Ugh. After digging up my back issue of OUT that had Ian Somerhalder's interview about filming The Rules of Attraction I spent all weekend thinking I'd totally gotten the wrong impression of the actor and that his homophobic reputation had been blown out of proportion over a Colin Farrell-esque statement or two about personal comfort zones.

Then I found this far more insulting Abercrombie & Fitch interview on the actor's own website and ran across lots of reviews of his DVD commentary which was apparently even more insulting and prejudiced.

May his post-Lost career be restricted to doing La Cage Aux Folles community theatre revivals with Kerr Smith. Ptui!

You should incorporate this aspect into your fic, Matt:

"Kiss me, Boone."
"No way, Jack. That's disgusting."
"Aha, but we are on a topsy-turvy island full of polar bears and impeccably groomed women! Here, 'disgusting' means 'stupendously sexy.'"
"But what does 'stupendously sexy' mean, then?"
"It means 'stupendously sexy.' Haven't you ever heard of a synonym?"

Um, I don't actually write fic as such (not whole stories, anyway). Although in the internal movie in my head Boone has gone from a liason with Jack to an encounter with the invisible monster that involves a more literal interpretation of the verb "to eat."

Yeah, the whole "Well it's fine when girls kiss (even and possibly especially if they're straight), but boys kissing is icky" thing exposes a whole mess of views I find make my eyes roll for days.

Heh. That interview makes that fic with Boone and Jack linked earlier just that much funnier.

I don't particularly want to watch him kiss anyone, because he does nothing for me. Oh sure, pretty, but something about him just irks.

something about him just irks.

Me, too. I'm not sure why. He has teh pretty, sort of (not my type.) But, between the way his character is such a
b(uff)oone and his arrogance in those interviews, I just get a big ole squick from him. One has to wonder if the producers cast him with just that thought in mind. I wouldn't put it past them.

I have to admit that whatever his personal views, he does do a good job of bringing the Poof-fu to the roles he plays. All the roles, apparently.

Then I found this far more insulting Abercrombie & Fitch interview on the actor's own website and ran across lots of reviews of his DVD commentary which was apparently even more insulting and prejudiced.

Matt, did you happen to read the part of his website where he does a "friday five"? he addressed the A&F article as well as how he's been portrayed by the media. i think you'll find it an interesting read.

i'm not really here. i'm sick sick sick. can someone send me a hot boy to take care of me? preferably one like Josh Holloway or Josh Duhamel. *nod*

I've read it. Let's say I have a healthy skepticism of the possibility of Abercrombie & Fitch, of all companies, letting Greg Araki deliberately misquote one of their own models to give an erroneous impression of homophobia. Nevermind a concerted media conspiracy to give him that reputation. (Isn't it customary for such interviews to be recorded so there's no later question of inaccuracy if the subject disapproves after the fact?)

Also, though I've not heard the Rules of Attraction DVD commentary myself (yet!), the majority of people reviewing it on several different websites make note of his denigrating remarks—something that should be rather more difficult to misquote or misrepresent. Will report back when I've heard it myself and can make a judgement of vocal tone as well as word choice.

Oh, blech. I wish I hadn't read that interview. I hate when people turn out to be jerks. Although this bit stuck out at me, in light of his comments:

Gregg Araki: In your career you have played a series of sexually ambiguous characters.

Ian Somerhalder: Yeah, no kidding.

GA: Are you concerned that you’ll be typecast as an ambisexual pretty boy, or do you not care what people think?

IS: I don’t really care what people think. Here is the thing. The more different roles you play, the more varied body of work you are going to have. I want a very diverse body of work—that’s all I am going for.

That's an opinion that I think would have been much rarer even maybe five or ten years ago. I think it's pretty interesting that even though he makes homophobic comments and is grossed out by kissing another guy (although I have to say, I'd be grossed out if I had to kiss James Van Der Beek too), he's still totally willing to play a whole host of queer (or at least "sexually ambiguous") characters. Playing gay is no longer a career-wrecker; seems like now it's more of a career-builder, and I think that's a good sign.