As Hollywood marketing departments will tell you, it’s always a tricky thing when a movie without gay characters has to feature two men on its poster. Studios spend billions of dollars in research and market testing in order to ensure that their new Vin Diesel action film doesn’t look too homo in its advertising.
Of course low-budget, indie movies don’t have such luxuries and new film Queen Of The Lot (its title already gay question mark) falls into this trap. Looking at the two men in the bottom left of the movie poster you’re likely to think: in the background; close together; similar haircut and facing the same direction = gay couple. (They’re actually brothers)…
…December movie release, The Fighter, shows how you put just two guys on the poster and maintain their hetero credentials. We know these two aren’t lusting after each other because of their casual posture, the boxing gloves, Christian Bale’s bored expression and the fact that they’re looking in completely different directions, Mark Wahlberg clearly distracted by someone waving a chew toy in the distance…
…The Eagle’s poster just about gets away without too much gay subtext because only Channing Tatum has a spear erection, although from Channing’s expression I do wonder where Jamie Bell’s keeping his…
…And as for Yogi Bear, I’m getting all sorts of mixed messages.





