Comments on: Is Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes gay? http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/ Stylish celebrity escapism Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:03:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: smt http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-7804665 smt Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:25:03 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-7804665 I always thought of Holmes being a bi-romantic asexual. But, that is besides the point. Personally, I think putting a gay spin on it would be a really ground breaking thing. Just think about it: A mainstream action movie with gay characters, where being gay isn't the center of the movie. I think that would be monumental. As mentioned in other comments, both Holmes and Watson have relationships with women in this movie and in Doyle's original canon. I agree that close same-sex friendships and sharing a bed were common and not necessarily gay for the Victorian time period and that society has changed a lot. But this was also a time where being gay could mean imprisonment--so one would have to keep a very low profile. I always thought of Holmes being a bi-romantic asexual. But, that is besides the point.

Personally, I think putting a gay spin on it would be a really ground breaking thing. Just think about it: A mainstream action movie with gay characters, where being gay isn’t the center of the movie. I think that would be monumental.

As mentioned in other comments, both Holmes and Watson have relationships with women in this movie and in Doyle’s original canon. I agree that close same-sex friendships and sharing a bed were common and not necessarily gay for the Victorian time period and that society has changed a lot. But this was also a time where being gay could mean imprisonment–so one would have to keep a very low profile.

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]]> By: jasper http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-704671 jasper Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:20:34 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-704671 This is the decadence of Hollywood. This is the decadence of Hollywood.

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]]> By: Terry http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-636341 Terry Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:55:41 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-636341 Who cares? Really. Just like the movie for the quality of the movie...yeesh. Who cares? Really. Just like the movie for the quality of the movie…yeesh.

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]]> By: Beryl http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-635382 Beryl Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:33:10 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-635382 If you have read the books and Stories of Sherlock Holmes . You will know that Watson was very happily Married and went back to 221b to stay with his old friend Holmes after his wife died If you have read the books and Stories of Sherlock Holmes . You will know that Watson was very happily Married and went back to 221b to stay with his old friend Holmes after his wife died

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]]> By: Poe http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-627770 Poe Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:34:12 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-627770 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=458369320607&ref=mf&v=info http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=458369320607&ref=mf&v=info

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]]> By: Seraphina http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-556908 Seraphina Sat, 12 Dec 2009 05:24:04 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-556908 No one can know for sure if they were gay or not. If they were gay at all, they'd definitely be gay for one another. All that aside, Holmes and Watson did love each other very intensely. It's said a few times in canon. They didn't openly say, "I love you," but it's implied in the text. Two stories right off the top of my head that mention it are The Dying Detective and The Three Garridebs. It doesn't mean they were IN love though. Truth be told, whatever the conditions of the relationship were, they were obsessed with each other. Watson blindly followed Holmes into any situation out of pure admiration, which Watson writes about repeatedly as well as mentioning always wanting Holmes's approval. And Holmes is both possessive and protective of Watson. They had the most beautiful friendship ever and it doesn't matter whether or not they were lovers. And it doesn't matter to me if they put gay undertones into the movie as long as they stay true to the actual characters. Although I love both RDJ and Jude Law, I feel like they should have been switched if only because of appearance. On a side note to Kirana: Sherlock Holmes was not an opium addicted. He took morphine and cocaine, but only when he didn't have a case to distract him. No one can know for sure if they were gay or not. If they were gay at all, they’d definitely be gay for one another. All that aside, Holmes and Watson did love each other very intensely. It’s said a few times in canon. They didn’t openly say, “I love you,” but it’s implied in the text. Two stories right off the top of my head that mention it are The Dying Detective and The Three Garridebs. It doesn’t mean they were IN love though. Truth be told, whatever the conditions of the relationship were, they were obsessed with each other. Watson blindly followed Holmes into any situation out of pure admiration, which Watson writes about repeatedly as well as mentioning always wanting Holmes’s approval. And Holmes is both possessive and protective of Watson. They had the most beautiful friendship ever and it doesn’t matter whether or not they were lovers. And it doesn’t matter to me if they put gay undertones into the movie as long as they stay true to the actual characters. Although I love both RDJ and Jude Law, I feel like they should have been switched if only because of appearance.

On a side note to Kirana: Sherlock Holmes was not an opium addicted. He took morphine and cocaine, but only when he didn’t have a case to distract him.

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]]> By: The1AndOnly BBB http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-457331 The1AndOnly BBB Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:12:56 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-457331 Well I for one think that it is very brave of Guy Ritchie to put this spin on the Holmes/Watson relationship. This will at least breath new life into a very old chestnut and open it up to a whole new generation. Holmes has been done to death and presented in almost every conceivable format you can think of (well maybe except Ice Skating...eew) What better way to get a whole new audience to appreaciate these tales. I know folks have been scoffing about the "liberties" being taken with the characters, but, HELLO! Excuse me..Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" and "Sherlock Holmes in Washington" have Sherlock and John living in the 1940's, driving automobiles and fighting the Nazis! So I think we better not use that argument, okay? I say better gay than away. I also read that Ritchie had pressure put on him to change the focus of the story to include a female love interest for Holmes in the form of Irene Adler. Talk about your liberties: the last thing that character ever wanted was another pretentious man in her life which is what motivated her character in the book to do what she did. Well I for one think that it is very brave of Guy Ritchie to put this spin on the Holmes/Watson relationship. This will at least breath new life into a very old chestnut and open it up to a whole new generation. Holmes has been done to death and presented in almost every conceivable format you can think of (well maybe except Ice Skating…eew) What better way to get a whole new audience to appreaciate these tales. I know folks have been scoffing about the “liberties” being taken with the characters, but, HELLO! Excuse me..Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce “Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon” and “Sherlock Holmes in Washington” have Sherlock and John living in the 1940′s, driving automobiles and fighting the Nazis! So I think we better not use that argument, okay? I say better gay than away. I also read that Ritchie had pressure put on him to change the focus of the story to include a female love interest for Holmes in the form of Irene Adler. Talk about your liberties: the last thing that character ever wanted was another pretentious man in her life which is what motivated her character in the book to do what she did.

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]]> By: Kirana http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-451078 Kirana Sat, 12 Sep 2009 04:32:06 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-451078 i am a lifelong fan of sherlock holmes (since before 'gayness' somehow came in vogue and indispensible to political correctness) and i have never felt either character was homosexual. i also read a lot of books from that period and agree that before the advent of this western social acceptance that one cannot have any close relationship with one's own sex that does not also have sexual connotations (i mean, get real! whose idea was this ridiculous notion anyway), it is entirely possible to form very close human-to-human friendships with someone your own sex, with high loyalty, camaraderie and fun, without being sexual in any way. guys have BFFs too, you know. it really is quite silly to read homosexuality just because people like each other. grow up. and don't screw up sherlock holmes. he's an opium addict, has serious deficiencies in social skills, and thinks all women are silly except one (by the way, misogyny is not the same as homosexuality - he does show interest in women, but only the ones that are not vapid and silly). there should be plenty of character flaws already to work with. i am a lifelong fan of sherlock holmes (since before ‘gayness’ somehow came in vogue and indispensible to political correctness) and i have never felt either character was homosexual. i also read a lot of books from that period and agree that before the advent of this western social acceptance that one cannot have any close relationship with one’s own sex that does not also have sexual connotations (i mean, get real! whose idea was this ridiculous notion anyway), it is entirely possible to form very close human-to-human friendships with someone your own sex, with high loyalty, camaraderie and fun, without being sexual in any way. guys have BFFs too, you know. it really is quite silly to read homosexuality just because people like each other. grow up. and don’t screw up sherlock holmes. he’s an opium addict, has serious deficiencies in social skills, and thinks all women are silly except one (by the way, misogyny is not the same as homosexuality – he does show interest in women, but only the ones that are not vapid and silly). there should be plenty of character flaws already to work with.

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]]> By: Matt http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-407783 Matt Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:48:54 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-407783 Quote "If they do indicate a homosexual relationship then I find it disgraceful. Not because of the gay part, who gives a shit about that. But for some director to take liberties with something he didn’t write, to me, is disrespectful. Unless Sir Arthur Conan Doyle intended for there to be that nuance (and in reading and rereading his works over the years, I never gotten that indication), I think its rude to take that “artistic liberty”." Total in agreement with you, if they leave it in. I know I will not see the movie. Quote “If they do indicate a homosexual relationship then I find it disgraceful. Not because of the gay part, who gives a shit about that. But for some director to take liberties with something he didn’t write, to me, is disrespectful. Unless Sir Arthur Conan Doyle intended for there to be that nuance (and in reading and rereading his works over the years, I never gotten that indication), I think its rude to take that “artistic liberty”.”

Total in agreement with you, if they leave it in. I know I will not see the movie.

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]]> By: Bakerman http://www.celebitchy.com/38081/is_guy_ritchies_sherlock_holmes_gay/#comment-256469 Bakerman Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:39:24 +0000 http://www.celebitchy.com/?p=38081#comment-256469 I completely agree with some of the above statements. To emphasize any gay undertones within the Sherlock Holmes and Watson friendship is completely unnecessary. And if my knowledge serves me correctly -- I don't remember them ever sleeping in the same bed -- And I've read the entire Conan Doyle series twice. Also, within the original series, Holmes never comes across to me as gay....He seems more along the lines of being asexual. He never pursues women and even though he may seem close to Watson -- More often than not, Holmes is portrayed as being more of a loner that enjoys being by himself. If guy in any way FUCKS UP the legend of Sherlock Holmes....He should be kicked out of Hollywood altogether. Besides, his movies suck anyways. And as a true Sherlock Holmes fan -- I would be devastated to see him screw it up. I completely agree with some of the above statements. To emphasize any gay undertones within the Sherlock Holmes and Watson friendship is completely unnecessary. And if my knowledge serves me correctly — I don’t remember them ever sleeping in the same bed — And I’ve read the entire Conan Doyle series twice. Also, within the original series, Holmes never comes across to me as gay….He seems more along the lines of being asexual. He never pursues women and even though he may seem close to Watson — More often than not, Holmes is portrayed as being more of a loner that enjoys being by himself. If guy in any way FUCKS UP the legend of Sherlock Holmes….He should be kicked out of Hollywood altogether. Besides, his movies suck anyways. And as a true Sherlock Holmes fan — I would be devastated to see him screw it up.

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