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The Brokeback Cult

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Meryl:
On March 1, 2006, I started a thread on the Brokeback Mountain  message board at IMDb.  Here is the original post:


--- Quote ---cult, n. 1 formal religious veneration 2 a religious system; also: its adherents 3 faddish devotion; also: a group of people showing such devotion.
I think we qualify.  :)

Next year at this time, will we all be down at NYC's Chelsea Cinema at midnight on Saturday, costumed to the nines, watching fellow Brokies act out all the roles on stage as the movie plays behind us?  I wouldn't count it out.  ;D

We have gods (Ennis, Jack, Annie), prophets (Ang, Diana, Larry) and demi-gods (Heath, Jake, Michelle, Anne, Pierre Tremblay).

Still to be defined: Rituals, sacred texts/objects/locations, creed, charismatic leader, elders, holidays, saints, orders, totems, language, temple, chants, mantras, uniforms, handshake, salute, password, mascot, publications, colors, vows, tithes, diet, code, flag, tattoo, anthem, logo and...well, creativity welcomed.  Anyone?
--- End quote ---

That post begat a lot of inspired, loving, funny and serious efforts to define this particular group of devotees' feelings about a wondrous story and film.  I'll be posting edited excerpts from that original thread here so that we can enjoy them all over again.  The entire original thread can be found in the BBM Archives at http://www.geocities.com/bbmarchive/.

To make this thread easier to read,

PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT ON THIS THREAD. 

Comments on this material or new offerings (always gratefully accepted) can be placed in a companion thread I started called

"The Brokeback Cult:  The New Testament" at http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php?topic=3655.0

YEEHAW  :)

Meryl:
Originally posted Thursday, March 2, 2006 by Meryl:

In hopes of warding off an internecine conflict, I offer the following Creed for consideration, in which we honor Story, Screenplay and Movie equally, thus making all aspects included in these texts worthy of celebration.


THE BROKEBACK CREED

I believe in Annie, the Author Almighty,

Creator of Ennis and Jack,

And in Larry and Diana, her chosen Adaptors,

Who conceived of the Holy Screenplay,

Suffered under obtuse Producers,

Were criticized, flamed and turned down.

The seventh year they rose again to the task.

They ranched up with Focus Features

And sat at the feet of Ang, the Director Almighty,

Who proceeded to cast both Heath and Jake.

I believe in the Holy Story, the Holy Movie, too,

the Communing of Shirts, the Force of Nature,

The blessings of Brokeback Mountain,

And love everlasting.

I swear.

Meryl:
Originally posted by fernly on March 1, 2006:

Well, I'd say we got the sacred texts covered (story, screenplay, story to screenplay) with the of-course-necessary commentaries (these boards, and doctoral dissertations on the way)

Anthems:  ditto (soundtrack, and Beyond the Missouri Sky that Annie listened to while writing)

Uniforms (see LA time article posted today by jmm) 

Mascot:  trout? mule? are sheep too obvious?

Password:  how 'bout "hunnnnh"?

Meryl:
Originally posted by jscheib (JeffWrangler) on Thursday, March 2, 2006:

I need to come back to this again later, but for now I'll report that I already have a collection of sacred icons (8x10s of Heath-Ennis and Jake-Jack) that I venerate every day just at sunset (that is to say, I look at them when I get home from work). And I went out last Saturday night dressed in black cowboy hat, dark blue Wrangler shirt, faded jeans, and black cowboy boots. (Um, the sacred garments "worked.") If movie screenings become too "Rocky Horror," then I will start a "reformed" sect, where we sit quietly and reverently in our seats, sharing communal boxes of Kleenex at the sad parts.

Meryl:
THE HOLY DAYS

Originally posted by - jscheib (JeffWrangler) on Thursday, March 2, 2006:

I'm sure we can come up with several holidays, but THE high holy day has to be October 13--cover date of The New Yorker issue where the story was first published. There might be danger of schism over the date of Ennis and Jack's reunion: June (story) or September (movie).

Should April 4 and December 19 be Lesser Feast Days? (Birthdays of Heath and Jake)


Posted by sunmoonstars-1 (Daniel):

Hmm, definitely St's days. Saint Heath's Day, Saint Jake's Day. "Did you get the Saint Heath's Day card I sent you?" "Hunnnh?" "I see you did."


Posted by Ellemeno:


--- Quote ---Should April 4 and December 19 be Lesser Feast Days?
--- End quote ---

Yes! And I'm for June 24th to be one of the highest holy days - date that Ennis runs down the stairs yelling, "Jack Fuckin Twist!" and they kiss.  Every time I see that scene, and they are at the part where they start to pull apart, and Ennis is breathing heavily, I always remember henrypie writing about something like she always expects his shirt to have gone insideout from the sheer force of their kiss.


Posted by jscheib (JeffWrangler):

I'm all in favor of June 24, but as I noted above, we'll have to guard very carefully against schism between the June-ites and the Septembrists (reunion in the movie). Also between the Tire-Ironites and Accidentalists (cause of Jack's death).


Originally posted by Yaadpyar on Friday, March 3, 2006


--- Quote ---By jscheib
I'm all in favor of June 24, but as I noted above, we'll have to guard very carefully against schism between the June-ites and the Septembrists (reunion in the movie).
--- End quote ---

Why choose? Why don't we celebrate both dates? The movie needs the story and the story needs the book, and we need both, so why do we have to choose? No one chooses between Easter and Christmas, or Passover and Yom Kippur...

The sacred text (script vs. story) is slightly different also, so the observance of June and September would be also different. The more holidays the better, I say. But this is going to be hard to explain to my boss (why I get extra religious holidays).


Posted by starboardlight Saturday, March 4, 2006:

So far we have Oct 13 as the birth of our faith.
June 24/September to celebrate the reunion of our Gods.
I offer up the Full Moon of July which illuminates their love.
I also think the Entire month of August will also be significant.


Posted by newyearsday:

Now as for another date, I will personally always celebrate December 9th, as it was the first day this movie was officially released to the world, to the masses (albeit only in LA, NY, and San Francisco, but you've gotta start somewhere). It wasn't just a premiere for the lucky few. It was cosmically released for us all on that day.

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