u/iceandfireman

… he will have won and made that history for playing a gay man dying of AIDS. I have no polite way of saying how regressive that would be. It would definitely cement an old archetype that, thankfully, has been really fading away the last several decades, if not fully disappeared.

We know how wrong it would be, but the immediate conversation would be how gay guys can only play gay guys - who just happen to be dying of AIDS.

I know many may not care too much about these awards - but considering that you’re already in the space, the odds of being into it are probably higher - but yes, these sorts of things do have a big impact on the public imagination and discourse.

If only we could only have our own version of a Jodie Foster, although of course, she too, was publicly closeted when she won twice. And as for Spacey, well, besides the obvious bad role model thing, he too was publicly closeted.

What do you make of this?

By this I mean people who might really not like it because of the violence and general gruesome subject matter, or people from the trans community that resent it for its ostensible trans villain - but who typically add, “But yeah, beyond that, I have to concede it was actually a pretty good movie”

I’m talking people who, for example, just found it uninteresting or dumb or whatever else they might feel.

I am asking this because I am in my early 50s, and from the moment the film came out until today, I have never spoken to a person who said that they just really didn’t like it - period.

There was a trans woman I knew who hated its depiction of, what she felt, was trans culture. We had a long conversation. And a few hardcore Christians who could not abide the serial killer thing and general violence, but had to add, ‘But yes, the actors were amazing and the suspense was still remarkably well done’

So no, I’ve never met someone who strongly disliked it based exclusively on its cinematic merits.

What about you?

Meaning, of course, the GOATs of gay men’s films. Those few movies that would be placed on the Mount Rushmore of MLM cinema.

I easily choose “Brokeback Mountain”, “God’s Own Country”, “Moonlight”, “Fourth Man Out” and “Free Fall” way up there.

And by the way, I feel VERY proud of “Fourth Man Out” as a GOAT. Comedy and levity in gay men’s films are hard enough to come by, and FMO doesn’t just deliver levity, it absolutely does excel and surprise.

Seriously, watching this makes me actually appreciate getting upset at a member of this sub for being “wrong” because this shows me what true idiocy about the Academy Awards is. Geeze Louise! 🤦🏻‍♂️

Spoiler:, the nadir of the video is when he criticizes Meryl Streep winning best actress for “Sophie’s Choice”. And lambasting “Amadeus” for winning so big against “A Nightmare on Elm Street”. Grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy…

Who do you think would win, Cruise or Aramayo, or Damon? Or someone else, and why so?

Richard Gadd is somewhat helping to rewrite what manhood is and how we can define, celebrate and deal with whatever problems masculinity in its negative forms may have.

The fact that at least one of the protagonists in *Half Man* is gay - and really struggling with that - adds another layer to the entire conversation about manhood in 2026.

Gadd is somewhat underhandedly feting masculinity itself despite the  talk of toxic masculinity in the present zeitgeist, even in his own works . He is not just acknowledging it and displaying the effects of it, but by doing so, creating a sort of celebration of maleness by forcing  other aspects of masculinity to be discussed, analyzed or praised whenever warranted.

Issues such as depression; loneliness; fatherhood;  being victims of different abuses in a society that believes men can never be such victims; difficulties communicating with other men; lack of true friendships amongst men; the fluidity of sexuality amongst men and how that can effect mental health, self esteem and feelings of being “less” of a man because of it.

It’s absolutely possible that Gadd might one day be extolled as the first true “masculist”, so to speak,  to force men’s issues into the mainstream  by dealing with the topic of toxic masculinity - but then instead of harping on that, running away with other pressing problems that men in the 21st century are dealing with.

As well, by making Donny Dunn bisexual and Niall Kennedy gay, the two lead characters in his seminal works, he is subverting what mainstream society sees as typical manhood, and that is astute.

This could be a brilliant move, and one that I personally would welcome wholeheartedly, as it feels like the first time ever in my 50 plus years where men like myself are seen equally with all other men in prevailing media. And a time when manhood itself is embraced and studied to healthier and more productive effect.

We shall see…

Richard Gadd is somewhat helping to rewrite what manhood is and how we can define, celebrate and deal with whatever problems masculinity in its bad forms may have.

The fact that at least one of the protagonists in Half Man is gay - and really struggling with that - adds another layer to the entire conversation about manhood in 2026.

He is somewhat underhandedly feting masculinity itself despite the talk of toxic masculinity in the present zeitgeist, even in his own works . He is not just acknowledging it and displaying the effects of it, but by doing so, creating a sort of celebration of manhood by forcing other aspects of maleness to be discussed, analyzed or praised whenever warranted.

Issues such as depression; loneliness; fatherhood; being victims of different abuses in a society that believes men can never be such victims; difficulties communicating with other men; lack of true friendships amongst men; the fluidity of sexuality amongst men and how that can effect mental health, self esteem and feelings of being “less” of a man because of it.

It’s absolutely possible that Gadd might one day be extolled as the first true “masculist”, so to speak, to force men’s issues into the mainstream by dealing with the topic of toxic masculinity - then running away with other pressing problems that men in the 21st century are dealing with.

As well, by making Donny Dunn bisexual and Niall Kennedy gay, the two lead characters in these seminal works, he is subverting what mainstream society sees as typical manhood, and that is astute.

This could be a brilliant move, and one that I personally would welcome wholeheartedly, as it feels like the first time ever in my 50 plus years where men like myself are seen equally with all other men in prevailing media. And a time when manhood itself is embraced and studied to healthier effect.

We shall see…

I have noticed that in Oscar spaces such as this, among others, many people don’t really talk about how close “Silence” came to having to compete against Scorsese’s magnum opus and Hollywood golden boy Kevin Costner’s big historical vanity project.

For a variety of reasons, Orion decided to release the film in early 1991 as opposed to the end of 1990. They weren’t even thinking about its Oscar chances, of course, so that wasn’t really part of the equation. But had they done that it would have very seriously affected its chances.

So many things would have been dramatically different. One of the most important ones being that the film wouldn’t have been given so much time to gain steam and been released on video in the fall for the Halloween horror market, which most definitely increased its visibility and chances with the Academy Awards.

So I eliminated one of the 1990 nominees and placed TSOTL instead. Regardless of your personal taste, how do you objectively feel that the motion picture academy would have chosen as its big winner?

I unfortunately had to actually vote for DWV because I see a scenario where the academy sees a lot of darkness and nothing to really feel great about. DWV, however, was pretty, historical, directed by and starring the handsome movie star of the moment and made them feel as though they were being progressive.

And yes, that hypothetical lack of exposure for TSOTL during the fall VHS release also would have hurt it more. Yes, it’s the superior film, but we know how the game is played.

View Poll

I think Jamie Bell is almost a shoo-in for lead actor in a limited series, but the overall nature of the show could put up a lot of obstacles for other wins. And that could hurt Gadd. What do you opine?

What is this sub’s take on Richard Gadd and his two seminal works so far on men’s issues, *Baby Reindeer* and now *Half Man*?

He’s never, to the best of my knowledge, declared any kind of political affiliation, never mind an alignment with men’s issues or men’s groups.

To me he just seems like a breath of fresh air, like the kind of men’s activist that could actually break through the mainstream and reach more people. I don’t know. I don’t really feel like I’m qualified enough to provide any definitive answers, but maybe more experienced and knowledgeable men here can.

I honestly feel that if he pushes further, beyond sexual violence against men and “toxic masculinity”, that he could be a tremendous masculist that the masses could not just accept, but warmly embrace.

I feel as though he has a helluva lot more to say about men’s rights and issues but isn’t quite there yet. Like he’s testing the waters with these two works he wrote and produced, but he’d like to say much more.

I appreciate your educated and mature feedback.

Richard Gadd is somewhat helping to rewrite what manhood is and how we can define, celebrate and deal with whatever problems masculinity in its bad forms may have.

The fact that at least one of the protagonists in *Half Man* is gay - and really struggling with that - adds another layer to the entire conversation about manhood in 2026.

He is somewhat underhandedly feting masculinity itself despite the talk of toxic masculinity in the present zeitgeist, even in his own works . He is not just acknowledging it and displaying the effects of it, but by doing so, creating a sort of celebration of manhood by forcing *other* aspects of maleness to be discussed, analyzed or praised whenever warranted.

Issues such as depression; loneliness; fatherhood; being victims of different abuses in a society that believes men can never be such victims; difficulties communicating with other men and with women; lack of true friendships amongst men; the fluidity of sexuality amongst men and how that can effect mental health, self esteem and feelings of being “less” of a man because of it.

It’s absolutely possible that Gadd might one day be extolled as the first true “masculist”, so to speak, to force men’s issues into the mainstream by dealing with the topic of toxic masculinity - then running away with other pressing problems that men in the 21st century are dealing with.

As well, by making Donny Dunn bisexual and Niall Kennedy gay, the two lead characters in these seminal works, he is subverting what mainstream society sees as typical manhood, and that is astute.

This could be a brilliant move, and one that I personally would welcome wholeheartedly, as it feels like the first time ever in my 50 plus years where men like myself are seen equally with all other men in prevailing media. And a time when manhood itself is embraced and studied to healthier effect.

We shall see…

how much more water cooler talked about would it be?

People, including many straight guys, are more open minded and mature these days with regards to gay media, but still, this is a gay show and that will, unfortunately and inevitably, shrink its audience.

Yes, of course the violence and so-called “trauma porn” that many criticize are factors, but I still get a feeling that if this was between a man and a woman, instead of our two guys, the ratings would be significantly higher, and it would be more discussed. What do you opine?

It’s certainly not getting the same coverage as highly popular gay series we have had this year, but its gay content is, at this point, very explicit and no longer just homoerotic marketing. And we can no longer say that it simply has this one gay character and that it’s all just about “toxic masculinity” and violence. It is an explicitly gay television show. Does it make us look bad, for example?

The closest that we can get to this is to refer to them as “quasi stepbrothers”, but even that’s a stretch. We know that their moms were not only never legally married at all, but they weren’t really together for too long either.

I realize it’s just a convenient title, but what do you opine?

I actually believe that our two characters will consummate their twisted relationship in the barn, something that has been painfully cockteased all series long, and that will eventually lead to Niall killing Reuben. And in some twisted way, Niall will slither his way into topping Reuben to add that special touch.

He will have finalized his metamorphosis into becoming Reuben, not only getting Reuben to engage in homosexual activity with him, something he has been craving for decades, but bringing his nemesis/hero to a literal end with the same sort of aggression that he learned from Reuben.

He will have become Full Man, robbing Reuben of his masculinity, by, I theorize, having impregnated Mona with the child her alpha male husband never could, having another child, probably ANOTHER boy, with his ex wife, having helped Reuben go to prison not once but twice and finally using the similar tactics his “stronger” half brutally utilized to end his life.

Reuben tells us that Niall is a man that knows what he wants and knows how to get it. We know from the beginning that Niall lusts after Reuben and not so subconsciously desires him. Niall will manipulate Reuben into giving him that very long awaited experience.

We also know that Niall wanted to be Reuben, or at least be more like him. Niall was always the brainier and more Machiavellian student that his brawny and violent quasi step brother could never possibly be.

I even theorize that Niall is actually making absolutely sure that Reuben finds out that he and Alby are getting married in order to lure him to the wedding, or rather, a trap. He knows what he’s doing.

At the end, Niall might actually emerge as the true villain. He will have utilized psychological manipulation and acumen, outsmarting the handsome and alpha male Reuben, into a sort of castration. His ultimate punishment to Reuben for everything.

Ruins his marriage and life, coerces him into homosexual activity then ends the miscreant for good with physical violence. Probably in such a smart way that the authorities never prosecute him.

The weakling will have metamorphosed into the alpha male and the transformation will be complete. He will be Full Man.

I can’t wait for the rest of the series, but this was a big fail. Yes, we all know how with all that intense screaming and fighting, one human being would’ve easily walked in within those 20 minutes. And it had an odd, dreamlike feel, but it’s deeper than that. It was lazy writing.

To have the protagonist of the story be involved in a very serious head on collision is a huge deal, but then to use that as a vehicle for him just to have a big giant fight with his nemesis/hero is absurd .

If you’re going to have your protagonist be involved into a serious accident it should really serve a much higher purpose. For example, I thought maybe he would become so injured that he would become even weaker when Ruben is around. That collision honestly needed to serve a better purpose.

Which brings us to the obvious point that their big giant argument could have simply taken place anywhere else under normal circumstances.

Unless we learn later on,,for example, that the injuries Niall sustained from that car accident become part of his character arc or the storyline, it was just pointless and lazy.

There has been a considerable amount of conversation regarding this topic, but after really thinking about it, I can’t think of anybody else.

There has been conversation about Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet presenting, and while that’s a genuinely awesome idea that would work great, I still say Spielberg all by himself should be the one.

Another phenomenal presenting duo would be Anthony Hopkins, and Jodie Foster, but I think that ship has sailed.

At the end of the day, nobody out there really personifies the grandeur of cinema and the quest for artistic achievement and commercial Hollywood success as Spielberg himself.

What are your thoughts?

He wasn’t REALLY doing it from the kindness of his heart or any kind of moral high ground.

The attorney begins to bring up the topic of Alby’s sexuality. This is when all of a sudden he has his morality attack and retracts his lie.

First he asks Niall about how he knew that Alby was gay, and then he asks him if he considered Alby to be a deviant.

The conversation is uncomfortably close to having to realistically talk about his own gayness and that’s when he just realizes that he’s not only making terrible things up for Ruben, but committing a crime.

It wasn’t really only some sort of great love for Alby or his conscience magically appearing, but the panic of perhaps having to talk about himself and his sexuality.

And I really lost some respect for him here.

To be clear, I have no doubt that he does love Alby, as he obviously marries him many years later, but with this spectacle played out in court for everyone to see, Alby should be having second thoughts about marrying this man.

I’m not nit picking, but being painfully honest. I certainly want Niall to succeed at the end of the series, but he was just a real coward that notorious day.

By definition, I think it’s fair to say this is accurate. Ruben bringing in that woman in that awful room to coerce Niall into penetrating her and the two of of them following through - or Niall following orders - was Ruben’s way of raping his quasi step brother without literally doing so.

I definitely think Ruben does have homosexual tendencies and his sociopathic personality and behavior only allow him to engage in sex with a man by proxy and through rape.

We obviously don’t know what’s going to happen in the next three episodes, but I see *Half Man* as an exploration by Richard of male homosexuality in both the best of ways - Niall and Alby loving each other despite what happened and even getting married -and the absolute worst.

Richard Gadd is the absolute best thing that could have happened to television, men’s issues, writing, acting and complex social issues and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next! God bless him.