For those who aren't on Twitter where I got kind of worked up about Matt Damon's latest foot-in-mouth disease, a quick recap what went down is in order. Before we begin I think it's important to note that I have liked Matt Damon as an actor since School Ties (1992). I still like him as an actor and movie star and The Martian is a lot of fun. Go see it next weekend! What follows is in no way bitching about his work, his fame or even his character (I do not believe he's a homophobe, just that he doesn't quite "get" what he found himself talking about and should probably stop).
Why people (including me) got worked up about what he said after the jump...
First there was the embarrassing incident when he cut off a woman of color to mansplain to her about diversity. That mess had just died down when he answered a reporter question about ye olden times when he and Ben Affleck were just getting famous and people thought they were boyfriends rather than besties in which he seemed to implied that gay actors would be better off if they remained mysteries. It is not a huge irresponsible leap of logic, as some people have claimed, to associate "remaining a mystery" with staying in the closet. His sample size for why he said this was one: Rupert Everett.
Full disclosure: I was a huge-ass Rupert Everett fan from Another Country (1984) through Next Best Thing (2000) and was always pissed his career wasn't bigger. But here's the thing: Rupert Everett should be no one's sample size. While it's true that he has publicy stated that coming out damaged his career, most people who have any knowledge of the ins and outs of his career and lived through the 80s and early 90s know that there were several other factors in why his career never went super nova (including the super mundane/common reason of being "difficult") and he was often his own worst enemy. Naturally all the "ah, don't be so hard on Matt Damon" people were quick to cite Rupert's own feelings. Never mind that Rupert Everett's self awareness is not one of his strong suits. Nor has he ever been able to dodge "bitter" claims, so he might not be the best judge of this topic.
for some reason people forget that Rupert Everett did just fine in straight roles (Dance with a Stranger / The Comfort of Strangers were just two of them)
Anyway, then Matt Damon went on Ellen to explain what he meant -- where Ellen also vouched for Matt being a good guy (as if that had anything to do with this debate). His original statement was this:
I think you’re a better actor the less people know about you period. And sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you’re straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one of the mysteries that you should be able to play.”
Then he doubled down with Ellen...
I was just trying to say actors are more effective when they’re a mystery. Right?
And then he basically blames the whole thing on the journalist who quoted him. While his comment on the surface sounds reasonable enough, sounds can be deceiving. This is one of the easiest untruths to shore up continued homophobia in Hollywood. Matt seems totally (blissfully) unaware that he is a giant movie star who everyone knows everything about. We know who his best friend is (also a giant movie star). We know that he has a wife and kids because he talks about them in public and in interviews and brings his beautiful wife to premieres. We know who he dated in the past because they were sometimes famous actresses. This is not remaining a mystery. This is telling people about his sexuality, whether or not he realizes it. This did not stop him from recently taking on a gay role and expecting to a) be able to sell it and b) that people would buy it.
And here's the happy part for Matt: People have no problem accepting him in a wide range of roles that are not like who he is in real life because he is a good actor! It's as simple as that. Everyone knows he is not a genius mathematician or a famous soccer play or a super spy. But they like him in those roles because he was good at playing them.
Everyone knows this if they think over it for more than two seconds. Unfortunately when it comes to public advice and discourse about gay actors no one wants to think about it for more than two seconds. They'd rather just trot out this closet-reinforcing stupidity like it's gospel truth. FACT: We all know that actors are in the business of pretending. The rules are only different for gay actors if we insist that they are. And we only insist they are when we let systemic ignorance and double-standards guide us. If you, as an audience member can believe that Matt Damon was Michael Douglas's butt boy for Beyond the Candelabra than you can believe that Matt Bomer was eager to please all of his female fans with his dick in Magic Mike (Oh, wait. That's right. You already did.)
In conclusion: Matt Damon should shut up because he seems like a good guy who just doesn't get that he unwittingly supports a double-standard. He doesn't need to be "a mystery" to be effective on screen, but they do. The heroes, who we should talk about instead, are the out gay actors like Matt Bomer, Sir Ian McKellen, John Barrowman, Alan Cumming and the rest (there are more and more of them) who are refusing to fall for this common age-old lie that Damon is unwittingly regurgitating. Instead they're just doing their work and living their lives. Just like... heywhaddyaknow... Matt Damon.
P.S. In happier Matt Damon news, he is the best he's been in quite a long time in The Martian (2015) as Astronaut Mark Watney who is left for dead on Mars by Jessica Chastain and her team. Matt's going to have a massive hit and maybe even another Oscar nomination on his hands for his efforts.
Pssssst. And Everyone will continue to know that he is not really a genius botanist who got stranded on Mars.
ACTING!