A couple of weeks ago I had a lazy Sunday with my roommate where all we wanted to do was just stay at home, eat Mexican food and watch a few movies.
A few movies turned out to be “Wanted,” “17 Again,” “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and the Academy Award winning “Crash.” It’s safe to say that Sunday turned out to be a really lazy night.
However, I was reminded of why I didn’t like the movie “Crash.” I remember seeing it when it was in theaters, and I could not understand why so many people “loved” it.
I felt the movie to be the biggest cliché of all movies by building a story based on the race card. I hadn’t seen the movie since it came out in theaters back in 2005 so after seeing it again, I was reminded of my dislike for it.
It’s not that I hated the movie or thought it to be a horrible film. I just remember being annoyed by it. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that hates the issues of unfairness, prejudice and inequality.
After watching the film however, I was reminded of a current sense of prejudice and accusation I am currently a part of.
The accusation of homophobia was revealed to me after a series of e-mails and I was quite shocked and bewildered to the accusation.
For one, being a member of the gay community (yes, I am gay), I was quite shocked to see that word aimed at me. It was like a bad episode of “Gossip Girl,” all of the exchanges going through the wonderful World Wide Web.
I decided not to take the accusations seriously because I knew better, but after watching “Crash,” I realized how false accusations can really have a negative effect on someone.
I hate gossip, and I don’t like spreading gossip about anyone. I usually just choose to ignore any form of gossip, shrug it off and move on. But in this case I couldn’t help to feel a sense of amusement and disdain.
I have no idea where the accusers in question got their facts or ideas, but to call someone something that can be damaging without any real concrete evidence such as that of being homophobic is quite ridiculous.
I understand that we all have our opinions on certain topics, but I feel that the approach to such a serious accusation was poorly handled. To simply throw out an accusation of homophobia feels reckless and quite frankly more like an attack.
I certainly feel quite flabbergasted of having my name attached to an accusation of homophobia when I myself am homosexual. I can honestly say that I am bewildered by what has unfolded, but hopefully things will resolve themselves soon.
I’m still not a fan of the movie “Crash,” but at least now I have a better understanding of the underlying meaning behind the film.
Perhaps the accusers will eventually come around and realize the effect of their false accusations. If not, then only time will tell how all of this will unfold. I for one, have nothing to defend myself against.