# Utah theatre refuses to show "Brokeback Mountain" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 8, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044 "2006-01-08T20:55:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/21 "2006-01-08T23:37:51Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > There was nothing in the article to suggest that the decision was made for business reasons, but out of a moral objection. Actually, no there isn’t. The theater owner had no comment; you and Gayle Ruzicka are the ones assuming. ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/22 "2006-01-08T23:42:13Z")
**EddyTeddyFreddy** , I can’t figure out how to quote you :smack: but you are right about Utah. However, even though I lived there for awhile and think it should become it’s own weird little country, I’m won’t deny the fact that the theater owner is in the business to make money. And with that movie, he most likely would not. I’d rather not have it shown if homophobic morons are gonna sit in the back and shout out slurs. People are just different in Utah. And Idaho. Etc. (the coolest person I “know” from Utah is **Diane**!) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/23 "2006-01-08T23:44:46Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Actually, no there isn’t. The theater owner had no comment; you and Gayle Ruzicka are the ones assuming. Given the context, I think that is a valid assumption. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/24 "2006-01-08T23:45:57Z")
I’m not suprised by this nor do I dispute the theater owners right to pull the film. However, I think there is a more interesting thing here that no one seems to have noticed. Why did they pull the film? In reading the article it is clear that this happened at the last minute. The theater had planned to show the film. Movie theaters book things weeks and month in advance. They also likely knew what the subject matter was when they booked it. From the article: > [@](#): > > The movie’s distributor, Focus Features, said that hours before opening, the theater management “ **reneged on their licensing agreement** ,” and refused to open the film. The bolding is mine. Does this mean they had to sign an agreement to show the film in the first place? That hardly sounds like something a homophobe would agree to show and then change their mind later. They would probably never agree to show it to begin with, right? It sounds like outside pressure was put on the theater owners to pull the movie. So, maybe the theater owner wanted to show the film and was pressured or threatened with a boycott of his business. In this case, it looks like you should be pitting someone other than the theater owner Cynical Gabe. Who, however, is the question. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/25 "2006-01-08T23:54:11Z")
> [@beckwall](#): > > **EddyTeddyFreddy** , I can’t figure out how to quote you :smack: but you are right about Utah. However, even though I lived there for awhile and think it should become it’s own weird little country, I’m won’t deny the fact that the theater owner is in the business to make money. And with that movie, he most likely would not. I’d rather not have it shown if homophobic morons are gonna sit in the back and shout out slurs. People are just different in Utah. And Idaho. Etc. > (the coolest person I “know” from Utah is **Diane**!) That’s what I figured, in fact I almost added a caveat about not calling every Utahite a homophobe, only that they’re, well, different there. I live in Massachusetts, which currently has a (part-time while he runs for President) governor who’s a Mormon from Utah, so I’ve had some exposure to his ilk. Oh, and I just sent you an email about doing quotes. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/26 "2006-01-08T23:55:43Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Given the context, I think that is a valid assumption. Why? I tend to think just the opposite: that if he was morally opposed to the movie’s content, he wouldn’t have booked it in the first place. The fact that it was pulled at the last minute suggests to me that it was in response to the community. Moreover, if he was making a principled moral stand, he might have said something to that effect. “No comment” smells more like a dispassionate business choice. In any event, neither one of us has anything other than our assumptions and prejudices. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/27 "2006-01-09T00:03:16Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > Does this mean they had to sign an agreement to show the film in the first place? Someone more familiar with the theater business can correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe movie houses are required to take a bundle of films from distributors on most or all licensing contracts. They can’t just take a\* Lord of the Rings\* and refuse to take an _Ishtar_, for example. Now, we don’t know whether _Brokeback Mountain_ was bundled. Maybe it was, and the theater owner had to take it to get one or more movies s/he expected to be profitable, even though s/he didn’t want to do so, whether out of homophobia or from knowing the tastes of his/her audience. If that’s the case, and the theater owner on top of that reluctance got community pressure (something I consider likely), that could have been the last straw persuading the theater owner to pull the film. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/28 "2006-01-09T00:04:37Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Why? I tend to think just the opposite: that if he was morally opposed to the movie’s content, he wouldn’t have booked it in the first place. The fact that it was pulled at the last minute suggests to me that it was in response to the community. Moreover, if he was making a principled moral stand, he might have said something to that effect. “No comment” smells more like a dispassionate business choice. > > In any event, neither one of us has anything other than our assumptions and prejudices. Side question, since we don’t know what he thinks: does the owner actually do the booking? Is there a manager of some kind that handles day-to-day things like that? > [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Some of us don’t think exercising one’s rights is “stupid”, although you certainly have the right to say it is. Oh, bullshit! That’s not even close to what I said and you know it. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/29 "2006-01-09T00:05:31Z")
> [@START](#): > > Wouldn’t it be hypocritical to say “I believe homosexuality is immoral but majority rules so I’m going to show a film that I believe ‘promotes’ it.” Is it “hypocritical” for a judge to enforce a ruling that he does not agree with, simply because it is in accordance with the law? I’m not saying there’s a law that should force this theater owner to show it. I’m saying that indulging our own personal views is not always the best way to serve the community. Needless to say, choosing not to serve the community, while not illegal, is also not the best way to serve the community. If the owner doesn’t want people to see certain movies, what the bloody hell is he doing in the showing-movies-to-people business? If the purpose of a movie house is to show movies, and you buy a movie house in order to, essentially, keep the screen dark rather than show certain movies, you are–this is the way the math comes out–effectively practicing censorship. Legally, of course. But the fact that you are using your power over that screen to keep it dark in accordance with your own personal views is, morally, censorship. The guy shoulda bought a drycleaners instead of a movie house if he didn’t want to be responsible for showing certain movies. And to answer START’s first post, try this on for size (insertions mine): > [@](#): > > \*But still if a person honestly has a moral problem with \*[a movie about interracial marriage] _I wouldn’t be to mad about them not showing it. Doesn’t mean they hate [black] people just means they don’t “agree” with the lifestyle so why would they “promote” something they find offensive?_ Pretty enlightened, no? ---
**Author:** ![Coin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Coin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/30 "2006-01-09T00:16:22Z")
I’m pretty upset that we don’t come right out and call this kind of censorship un-American more often. It’s un-American to restrict freedom of speech. No one has to go see Brokeback Mountain, but preventing people from seeing it is a violation of the principles this country was founded on, and I feel it would be wholly appropriate to print up a comic-book mini-series showing Captain America viciously beating the theater owner and whoever pressured him to drop the film. Okay, I don’t really mean that, but why don’t we do this more? It’s okay to disapprove of homosexuality, but it’s _not_ morally acceptable to prevent people from learning about homosexuality, or to pretend that homosexuals don’t exist, or to discriminate against them. We should be more direct in our dealings with people who try and tell us that immorality is morality. Jesus wouldn’t have tolerated that: I see no reason for anyone to tolerate it from those who do it and claim they do it in His name. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/31 "2006-01-09T00:31:15Z")
> [@Coin](#): > > It’s un-American to restrict freedom of speech. No one has to go see Brokeback Mountain, but preventing people from seeing it is a violation of the principles this country was founded on, \ Incorrect. It is un-American for Government to restrict freedom of speech. It is not un-American for a private citizen to restrict speech in his own private place of business. He is not preventing people from seeing anything. Any other theater can show it. When it comes out on DVD can I demand to plant my ass on your couch and watch it in your home? > [@lissener](#): > > If the purpose of a movie house is to show movies, and you buy a movie house in order to, essentially, keep the screen dark rather than show certain movies, you are–this is the way the math comes out–effectively practicing censorship. Actually, he is showing another movie instead. In any event, a private business owner can censor whatever the fuck they want. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/32 "2006-01-09T00:34:09Z")
> [@Coin](#): > > I’m pretty upset that we don’t come right out and call this kind of censorship un-American more often. This is no more censorship than you choosing to write in this thread instead of, say, the one about God’s musical chairs. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/33 "2006-01-09T00:40:13Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Indeed. This theater is in _Utah_. It would be more surprising if the cinema _did_ show it, and even more amazing if it drew enough of an audience to earn its keep. That’s my thought. If the mythical town of Sevenville only had one theatre, and they played a movie about gay cowboys, the theatre would be empty. Not that I have anything against gay people or cowboys, I just don’t have an interest in watching a movie about gay cowboys. So this guy has a choice of showing a movie in the town no one wants to see or running a shoot-um-up movie that averages a 50-80% turnout during the run. I see nothing wrong with not showing a gay cowboy movie. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/34 "2006-01-09T00:41:31Z")
Did the Lone Ranger and Tonto have late night snacks together? What? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/35 "2006-01-09T00:52:04Z")
> [@Coin](#): > > I’m pretty upset that we don’t come right out and call this kind of censorship un-American more often. > > It’s un-American to restrict freedom of speech. No one has to go see Brokeback Mountain, but preventing people from seeing it is a violation of the principles this country was founded on, and I feel it would be wholly appropriate to print up a comic-book mini-series showing Captain America viciously beating the theater owner and whoever pressured him to drop the film. Yes; it would be so much more American to\*\* force \*\* the theater owner to show a movie he doesn’t want to. Freedom of speech also entails the freedom to not speak if one doesn’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![Coin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Coin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/36 "2006-01-09T01:45:08Z")
Okay, my last post wasn’t well thought-out or organized. I wish I knew whether the theater owner didn’t show the movie because he felt it would be unprofitable, or because someone was afraid someone might see the movie and become slightly more comfortable with homosexuality. Then I’d know who the shithead is. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/37 "2006-01-09T01:45:42Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Yes; it would be so much more American to\*\* force \*\* the theater owner to show a movie he doesn’t want to. > > Freedom of speech also entails the freedom to not speak if one doesn’t want to. Being a local and somewhat familiar with the group, I think Gayle Ruzicka’s Eagle Forum exercised their freedom of speech to either encourage or pressure the theater manager into refusing to show the film. And if you think this is about “values”, I personally know that this particular showed _The Devil’s Rejects_, a fine family film about upstanding, traditional American family values like kidnapping, torture, murder and revenge. Isn’t wonderful that it’s OK to watch 2 men kill each other, but not kiss each other? It’s called hypocrisy, and The Eagle Forum do it well. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/38 "2006-01-09T01:47:46Z")
[QUOTE=BMax] And if you think this is about “values”, I personally know that this particular showed _The Devil’s Rejects_, [QUOTE] That should read this particular **cinema** showed _The Devil’s Rejects_ ---
**Author:** ![Coin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Coin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coin)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/39 "2006-01-09T01:47:31Z")
Okay, my last post wasn’t well thought-out or organized. I wish I knew whether the theater owner didn’t show the movie because he felt it would be unprofitable, or because he or someone else was afraid someone might see the movie and become slightly more comfortable with homosexuality. Then I’d know whether a pitting is really deserved here. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044/40 "2006-01-09T02:01:29Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > Being a local and somewhat familiar with the group, I think Gayle Ruzicka’s Eagle Forum exercised their freedom of speech to either encourage or pressure the theater manager into refusing to show the film. Which has what to do with what? Ruczika can say what she likes, you can say what you like, and the theater owner can decide who he wants to listen to. Freedom of speech all 'round. I somehow suspect anbody on here would be screaming “censorship” if the local cineplex was declining to book a relgious movie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/utah-theatre-refuses-to-show-brokeback-mountain/339044.md?page=3)