Is Bruno Bad for Gays?

Love him or hate him, Sacha Baron Cohen is a fixture in the headlines. Drudge Report claims this Sunday’s issue of The New York Times will feature an in-depth assessment of whether Cohen’s upcoming satirical movie, Bruno, is good or bad for the gay community. If it happens, NYT won't be the first to air ambivalent feelings about Baron Cohen's satirical fashionista. Though the title character’s over-the-top flamboyance is thought to expose homophobia in bystanders, organizations like GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign have a different perspective. “Sacha Baron Cohen's well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in many places and outright offensive in others,” said GLAAD senior director Rashad Robinson. The HRC issued a statement asking that Bruno carry a disclaimer to brief audiences on its intentions, but some in the gay community are fed up with the fuss. “Bruno doesn't need to be a finely tuned teaching moment,” wrote gay blog Queerty. “If the film starts even one conversation about ‘how wrong’ [homophobia] is, it's a success.”