Current Events > i dont think its fair to blame heterosexuals in general for bros underperforming

(+) Yeah! (+)

Those numbers are so low, clearly many gay men didn't watch it either. Maybe no one gives a shit about a low effort movie in an already low quality genre that's been struggling for ages.

Reminds me of "men" being blamed for Charlie's Angels reboot not doing very well. Shit movie past its time, genre suffering anyway, bad/no marketing.

Yeah, wasn't Heartstopper super well received on Netflix? I think maybe expecting people to go to a theater and play theater prices for a very, very niche film was a mistake.

Should have gone with Netflix or something.

Gobstoppers12 posted...

Yeah, wasn't Heartstopper super well received on Netflix? I think maybe expecting people to go to a theater and play theater prices for a very, very niche film was a mistake.

Should have gone with Netflix or something.

Hearstopper has been a massive success.

The books are selling out and the show is super popular.

This feels like when women blame underpaid female athletes on men and not on poor attendance for womens sports, lol

Shots fired

ZannoL posted...

It's different in the literary world. Gay romance books and gay romantic comedy books sell like hotcakes:

Paperbacks don't have to bring in $22 million just to break even.

Gobstoppers12 posted...

Yeah, wasn't Heartstopper super well received on Netflix? I think maybe expecting people to go to a theater and play theater prices for a very, very niche film was a mistake.

Should have gone with Netflix or something.

The fact that Heartstopper was a massive success suggests that there is a massive market.

I'm not sure a romcom is niche simply because the main characters are gay. I think that's part of the point here.

Dreepapult posted...

I think the only movie that has done really well in post COVID land is top gun. And that's because it has theater appeal. Big crazy action scenes. Those types benefit from the theater experience.

Romcoms don't get better whatsoever. They're just an excuse for couples to go to the movies for a date.

Multiverse of Madness too
Nemu posted...

Expecting it to do particularly well seems kind of like a pipe dream in the first place. Targeting a fairly narrow audience.

Also theater attendance is still below prr pandemic levels, Inflation is up and romcoms aren't exactly at their peak of popularity right now.

VIXVLV posted...

I'm not sure a romcom is niche simply because the main characters are gay. I think that's part of the point here.

Live action rom coms are already a low priority for the average moviegoer. Making it a rom com about gay men definitely doesn't increase its box office appeal, that's for certain.

VIXVLV posted...

The fact that Heartstopper was a massive success suggests that there is a massive market.

I'm not sure a romcom is niche simply because the main characters are gay. I think that's part of the point here.

To be fair what works on streaming doesn't always translate to someone being willing to buy a ticket.

I do think homophobia played a role but I have doubt this would've been a big success regardless.

I mean, it not doing so well because it's a romcom being released while the theaters are still in the middle of a deathgasp is a reasonable point. Suggesting that this movie has a different and niche audience because the featured romance is gay is not.

I'm straight. I think Bros looks funny. I don't go to the movie theater

VIXVLV posted...

Suggesting that this movie has a different and niche audience because the featured romance is gay is not.

It does, though. That's just a reasonable conclusion to draw. If we lived in a perfect world, maybe it wouldnt be a difference. But we don't, and it is.

Gobstoppers12 posted...

It does, though. That's just a reasonable conclusion to draw. If we lived in a perfect world, maybe it wouldnt be a difference. But we don't, and it is.

Well, there you have it. That's clearly homophobia, no? That's the point, that the audience should be the same, but isn't.

I mean, let's not pretend there's not a gigantic number of heterosexual males who are "grossed out watching two men kiss".

VIXVLV posted...

Well, there you have it. That's clearly homophobia, no?

No.

Gobstoppers12 posted...

No.

What do you mean by a perfect world? What's different in this world, making it imperfect in this particular context?

VIXVLV posted...

I mean, let's not pretend there's not a gigantic number of heterosexual males who are "grossed out watching to men kiss".

Many heterosexual men also dont have any interest in hetro romcoms either.

I feel like Bros is 15 to 20 years too late.

"I'm not gay."
"I'm totally not gay."
"I love you."
"I love you too."

VIXVLV posted...

What do you mean by a perfect world? What's different in this world, making it imperfect in this particular context?

Alright, I'll lay out my feelings on it with some more detail. When I say "a perfect world," I mean a world in which everybody judges a film based on the quality of its writing/acting/etc. and not based on its premise and subject matter.

Consider a romantic comedy based on a straight man and a straight woman. The premise is that they meet, they connect, some zany stuff happens that prevents them from sealing the deal, and then the conflict is resolved and they get together and live happily ever after.

Traditionally, men do not see these kinds of movies alone. They go with their girlfriends/wives. Keep in mind, there are exceptions, but I'm speaking generally. Let's look at the appeal in these films for a woman, and for a man, and why they would both typically find it worth the ticket price:

The Woman: She goes for the romance plot line. She goes to see the hot male lead being charming and charismatic. She goes to put herself in the shoes of the female lead, embodying and relating to the character. She's there to recognize herself in small ways as either the female lead or her quirky best friend who cheers her on. She has a lot to enjoy, she is the one who wanted to see the movie in the first place.

The Man: He's not as interested in the romance plot. He's there to look at the bombshell-hot female lead, and he's there to root for the guy by proxy--while also maybe subtly rooting for a nice lingerie scene or two along the way. He's there for the raunchier humor, maybe also to relate to the snarky best friend who acts like a college frat boy and helps the dumbstruck male lead along in his search for love. He, too, can relate to one or more of the characters and can put himself into the situation and empathize with them. More than any other reason, he's there because he's with his girlfriend/wife and it's a movie they can both agree on.

Now...what happens when you change the premise to a gay romance? Quite suddenly, the woman has nobody to directly relate to--she can't put herself in the shoes of the female lead, because there isn't one. She doesn't have much opportunity to swoon for the male leads or 'wish it were her', because they're not interested in women. Granted, a straight woman is still MUCH more likely than a straight man to enjoy a rom com based on gay men.

A straight man has nothing to relate to. He can't even enjoy the presence of the hot female lead...because there isn't one. There's not much in a gay male romance for a straight man to latch onto. He's not rooting for the leads to take their shirts off, because he's not into shirtless guys. He's not rooting for them to kiss, because two men kissing doesn't excite him in any way. He might still be able to relate to and empathize with the plot in general, but not in any specific way represented on screen.

People go to see rom coms that speak to them. A rom com with gay men tends to speak more to gay men than to straight men. That's just an easy conclusion to draw. It's not homophobia to be straight and prefer to see straight romance. It's just natural.

Honestly, the comedy movie market as a whole has pretty much vanished. Rom Coms fair a bit better but are still pretty niche and skew hard towards women. So I can see how Bros came off as kind of an in-between of the Superbad/Knocked Up-style comedy that doesn't really have a theatrical market anymore and a rom com and I think the end result was a movie that just doesn't have a very large audience of people who want to go to the theater for it. I'm sure it will do well once it hits streaming though.

I think you have pidgenholed people in an extremelt heteronormative way that only exists as stereotype. The idea that men only like romcoms to look at hot women is ridiculous.

Further, the idea that the success of a romcom relies on self insertion is equally silly when you consider some of the most popular romcoms have leads that are extremely specific and damaged in unflattering ways. Like Silver Linings Playbook, or the dozen of movies that came out around that time.

VIXVLV posted...

I think you have pidgenholed people in an extremelt heteronormative way that only exists as stereotype. The idea that men only like romcoms to look at hot women is ridiculous.

Further, the idea that the success of a romcom relies on self insertion is equally silly when you consider some of the most popular romcoms have leads that are extremely specific and damaged in unflattering ways. Like Silver Linings Playbook, or the dozen of movies that came out around that time.

Some people tend to believe everyone else thinks exactly like they do because they're incapable of understanding other points of view. Post #70 is a great example of this.

https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2022/genre/Comedy

I mean shit, as bad as Bros is doing, it'll probably end up being one of the most successful adult-oriented comedy of 2022.

Gobstoppers12... what the hell did I just read?

VIXVLV posted...

I think you have pidgenholed people in an extremelt heteronormative way that only exists as stereotype.

I'm speaking based on people I know, and things I've experienced in the course of my life. Is it a stereotype? Sure. Is it likely to be true? Yes.

I want you to explain it, for me. I gave you my perspective on why it doesn't have mass-audience appeal. Now you share yours--why should I, as a straight man who's not hip to the in-jokes of the LGBTQIA+ community, who isn't attracted in any way whatsoever to men, pay money to see a movie that wasn't made for me?

HairyQueen posted...

Some people tend to believe everyone else thinks exactly like they do because they're incapable of understanding other points of view. Post #70 is a great example of this.

I actually enjoy romantic comedies for reasons other than "wow, hot girl," but I'm referring to the average audience member. Don't act like every man in America is genuinely interested in romantic comedies; y'all know it's not true. The numbers show it every time one comes out. The audience skews heavily female and most of the men are there on a date.

just so we're clear the target audience is STRAIGHT PEOPLE. sure gay people are kinda assumed to want to see it, but all mainstream movies need straight people to watch if they want to make money. so he's right when he says straight people didn't show up for bros.

Compsognathus posted...

https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2022/genre/Comedy

I mean shit, as bad as Bros is doing, it'll probably end up being one of the most successful adult-oriented comedy of 2022.

https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2022/genre/Romantic-Comedy

It looks like Bros is actually the 2nd biggest romantic comedy of the year. It is doing really good for being a mostly dead genre for theatrical movies.

with good word of mouth it might do well on home release

YellowSUV posted...

https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2022/genre/Romantic-Comedy

It looks like Bros is actually the 2nd biggest romantic comedy of the year. It is doing really good for being a mostly dead genre for theatrical movies.

I mean it's decidedly not doing good, even if it is at the top of the pack. Being the second biggest rom com of the year doesn't mean much when you end up only making half your budget back. It is simultaneously doing poorly, while doing well for its genre.

i still havent seen it

I dont know about anyone else, but I personally dont want to go to theaters during covid for any movie. Seeing a movie just isnt worth the risk, especially if it is a crowded theater.

I feel like I've been hearing about it for so long I honestly thought it had already come and gone. But that said I never go to the movies anyway and usually just wait for bluray. I'll see it one day.

i mainly remember the promos highlighting the all gay cast
i never cared about an actors sexuality so i never got into the anger over straight people playing game

neither this topic or the cheap knock off topic posted the bros trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qry_F6H-1mA

Gobstoppers12 posted...

Alright, I'll lay out my feelings on it with some more detail. When I say "a perfect world," I mean a world in which everybody judges a film based on the quality of its writing/acting/etc. and not based on its premise and subject matter.

Consider a romantic comedy based on a straight man and a straight woman. The premise is that they meet, they connect, some zany stuff happens that prevents them from sealing the deal, and then the conflict is resolved and they get together and live happily ever after.

Traditionally, men do not see these kinds of movies alone. They go with their girlfriends/wives. Keep in mind, there are exceptions, but I'm speaking generally. Let's look at the appeal in these films for a woman, and for a man, and why they would both typically find it worth the ticket price:

The Woman: She goes for the romance plot line. She goes to see the hot male lead being charming and charismatic. She goes to put herself in the shoes of the female lead, embodying and relating to the character. She's there to recognize herself in small ways as either the female lead or her quirky best friend who cheers her on. She has a lot to enjoy, she is the one who wanted to see the movie in the first place.

The Man: He's not as interested in the romance plot. He's there to look at the bombshell-hot female lead, and he's there to root for the guy by proxy--while also maybe subtly rooting for a nice lingerie scene or two along the way. He's there for the raunchier humor, maybe also to relate to the snarky best friend who acts like a college frat boy and helps the dumbstruck male lead along in his search for love. He, too, can relate to one or more of the characters and can put himself into the situation and empathize with them. More than any other reason, he's there because he's with his girlfriend/wife and it's a movie they can both agree on.

Now...what happens when you change the premise to a gay romance? Quite suddenly, the woman has nobody to directly relate to--she can't put herself in the shoes of the female lead, because there isn't one. She doesn't have much opportunity to swoon for the male leads or 'wish it were her', because they're not interested in women. Granted, a straight woman is still MUCH more likely than a straight man to enjoy a rom com based on gay men.

A straight man has nothing to relate to. He can't even enjoy the presence of the hot female lead...because there isn't one. There's not much in a gay male romance for a straight man to latch onto. He's not rooting for the leads to take their shirts off, because he's not into shirtless guys. He's not rooting for them to kiss, because two men kissing doesn't excite him in any way. He might still be able to relate to and empathize with the plot in general, but not in any specific way represented on screen.

People go to see rom coms that speak to them. A rom com with gay men tends to speak more to gay men than to straight men. That's just an easy conclusion to draw. It's not homophobia to be straight and prefer to see straight romance. It's just natural.

this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen someone post on here about movies

This is the first time Im ever hearing of this movie.

However, I believe that all movies are dumb as fuck, so I wouldnt be caught dead in the movie theater anyways.

VIXVLV posted...

Well, there you have it. That's clearly homophobia, no? That's the point, that the audience should be the same, but isn't.

You dont think its natural for audiences to be less interested in romantic movies they cant self-insert into?

Because thats sounds like an insane thing to think.

It's not fair to blame an entire group of people for a piece of media "not for them" being unsuccessful? Deep, profound stuff here.

It's interesting how his comments certainly rustled some jimmies. Enough to get the word out so that way more people are going to be aware of this movie now, a good number of whom will probably end up watching it at some point.

BurmesePenguin posted...

You dont think its natural for audiences to be less interested in romantic movies they cant self-insert into?

Because thats sounds like an insane thing to think.

it's weird to want to self-insert into anything. just watch the damn movie

Its always someone elses fault

Compsognathus posted...

I mean it's decidedly not doing good, even if it is at the top of the pack. Being the second biggest rom com of the year doesn't mean much when you end up only making half your budget back. It is simultaneously doing poorly, while doing well for its genre.

I think his point isn't that it's doing well, just that it isn't the fault of heteros (or even homophobes) that it's doing poorly because it's actually doing quite well compared to what other movies in its genre are doing.

averagejoel posted...

it's weird to want to self-insert into anything. just watch the damn movie

You should stop posting.

This topic is the only thing I've even heard about this movie. Did it have any sort of marketing? Never heard of it.

Edit: Oh snap it has Amanda Bearse? Now I gotta look into it

this is literally a case of a meme coming alive and no longer a joke:

"watch the movie, bigot!"

SMH

Whats twitter have to say about this?

R1masher posted...

Whats twitter have to say about this?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/3/5/AAGadeAADvzb.jpg

BurmesePenguin posted...

You should stop posting.

I won't