Earlier this week we saw the first teaser trailer for Bohemian Rhapsody, the long-gestating biopic of legendary British rock band Queen and front-man Freddie Mercury.
The teaser appeared to generate a lot of excitement, but one person who wasn’t particularly impressed was Hannibal and American Gods creator Bryan Fuller, who took to social media to criticise the trailer for ‘hetwashing’ with regards to Mercury’s sexuality.
“Anyone else mildly annoyed that the Bohemian Rhapsody trailer features gay/bi superstar Freddie Mercury flirting with and twirling with a woman but no indication of his love of men?” wrote Fuller.
He also took exception to the official synopsis, which describes Mercury as having a “life-threatening illness”, rather than specifying that his condition was AIDS:
“Dear 20th Century Fox: Yes, it was a life-threatening illness, but more specifically it was AIDS. From having gay sex with men. Do better.”
ANYONE ELSE MILDLY ANNOYED (enough to tweet about it) THAT THE #BohemianRapsody TRAILER FEATURES GAY/BI SUPERSTAR FREDDIE MERCURY FLIRTING WITH AND TWIRLING WITH A WOMAN BUT NO INDICATION OF HIS LOVE OF MEN?
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) May 15, 2018
I disagree. It's #HETWASHING for marketing sakes.
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) May 15, 2018
DEAR 20TH CENTURY FOX… Yes, it was a life-threatening illness, but more specifically it was AIDS. From having gay sex with men. Do better. #HETWASHING #BohemianRapsody pic.twitter.com/sz8QJU7cCA
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) May 15, 2018
I hear you. The bigger issue is using "bi" as an excuse to emphasize one aspect of his sexuality over another – i.e., the part that can be identified in marketing as "heterosexual" not bi.
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) May 15, 2018
Although Fuller raises some interesting comments, it’s surely a little early to be judging the entire film based upon one brief teaser trailer. Nevertheless, let us know what you make of his comments and whether you feel his criticism is fair…
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.
Bohemian Rhapsody is set for release on October 24th in the UK and on November 2nd in the US and features a cast that also includes Lucy Boynton as Mary Austin, Aaron McCusker as Jim Hutton, Aidan Gillen as John Reid, Tom Hollander as Jim Beach, Allen Leech as Paul Prenter and Mike Myers in an as-yet-unrevealed role.
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