Rapists and First Impressions

A woman is driving down a deserted country road. A car that has been following her turns on flashing blue lights. When she pulls over, a man wearing a police uniform walks up and asks her to step out of the car. Then he rapes her. It has happened before, and it just goes to show that our first impressions are not always correct.

I just ran across this blog post, "Rape of the Marlboro Man," about Brokeback Mountain. I like Jacob's blog. He has some good insights about the future of privacy. His post about Facebook is especially insightful. But I have to disagree that Brokeback Mountain is nothing but propaganda.

Let's talk about first impressions.

We all function with a variety of perceptual filters and blinders. We make judgements about people and things all day long, every day. If we didn't, we couldn't function. We would be too busy analyzing each new person and situation we come to: "Is this person a threat? Are they lying? Do they want to buy something from me? Are they safe to be around?" Instead, we make snap judgements on the basis of some pretty superficial things.

These snap judgements are useful in most of our daily transactions. Although you might read stories about the beggar who comes to your door and later turns out to be an angel, most of the time our transactions with others are facilitated by our ability to make a quick evaluation of each other.

This is true with our relationships, it is also true with material things. It is only natural to look at a clean new car and assume it is faster and safer than an old car. It may or may not be so, but a newer car is likely safer, and in most cases it is ok to make that snap judgement.

Indeed, that is the way we humans think. It is hard even to be aware of our perceptual filters. But let's think about this for a minute.

Are these snap judgements always correct? Remember the rapist's tactic.

Says Jacob:

"It's the truth, most people are innately uncomfortable with homosexual relationships.... Human beings innately react negatively to an unnatural situation or corrupt behavior."

Now, step back and ask yourself something: how do most people learn about homosexuality? From the other boys and girls on the schoolyard, making fun of "faggots"? From parents who pass their own prejudice down? From preachers who tell us it's wrong because the bible says so?

Those who judge homosexuality to be wrong, I suspect, are not judging it to be so because they know a whole bunch of evil homosexuals. They are making a snap judgement that allows them to keep their worldview intact.

I don't disagree with Jacob when he points out that "the reason that both Annie Proulx and Ang Lee chose to tell the story the way that did: to show a homosexual love affair in a way that makes it desireable, and to associate such behavior with an American legacy (cowboys)." He's right - that was their intention. It's a great story angle, and a chance to explore our humanity from an unusual perspective.

I will disagree with Jacob that the movie is propaganda for "the homosexual agenda" (as if there were such a thing). Jacob would do well to take some time and look at his own perceptual filters and judgements, maybe watch the movie, and get to know some gay people. Maybe he could even have some conversations with them about their relationships to their families, society, and their lovers.

I'd like to hear his take on Brokeback Mountain after he does that.

Tags:

• propaganda
• thinking