The New York Times Analyzes the Brokeback Spoofs

Today's NY Times reports that gay cowboys are the new "who's on first?" in today's comedy world.  Hmmm... tell us something we didn't know about these parodies.

The parodies typically use Gustavo Santaolalla's sexy, mournful theme from Brokeback Mountain, together with the title cards from that movie's trailer, to reframe clips from another movie. It works almost every time: a gay movie seems to emerge when scenes between male leads, or a male lead and a supporting actor, are slowed down, set to make-out music and bumpered by portentous cards that say things like, "A truth they couldn't deny." The editing, and the use of slow motion, do suggest that close-ups, especially viewed at length, are intrinsically erotic. All that these parodies need to do to set up the relationship is show one man's face in protracted detail, and cut to the other man, who seems to watch with the same rapt attention that the viewer has been compelled to give by the slow-mo. A gay subtext suddenly seems plain as day.