The "Side Effects" of Hollywood Biphobia

[bialogue]

Every single review for Steven Soderbergh's new thriller 'Side Effects' has praised the film for three things: Soderbergh's knack for building suspense, great performances by the four lead actors (Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Channing Tatum), and the pulse-pounding impact of the final twenty minutes that reveal a surprise twist

Comments

[bialogue]

Sure. Just FYI this itself is an excerpt and x-post from the "Film & TV" section of the venerable Bi Magazine.

Since last year Anil Vora has started doing reviews for them and has a lot of good & interesting stuff to say.

[deviantfantasy]

This shit pisses me off. I'm in my 30's and bisexual. I've known since I was 12, and I've had every stereotype thrown at me - "It's just a phase!" "Only sluts are bisexual!" "You're bisexual because you're afraid to pick a side!". "Bisexuals only say they are so they can cheat on their significant others!". I could go on with all the nasty things I've been told.

I really want more bisexual characters on tv and in the movies. People need to be more educated about it, too and taught that bisexuals aren't slutty monsters that want to destroy society and people's relationships.

[bialogue]

Totally agree!

And if you are interested in bisexual images in the media, in addition to the the "Film & TV" and "Arts & Literature" sections of Bi Magazine, we do recommend last year's excellent series by Carrie Nelson "Visi(bi)lity" in Bitch Magazine. Also you should be aware of the new Bisexual Bloggers aggregator that aims to be a central location for the best of current writing on all things Bisexual, non-Monosexual and Queer-identified.

Despite the continual push-back and trolling that the bisexual community receives from both the straight over-culture and sadly from some misguided members of the mainstream gay/lesbian community too, bisexual people are standing up and speaking for themselves.

[sarien]

I second Carrie Nelson's work and happy to see it referenced (not only because she's a friend -- she's a talented writer and activist).

[tinylegacies]

Nolan Ross on Revenge is a pretty decently written bi character IMO.

[redstar826]

so, are you ever going to apologize and own up to the many awful things you've said in the past to queer people in this community?

[zombieroadtrip]

all signs seem to point to them not giving a fuck and/or hoping everyone's forgotten

[redstar826]

yeah, I have no expectations that they will ever respond to any of this

[cozmic_oceanz]

My only predicament with these kinds of things is...I feel like I need to see the movie before I can really judge it. But this definitely sounds shitty, so I wouldn't pay for it or see it in a theater. Just wait til it's on tv or netflix or on an airplane or something, if at all. Tbh the only "push" for watching it at all is Rooney Mara.

[yeats]

honestly i think the film's "biphobia" (which i am still not sure is a real thig separate from misogyny and homophobia, and i say that as a bisexual) is dwarfed in my mind by its presentation of mental illness and criminality. from the miami herald:Terrible things do happen in Side Effects, which opens Friday. But those awful bits of business shouldn’t be discussed before seeing the film. This is the kind of movie packed with so many plot twists and surprises that knowing too much in advance will ruin the fun. The basic premise is simple: A young woman named Emily (Rooney Mara) falls into a deep depression after her husband (Channing Tatum) is released from prison after serving time for insider trading. For help, she turns to a psychiatrist (Jude Law), who takes the advice of Emily’s previous doctor (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and puts Emily on an anti-anxiety medication that has just hit the market

[yeats]

well, i have certainly gotten shit for being bisexual from other sexual minorities, but i guess i don't like the way that biphobia semantically recalls homophobia, as if the two were equivalent oppressions. lesbians and gays don't have institutional privilege over bisexual people, and in fact i am in a privilege position as a bisexual in a heterosexual relationship, so in that sense i would prefer to treat the instances of shittiness as they occur, without using a label.