Culture

James Franco slams representation of gay sex and Fassbender’s character in ‘Shame’

Nov 15 2013
Written by Rudy Katoch

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

James Franco criticises Steve McQueen’s 2011 film ‘Shame’ for its depiction of sex addiction and gay sex.

The Hollywood actor writes in Vice magazine that Michael Fassbender’s sex addicted character “wasn’t such an addict”.

Franco went on to say: “I mean, what did he do? Watch porn and screw a handful of people a week? I could point to quite a few folks who do that.”

As an outspoken equal rights advocate, he criticises the scene where Fassbender’s character goes to a gay club in a moment of desperation.

“And that scene where he’s at his lowest point and wants to fuck and goes into a gay club, and it’s depicted like the seventh level of hell…”.

“I mean, it goes back to the horrible representations of gays in the 70s, where the gay club is meant to signify everything dark and depraved,” Franco argues in his article, “then the guy gets a minor blowjob, from, Oh no, a man! The horror!”

A long time advocate for gay rights, Franco has a history of taking on gay film roles, which has inevitably stoked curiosity about his sexuality. In a 2011 interview he said “maybe I’m just gay”.

Earlier this month, Franco has responded to discussions on why he chooses to opt for so many gay acting roles, saying “I guess that a lot of the figures that I love were gay.”