'Dilemma' dispute hurts studio and gay rights group

"It just seems they are always giving the benefit of the doubt to the studios and the networks," gay author and radio host Michelangelo Signorile said. "Because they think they can get more done working on the inside and because they also give awards to the same entities and have benefits at which they all have to buy tables. There's an appearance of conflict of interest, which is troubling."

One thing is certain: "Dilemma" is an unlikely movie to be at the center of such a controversy.

After serious fare such as "Frost/Nixon" and "The Da Vinci Code" and its sequel "Angels & Demons," director Ron Howard had intended the comedy as a lighthearted change of pace. (Calls to Howard and his production company, Imagine Entertainment, were referred to Universal.)

In the movie, Vince Vaughn and Kevin James star as best friends. The title refers to the quandary that Vaughn's character finds himself in when he suspects that James' wife (Winona Ryder) is having an affair and he must decide whether to inform his best friend.

The opening scene of the original trailer is set in a boardroom where Vaughn, who is delivering a presentation about electric cars, delivers what appears to be a throwaway line: "Electric cars are gay. I mean, not homosexual gay, but my-parents-are-chaperoning-the-dance gay."

Although the line might not appear particularly provocative to many -- it pales in comparison to jokes like "Paging Dr. Faggot" that appeared in 2008's "The Hangover" -- it came amid growing media coverage of teen suicides and discussions of how casual, anti-gay bigotry fuels schoolyard bullying.

EVENTS IN DISPUTE

Universal said it first reached out to GLAAD for its input before the trailer went online in advance of its appearance in theaters September 24. GLAAD suggests that meant the studio knew the line was problematic.

From there, the discussion involves a bit of a he-said/she-said. The studio said GLAAD didn't immediately register objections; GLAAD responded that the trailer already was online when it was first notified and that it immediately voiced concerns.

In any event, Universal received a number of complaints about the online trailer and began a more serious discussion with GLAAD about readying a new trailer.

Before that could happen, though, Cooper -- whose CNN show focused on bullying last week -- was the first to publicly criticize the trailer. His remarks were picked up by several bloggers, and by week's end, Universal and GLAAD were moving quickly to respond.

Both tripped up in the process.

Saying that the trailer "was not intended to cause anyone discomfort" and acknowledging that "it was insensitive," the studio said Friday that it would be replaced immediately -- both online and in theaters. But though a new trailer, with the offending scene cut, appeared online late Friday, for logistical reasons, the new trailer won't reach theaters until sometime this week.

GLAAD said Monday that "after promising to remove the anti-gay trailer, Universal has reportedly still not removed the trailer from theaters."

In its call to action, GLAAD also said that the studio "has refused to agree to remove the scene in the movie." But a Universal spokeswoman said Friday that the studio had made no decision about whether the scene would appear in the final film; it was waiting for the filmmakers to complete their work. Later Monday, GLAAD acknowledged that the studio had not categorically refused to remove the scene.

PREVIOUS CLASHES

The "Dilemma" dust-up was not the first time GLAAD and Universal have found themselves at cross-purposes.

Last year, GLAAD representatives were invited to an early screening of "Bruno," Sacha Baron Cohen's envelope-pushing satire about a gay fashionista. Although GLAAD objected to several scenes, which it said reinforced "damaging, hurtful stereotypes," Universal stood by the film, defending its use of "provocative comedy to powerfully shed light on the absurdity of many kinds of intolerance and ignorance, including homophobia."

Meanwhile, a lot of other movies with passing "that's so gay" cracks didn't elicit as much criticism from GLAAD.

There was no call to action when "Hangover" was released, though GLAAD did post a blog item pointing out the movie's gay slurs.

"It is disappointing that 'The Hangover's' writers could think of nothing better than to use anti-gay slurs for a few cheap laughs," the post read. "Words and images matter, and this unfunny shot at gay people sends a problematic message that using these kind of vulgar slurs is acceptable."

But in the wake of a spate of teen suicides in recent weeks -- a number of whom were young men who were either gay or perceived as gay -- there appears to be a heightened awareness, at least in media circles, that casual anti-gay bigotry, even tossed off as a joke, can be deadly.

"There's a growing awareness of the damage this language causes, among youth in particular," said Herndon Graddick, GLAAD's deputy director of media programs, who has been handling the behind-the-scenes negotiations with Universal. "There's a growing responsibility on our part to point out the harm that it causes."