By Lee Pfeiffer
The Dilemma, the new Ron Howard comedy, is certainly causing a dilemma for Universal. The Vince Vaughn starrer centers on a man who is torn about whether to tell his best friend that he knows his wife is having an affair. The subject matter is seemingly innocuous but a line in the film that was used in the trailer, as well, has become the subject of contention with gay rights advocates. The scene uses the term "gay" in a demeaning way, even though the connotation would like not raise many objections during ordinary times. However, there have been several high profile crimes against young gay men in recent weeks. One resulted in a man being severely beaten by fellow gang members who suspected he was gay. The other was even more tragic: a student at Rutgers University in New Jersey was surreptitiously videoed by his roommate by a hidden webcam. The camera picked up images of the student having a sexual encounter with another man. When the roommate posted the footage on-line, the victim became so distraught that he committed suicide by jumping from the George Washington Bridge.CNN anchor Anderson Cooper was the first to turn the spotlight on the insensitive dialogue used in the trailer for The Dilemma. Bowing to protests from a gay rights group, Universal cut the line from the on-line trailer. However, theatrical trailers still have the line in them and there is pressure building to have these trailers recalled and edited. Click here for more
UPDATE: Vince Vaughn has argued to keep the controversial line of dialogue in the film, telling Deadline Hollywood, "Let me add my voice of support to the people outraged by the bullying
and persecution of people for their differences, whatever those
differences may be. Comedy and joking about our differences breaks
tension and brings us together. Drawing dividing lines over what we can
and cannot joke about does exactly that; it divides us. Most
importantly, where does it stop?"