Thought Theater

Matt Barber: Unmasking The Brokeback Mountain Opera Agenda? genre: Hip-Gnosis & Tongue-In-Cheek

Nothing remotely gay is immune from the attacks of the rabid right. With each and every event that has a connection to homosexuality, the wing nuts launch into their tirade that the "militant homosexual agenda" is alive and well...and determined to ruin wholesome American families (the one's filled with bigots, that is).

This latest assualt focuses upon the announcement that the New York City Opera is planning to offer an adaptation of the acclaimed movie, Brokeback Mountain.

From Reuters:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Opera has commissioned American composer Charles Wuorinen to write an opera based on "Brokeback Mountain," a love story about two U.S. ranch-hands that won three Oscars when it was turned into a movie.

"Ever since encountering Annie Proulx's extraordinary story I have wanted to make an opera on it, and it gives me great joy that Gerard Mortier and New York City Opera have given me the opportunity to do so," Wuorinen, 70, said in a statement.

Never mind that the story line has all the makings of a classic operatic tragedy...according to Matt Barber of Concerned Women for America (CWFA), this is clearly an attempt at cultural engineering.

From OneNewsNow:

"Certainly it's an indication that they will use every and any possible vehicle or venue to try to further this radical and dangerous agenda," Barber explains.

Barber finds a bit of humor in the sheer absurdity of the idea, yet he hopes the opera, like the homosexual lifestyle, will be a tragedy.

"To turn Brokeback Mountain into an opera is really kind of comical on its face. I hope it's a tragedy because it is a tragedy that the media has so embraced this immoral and dangerous lifestyle and is further celebrating this lifestyle in public now in the form of an opera," Barber says.

Barber warns patrons not to fall prey to the musical interpretation of the controversial film. "I would hope that people would not contribute to this propaganda by attending this opera. This is not entertainment. This is propaganda wrapped in an entertainment package -- and, in this case, in the form of an opera," Barber contends.

Duh! Mr. Barber, could it be that they are adapting Brokeback Mountain BECAUSE it is a tragedy?! Nah, that wouldn't be sinister enough. This has to be another one of those propaganda operas...because so many of them are just that.

What with Madam Butterfly's ghastly endorsement of right-to-die legislation and Pagliacci's espousal of the horrific practice of honor killing, Barber is simply asking us to be mindful of the dangers of clandestine operatic indoctrination. After all, we simply can't take the risk that an unsuspecting heterosexual would attend the Brokeback Mountain opera only to discover the allure of homosexuality.

Then again, perhaps Mr. Barber and his friends can attend the performance wearing masks...I hear that's always an effective tool for the closeted opera queer who insists upon maintaining his or her anonymity.