In Gifted and Challenged, a behind-the-scenes documentary, MItchell addresses how difficult it is for audiences to separate Shortbus from porn (how most Americans understand live sex on film).
Depicting analingus was (and is) a much more provocative choice than the more obvious (and heteronormative) intercourse. There’s a lot to unpack here.Ī man singing the national anthem into another’s ass is an indelible image. A delighted Ceth joins in using James’ penis as a microphone and James sings along while masturbating the other two ending in a rousing choral climax. At a loss, Jamie begins singing the Star Spangled Banner.into Ceth’s ass. Jamie is rimming Ceth when he starts to speak, causing Ceth to writhe and shout with pleasure. One of the film’s best moments is a brilliantly staged threesome where Ceth (Jay Brannan), Jamie (PJ DeBoy), and James (Paul Dawson) are locked in a sexual pyramid. The film’s unabashed, unsimulated sex scenes challenge the audience to look beyond the bodies, reframing sex as a universal language a means of creating connection and a path toward self-discovery. John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus explores issues of identity, pride, and patriotism at the intersection of sex and otherness in response to the pervasive anxiety in New York post 9/11. For Pride Month Team Experience is looking at favorite scenes from LGBT cinema.
