures, it was clearly an act of cruelty meant to embarrass him. It clearly and tragically worked.
It is possible that to the other students this was meant only to embarrass and not truly humiliate or destroy Clementi; perhaps it was only a joke. Now however the consequences should be obvious to everyone considering invading the privacy of anyone--gay or straight. This kind of activity is not a prank. It isn't funny.
The world has changed in the last 40 years. In at least one way, it has changed for the better. We no longer accept as a prank the humiliating of another person or the destruction of their dignity.
God knows some volunteer for humiliation by lining up to do reality TV, but that is their choice. Because some waive any concept of privacy or shame does not imply that others can be subjected to public humiliation at the pleasure, or for the pleasure, of others.
This is a story rich with material for serious discussion and consideration. It involves expectations of privacy, bullying and, of course, gay bashing. It is a kind of microcosm of some of our society's most sensitive issues.
©2010 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.com
As much as I loved some episodes of MASH I would have to agree with you.
In grade school I use to see peer's imitating pranks that Hawkeye and Trapper had done over and over again. They would pick out someone that was a little introverted and single them out for the unwilling Frank Burns roll.
The lack of real conversation and adult interaction between those characters synced well with the simplified mindset of most adolecents. Its unfortunate but that show did depict a lot of bullying and held up the instigator (Hawkeye) as being the hero and moral superior to the victim.
Its just a shame that when Allan Alda took on the directors roll he didnt address the lack of charcter development in the Burns character instead of focusing on his own.
I obviously agree with your main point. However, in Alda's defense, he didn't start writing and directing episodes till after Frank Burns, Larry Linville, left the show.
Still there is that line and the greater question: Do boys ever become men and leave Junior High?
Cheers!
Jonathan