There's something very gay about Wesley Snipes

http://www.merryweatherjones.com/content/there's_something_very_gay_about_wesley_snipes Wed, 16 May 2007 17:13:44 GMT There's something very gay about Wesley Snipes This is not a "hit piece" or anywhere near the arena of sensationalism. I'm only writing this to bring some things I've observed about the actor Wesley Snipes into the public forum, the discussion of which could possibly have a positive impact on the community at large. Well, I have observed many things, many gay things, about Snipes and the other day all of these observations must have coalesced like a frothy, viscous stew in my head because I just couldn't stop thinking on it for a good 40 minutes. It's not just his enthusiastic turn as a drag queen in the basically lost film "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" (how did that title survive the first draft of the screenplay, much less make it to theatrical distribution?). In fact, this performance might be the least of it. He seems to have lived his life in a flamboyant, carefree way (this "easy" way of living possibly lead, or contributed to his famous tax negligence--Snipes was living so large and so gay, he forgot to tip Uncle Sam). He's been demonstratably preoccupied with fashion and jewelry since long before "metrosexual" was a known word. Now, hold that thought, and put it next to this one: He's used every known "straight" excuse to get into the gym/locker room/sauna: karate, weight-lifting, and so on. Outside of acting, it's well known that this fitness/martial arts culture has been the "passion" of his life. Also, he seems to get a thrill out of using a particular way of speaking, inside movie roles and in real life. He does this thing when he's using certain phrases (that must have the right sound to him) where he effects a kind of a faux-British accent, which ends up sounding not really British at all but, yes, gay. Very gay. This peculiarity can be found in most Wesley Snipes film roles and TV appearances, but especially in the film "White Men Can't Jump". For example, when he says to the Woody Harrelson character "All right, but you might not get another shot." It's very gay. Now let's put this on the table: Simon Phoenix, a villain character Wesley Snipes created for the Sylvester Stallone film "Demolition Man". Phoenix is as characteristic of Snipes, in the way of personality, dress, style, and accent as any film role has ever been for any actor or actress, ever. Simon Phoenix is what I'll call the A-side evidence in the case for Snipes' homosexuality. Phoenix couldn't be any more obviously a flamboyant "out of the closet" glam and glitter gay: you could easily see him as the "Grand Marshall" of a gay pride parade. Cave Man Sylvester Stallone, in that particular role (but not in others), came off as somewhat not gay, striking in contrast to Phoenix, a consideration which moves the inevitable demise of Phoenix at the end of the film into hate crime territory. The case for Simon Phoenix and the true nature of the character becomes even more obvious when one considers "The Fifth Element" and its character Ruby Rod, played by Chris Tucker. Luc Besson went into production on "The Fifth Element" years after the release of "Demolition Man", and the inclusion of the flamboyantly gay but not violent Ruby Rod is clearly informed by a viewing of the older film. It's like Luc Besson, being French, saw Simon Phoenix and said "Yes, but let's not hide his light." And Ruby Rod was born. The B-side evidence would be the opposite of the extroverted, "living large" roles: the repressed tough guy parts, as seen in "Passenger 57" (where he said "always bet on black" which could be Snipes' "down low" answer to "I want to get a hard ass pounding, what's your advice?") and the Blade films. These are far gayer than the flamboyant roles because through these understated, quiet, calculating performances, you can feel the tension like the furious gathering of a gay storm: he's building up his stamina for a spontaneous session of random drifter sex, the kind where words need not be spoken--the participants need only lock eyes, then it's off to the bathroom for a few minutes of fast, hard sex that gives them the kind of healing therapy and release of stress that their "wives" and non-down low buddies can't provide. It's just a theory, though. Just a theory. He's gay, Jim. Wesley Snipes, Gay http://www.merryweatherjones.com/content/there's_something_very_gay_about_wesley_snipes http://www.merryweatherjones.com/viewcomments.php?articleid=152