Billy Eichner took shots at Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody while presenting at the 2019 Writers Guild Awards last weekend.
Eichner took the stage on Sunday, Feb. 17 to present the award for best documentary screenplay. The actor and comedian spared a few moments to address the Oscars, however, and the way LGBTQ characters have been represented in this year’s nominees.
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“From Green Book to Bohemian Rhpasody, it’s been an amazing year to cut down the gay scenes,” he said to laughter. “Who knew a year ago there would be more gay sex in a movie about Queen Anne than in a movie about Freddie Mercury? I guess that’s progress? I’m not sure.”
The gathered members of the Writers Guild of America West laughed with recognition at Eichner’s joke. Both Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody have been criticized for undercutting their characters’ homosexuality to make the films more palatable to the mainstream.
Bohemian Rhapsody, in particular, drew criticism for putting Mercury’s sexual identity and his struggles with AIDS in ambiguous terms. In a review published by The Spectator, Jasper Rees described this as “the most callous rearrangement of the facts.”
At the same time, some felt that Green Book underplayed Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali)’s homosexuality, casting it in intentionally vague, abstract terms. Nevertheless, both movies have multiple nominations and good chances to win at the Oscars on Sunday night.
On a more positive note, Eichner went on to talk about documentaries as he presented the best documentary screenplay award last weekend. He explained that he had gotten his first taste of LGBTQ representation from documentaries, and it fueled him for years.
“As a young gay kid obsessed with the entertainment industry, the first place I saw gay characters were not in fictional shows or movies, but actually in documentaries… Madonna’s Truth or Dare, Paris is Burning, Tongues Untied.”
“So, it warms my heart to know that a young gay person can turn on Hulu and see over 137 documentaries about the Fyre Festival,” he finished.
Eichner presented the award to Ozzy Inguanzo and Dava Whisenant, who wrote Bathtubs Over Broadway.
Eichner presented the award to Ozzy Inguanzo and Dava Whisenant, who wrote Bathtubs Over Broadway. The movie followed writer Steve Young as he tracked down some rare musical theater memorabilia, including albums and footage thought lost, and composers and performers as well.
The Oscars are live on Sunday, Feb. 24 starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
