‘Outing’ Ellen Page: The Politicization of Sex and the Sexualization of Politics

Posted on | September 19, 2011 | 72 Comments

One of the unfortunate consequences of living in a sex-obsessed culture is that sex pervades and dominates everything, so that no subject can be discussed outside a sexual context. And this explains why I’m writing about Ellen Page, a 24-year-old actress whose name I’d never heard before I received an e-mail this morning.

Miss Page starred as a pregnant teenager in the acclaimed 2008 film Juno, which provoked much cultural commentary because of its pro-life theme. Yet the actress disavowed any pro-life motive of her own:

“I call myself a feminist when people ask me if I am, and of course I am ’cause it’s about equality, so I hope everyone is. You know you’re working in a patriarchal society when the word feminist has a weird connotation. . . . I very much am pro-choice.”

You see embedded in her comments a sort of sexual politics that didn’t exist 50 years ago, before “pro-choice” was a political category, before women had been taught to speak of themselves as feminists opposed to “a patriarchal society.” Many young people take this kind of rhetoric for granted, since it’s all they’ve ever known, but it reflects two trends of the recent past: The expansion of the cultural space involving sex, and the expansion of politics to include sexual matters previously regarded as private.

If an individual’s sex life has political meaning, the consequence is that no one’s sexual activity is truly private, as Miss Page discovered last month when a blogger named Christoph Topitschnig “outed” her as a lesbian — or at least, bisexual. Celebrity blogger Deana Barnert quoted Topitschnig’s argument:

“I gave Ellen Page a decent chance to come out with the truth,” Topitschnig posted on V-Generations. “Two months ago, I mentioned her in my LGBT article and made it pretty clear what she had to do. . . .
“I wrote: ‘In times like these when young gay people commit suicide out of fear of rejection, role models are needed. The gravity of the situation doesn’t ask for passive hiding but active fighting. What will Ellen Page’s choice be?'”

Consider the logic of Topitschnig’s argument: Miss Page has an obligation to disclose her (alleged) lesbian romances, in order to prevent “young gay people [from] commit[ing] suicide out of fear of rejection.” This seems rather a heavy burden for a blogger to impose on a young actress who, evidently, is still sorting through her own romantic/erotic interests: Confess your lesbianism, or gay kids will kill themselves!

And notice how Topitschnig portrayed himself as some sort of humanitarian for having given Miss Page “a decent chance” by waiting two months after his ultimatum before “outing” her. He “made it pretty clear what she had to do,” he says — just as Hitler once made it clear what Poland “had to do” about the Danzig Corridor.

That last analogy is no accidental violation of Godwin’s Law, for it is my argument that the politicization of sex necessarily entails a destruction of private life that is totalitarian in its implications. Miss Page was willing to accept a political dimension to sex insofar as it regarded being “pro-choice” and fighting the “patriarchy,” but I am unaware if she has commented on Topitchsnig’s “outing” blackmail.

Now, I said in the first paragraph that I had never heard of Miss Page until I got an e-mail this morning. That e-mail included a link to a new blog post by Toptischnig, this one quoting notorious left-wing blogger Mike Stark’s 2010 allegation that Rick Perry had a sexual affair with former Texas Secretary of State Geoffrey S. Connor.

Confess, Governor Perry, or gay kids will kill themselves!

And if you disagree with such tactics, they’ll smear you as a homophobe.

UPDATE: A commenter points out that Ellen Page makes it difficult to feel sorry for her. If her ambition is to become the next Janeane Garofalo, Whoopi Goldberg or Rosie O’Donnell, she’s gotten a good head start.

Category: Celebrities, Culture, Gays, Hollywood, Sex

Comments

72 Responses to “‘Outing’ Ellen Page: The Politicization of Sex and the Sexualization of Politics”

Matt Lewis
September 19th, 2011 @ 8:33 pm

If she gets married, will she follow in the footsteps of other anti-patriarchs and insist that she keeps her father’s name?
Mortimer Snerd
September 19th, 2011 @ 8:36 pm

Topitschnig? Gesundheit!
herddog505
September 19th, 2011 @ 8:40 pm

This is the kind of “in your face” behavior by some in the gay community that I find very irritating. I’ve come to (more or less) accept a libertarian view toward homosexuality: it’s not my thing, but it’s also none of my business what other people do so long as they’re not hurting somebody else.

It seems to me that Toptischnig is engaging in a type of reverse gay-bashing: “Tell everybody you’re gay so that we can PROVE that it’s normal and should be accepted!” If he had outed Ellen Page* in an attempt to ruin her career, he’d be an object of scorn and contempt, and rightfully so. But because he’s cloaking himself in “noble” motives, he seems to expect some sort of a pass. “I’m doing it for all those frightened kids who need to know that it’s OK to be gay!”

Too bad Page doesn’t have a brother or father who might make Toptischnig regret his decision by engaging in some “f*cking jerk bashing”.

—

(*) I was favorably impressed with Page’s performance in “Juno” and also enjoyed her work in “Inception”, which was a clever and well-done film. I fear for her career NOT because of her sexual preferences but because she looks so darned young: will she be stuck forever playing teenagers?
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 8:40 pm

Juno was worth a watch. Once. Not a great film, but mildly entertaining.

Juno, the high school girl, gets pregnant with her nerdy high school boyfriend, and goes for an abortion. But a shy classmate of hers who is pro life and standing outside the clinic quietly confronts her and mentions that her baby/fetus has fingernails. Juno changes her mind and decides to have the baby…[You can watch it on Netflix if you never saw it]

So the actress (is the use of that term sexist?) is pro choice. It is almost like she has to denounce a pro life agenda to work in Hollywood. Because, heck, they might think she is a conservative or something! That will get you blacklisted.

But bicurious? Other than some discomfort about her family, I suspect that will have no impact careerwise. It might even be a plus. So the outers here are just doing their jobs. Ms. Page has to thank them for pushing her out of that closet.

For the children, who managed to make the first cut.
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 8:44 pm

I think Governor Perry needs to come out. He should denounce pragmatic Republicanism.
DaveO
September 19th, 2011 @ 8:54 pm

And folks always worried about Jerry Falwell and Focus on the Family dictating sexual behavior.

This type of scam: outing folks (whether true or not) has been about ensuring folks are never accepted for who they are, but for what they are.

Ellen Page = sexuality kulak
Anonymous
September 19th, 2011 @ 8:58 pm

So Topitschnig is into extortion. What a kind soul. Children, especially the GLBT, should clearly admire such leadership.
Daily scoreboard « Don Surber
September 19th, 2011 @ 5:01 pm

[…] From Robert Stacy McCain: Christoph Topitschnig outed an actress as a lesbian/bisexual, writing: “I gave Ellen Page a […]
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 9:02 pm

Her name was Ellen Philpotts-Page before she became an actress.

I am not sure if Philpotts or Page was her father’s name, but the answer to your question seems no.
Bob Belvedere
September 19th, 2011 @ 9:03 pm

Here’s praying that Miss Page learns from this, that her mindless mouthing of Leftist bromides will not protect her from her fellow comrades in The Struggle.
Anonymous
September 19th, 2011 @ 9:04 pm

Ms. Page was also one of the bright spots of X-Men III, where she played a great Kitty Pryde.

J.
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 9:04 pm

Actually Page is her father’s name…so yes! But it is about copywriting her film identity, so no patriarchy involved!
Anonymous
September 19th, 2011 @ 9:07 pm

I am so confused. I saw Juno early on. I thought she did such a good job, I “Binged” her. Sure looked like she was pro-life to me. Maybe that wasn’t an over-riding or any reason why she did the movie tho.

Lesbian? Bi? I really don’t care as long as she doesn’t try to cram her political views or sexual orientation down my craw. That includes using her unique access to the cameras and microphones.
AMartel
September 19th, 2011 @ 9:38 pm

Absolutely right. This has nothing whatsoever to do with promoting a more “tolerant” environment for gays and lesbians or anybody, and everything to do with INtolerance and control by politically correct enforcers. These people are transparently INtolerant, of anybody who does not march in lockstep with their personal and political views. They do not hesitate to exert control by shaming people with rumor and innuendo about private matters, including and especially sex, which for most people, gay and straight, is a very private matter. If a person wants to maintain control over his life, keep private matters private, then he is “closeted” or she is a “prude,” and they don’t hesitate to hound such people in various ways, including exposing their sex lives, to shame them for their wrongthink. And then to turn around and claim that this will encourage shy lesbians and wallflower gays to come bounding out of the closet . . . that’s hilarious (except that it’s not).
Hypocrisy, sanctimony, intolerance, small-minded bigotry – these are all the accusations they project onto Other People . . . .
ThePaganTemple
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:01 pm

Topischniag should just advise homo kids to watch Chaz Bono on Dancing With The Stars. If that don’t induce mass fag suicide nothing will.
AndrewB
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:03 pm

A young, bi-sexual actess in Hollywood? You don’t say! I would think that the percentage of actresses who are/claim to be bi-sexual is roughly equivalent to the percentage that claim to be liberal.
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:05 pm

Perry at least has hope.

Mitt, Newt and Huntman are the freaks who dance on the floats in the Pragmatic Republican Pride Parade.
Anonymous
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:14 pm

Some many mud bricks so little time.
Peregrine
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:15 pm

Weird connotation? Seriously? You want weird connotation, and the vapors-induced fluttering that goes with it, flip the gender and use the word “masculinist”.
alwaysfiredup
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:20 pm

“Is that sexist?”

Just a little. There are far worse things. But most women I know in the acting biz prefer to be called “actors”.
vermontaigne
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:20 pm

Okay, I confess. Just don’t kill yourself, twerp.
Anonymous
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:24 pm

It is generally safer to be an enemy of the Left than to be an ally of the Left. This was the lesson of the Moscow Show Trials.
Anonymous
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:25 pm

Huntsman is a RINO in drag.
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:26 pm

I thought so. Then again, I still call those women who walk up and down the airplane stewardesses. Even if they are no longer the babes of the 1960s.
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:29 pm

Stewardesses. I can’t help myself!
Anonymous
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:35 pm

I don’t care what people do in their own privacy as long as they aren’t hurting others. However, that isn’t good enough for the activists. The don’t want equal rights they want special rights. Marriage being between a man and a women since beginning of time? Nope, that won’t do. Activists insist that the meaning of a word has to change and anyone who disagrees is a homophobe. I wonder if any of them understands that “phobe” means irrational fear? I can believe the meaning of words shouldn’t be changed willy nilly without having an irrational fear of people who are mixed up about their sexual identity.

As far as her being pro-abortion goes, my guess is growing up she was raised to believe it’s no big deal to kill little kids. I hope and pray that as this young lady matures and gets a better moral grounding she reassesses the issue.
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:51 pm

Huntsman! Making Utah Fabulous!
Bob Belvedere
September 19th, 2011 @ 10:54 pm

And why would you want to???
Bob Belvedere
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:01 pm

Kitty ‘Gay’ Pryde? [sorry…couldn’t resist]
Bob Belvedere
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:02 pm

How can we up production?
Bob Belvedere
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:07 pm

It was obvious the homosexuals would come to this when they took a perfectly wonderful word, ‘gay’, and hijacked it for their own nefarious political purposes.

I’ll be seeing you in all the old, familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces all day through
In that small cafe, the park across the way
The children’s carousel, the chestnut tree, the wishing well

I’ll be seeing you in ev’ry lovely summer’s day
In everything that’s light and gay
I’ll always think of you that way
I’ll find you in the morning sun and when the night is new
I’ll be looking at the moon but I’ll be seeing you
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:14 pm

Too bad the airlines cannot go back to 60s stewardesses. I would fly more!
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:19 pm

Newt Gingrich, the filthiest person alive!
Jeff Medcalf
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:20 pm

I always get a little weirded out when gay men become obsessed with what does or does not go into a pretty woman’s vagina.
Joe
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:26 pm

But Stacy, you are being so narrow minded, I mean the New York Times thinks Jon Huntsman is dreamy! He is like Tab Hunter!
Bob Belvedere
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:36 pm

So would I, Joe, so would I. Sadly, in this PC Age, it ain’t gonna happen, so all we are left with is pleasant memories…
http://thecampofthesaints.org/2010/02/03/a-little-hump-day-rule-5-5/
Bob Belvedere
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:38 pm

Fitting!

From Wikipedia:
In Hunter’s 2005 best selling autobiography, Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star, he acknowledged his homosexuality, confirming rumors that had circulated since the height of his fame. According to William L. Hamilton of The New York Times, detailed reports about his alleged romances with very close friends Debbie Reynolds and Natalie Wood were strictly the fodder of studio publicity departments. As Wood and Hunter embarked on a well-publicized and groundless romance, promoting his apparent heterosexuality while promoting their films, insiders developed their own headline for the item: ‘Natalie Wood and Tab Wouldn’t’.[8]

Hunter did become close enough with Etchika Choureau, his co-star in Lafayette Escadrille, and Joan Cohn, widow of Harry Cohn, to contemplate marriage, but thought he never could maintain a marriage and remained merely platonic friends with both women.
During Hollywood’s studio era, Hunter says, life “was difficult for me, because I was living two lives at that time. A private life of my own, which I never discussed, never talked about to anyone. And then my Hollywood life, which was just trying to learn my craft and succeed…” The star emphasizes that the word ‘gay’ “wasn’t even around in those days, and if anyone ever confronted me with it, I’d just kinda freak out. I was in total denial. I was just not comfortable in that Hollywood scene, other than the work process.”[9] “There was a lot written about my sexuality, and the press was pretty darn cruel,” the actor says, but what “moviegoers wanted to hold in their hearts were the boy-next-door marines, cowboys and swoon-bait sweethearts I portrayed.”[8]

Hunter had long-term relationships with bisexual actor Anthony Perkins and champion figure skater Ronnie Robertson, before settling down with his partner of 30 years, Allan Glaser.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab_Hunter#Personal_life
Brendon Carr
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:50 pm

Actually, most of them are. From the 60s, I mean.
Anonymous
September 19th, 2011 @ 11:57 pm

Assemble the mud bricks into walls and put them to use (see RSM comment referencing show trials). Once people understand what they are needed for, everyone will want to help.
Anonymous
September 20th, 2011 @ 12:00 am

They should have hijacked “fab” nobody would miss that.
Joe
September 20th, 2011 @ 12:27 am

One of these things…

Is not like the other!
Anonymous
September 20th, 2011 @ 1:13 am

How can the gay activists still make this argument and expect to be taken seriously? We now have a legion of openly gay celebrities and other public figures. Has that made the slightest difference for gay teenagers feeling isolated? Many teenagers feel like freaks no matter how utterly average and normal they are. A certain percentage are going to go overboard and take their own lives, both gay and straight. It’s more a problem of being a teenager than anything else.
Garrett York
September 20th, 2011 @ 1:22 am

More proof that fascism is universal.
payleryder45
September 20th, 2011 @ 1:36 am

“I always get a little weirded out when gay men become obsessed with what does or does not go into a pretty woman’s vagina.”Speaking as a non-ghey male, I’m going to assert a duty to “trust but verify” on the chief issue under consideration.
Anonymous
September 20th, 2011 @ 1:41 am

I always wonder about actual extortion when these kinds of cases come up. If her agent had sought Mr. Topitschnig out with a suitcase full of cash, would we have heard about this?
Anonymous
September 20th, 2011 @ 2:51 am

I think it depends on just how ideological the the criminal. It’s said that “everyone has a price,” but maybe that isn’t true… or the price is just so high as to not meet the threshold of the extortionist.

But extortion, in practice but not by definition, may not require actual money changing hands with the victim. The unseemly, understood quid pro quo could be just as powerful and real. IOW do what I want or I’ll destroy you. The trade is the selling of an agenda, my agenda, for your privacy. That’s a tangible exchange with an intangible price.

Further, there’s a likely secondary benefit to the extortion beyond the targeted individual. Either way the extortionist exercises the crime, the extortionist wins. Whether he exposes the individual to push an agenda or remains mute as a consequence to an agreed “exchange,” that extortion builds credibility within the population who share such radicalism. The extortionist will gain prestige which leads to compensation at a future date due to the voice he provides on behalf of that population. Mere pundit becomes spokesman for “the cause.” So an injustice is rewarded indirectly but it is just as real as a payout.
Anonymous
September 20th, 2011 @ 3:11 am

Its worth mentioning that its perfectly possible and consistent to be “pro-choice” (ie believe that abortion should be legal), yet not want to have an abortion yourself, nor want your loved one to have one.

After all, if you truly believe in “choice” then you have to respect a decision to let a baby be born, rather than killed in utero.

Its also worth mentioning that no matter what Ellen Page’s personal beliefs are with regards to abortion, its a heck of a leap to assume that they correspond exactly with the “Juno” character she portrayed in a movie. That’s just dumb-thinking, akin to assuming that actress Kate Winslet is a Nazi sympathizer in real life because she portrayed a Nazi in the film, “The Reader”.

On outing ostensibly closeted individuals, that’s simply rude. Its simply not “hypocritical” to keep ones sexual preference and/or activities private. Nobody was going to commit suicide because Ellen Page was (allegedly) closeted, and nobody is NOT going to commit suicide because she’s been ostensibly “outed”. Again, politically charged dumb-think.
Anonymous
September 20th, 2011 @ 3:32 am

No it’s not sexist, merely a more specific characterization. It may be slightly politically incorrect which as everybody knows is a virtue.
Anonymous
September 20th, 2011 @ 3:34 am

Why would you want to?
Anonymous
September 20th, 2011 @ 3:56 am

Am I alone in viewing Mr. Topitschnig as the sort of person who needs to meet Messrs. Smith & Wesson?