Joel Kim Booster says he had no interest in “sugarcoating” Fire Island to make it “palatable”
"Sex is a big part of my reality," Booster told Variety
Aux News Fire Island
Just like Las Vegas, much of what happens on the LGBTQ+ party haven that is Fire Island stays on Fire Island. But comedian Joel Kim Booster, who directs and stars in a new comedy set in the East Coast destination, doesn’t think it should remain that way—especially when it comes to honest onscreen depictions of queer sexuality.
“I don’t think the movie is especially explicit. It’s just matter-of-fact about the ways in which some gay men have sex,” Booster told Variety of his film Fire Island’s more intimate scenes. “I didn’t want to shy away from that, especially in the interest of making it more palatable for certain people.”
In Fire Island, Brooklynite Noah (Booster) and his chosen family embark on a weeklong trip to the eponymous vacation spot, courtesy of a beachside home owned by their lesbian matriarch (an always-pitch-perfect Margaret Cho.) As the group navigates the social dynamics of the island’s scene, Noah finds himself at odds with (yet drawn to) an uptight lawyer (Conrad Ricamora) living in a more opulent home further down the beach. Will they or won’t they? Cue the Jane Austen comparisons (the film is considered a reimagined Pride & Pride).
The Hulu/Searchlight film’s refreshingly open discussion of gay sex and love meets a need for raw, real content for queer people, something Booster said is all too rare.
“Sex is a big part of my reality,” he explained. “I find a lot of gay media, especially when it is produced by big studios like Searchlight, to be fairly sanitized. I really pushed back against… sugarcoating it.”
Even without a coat of sugar, Fire Island’s boozy, sex-positive setting still feels genuinely sweet, in part due to the story’s central relationship, between Noah and his best friend Howie (Bowen Yang.) Yang, Booster, and fellow co-star Matt Rogers have been collaborators and friends offscreen for years.
“At the end of the day, the movie is about this friendship between Bowen and I. That brings a lot of heart to the movie,” Booster shared. “A lot of people probably are going into this movie thinking it’s a big sex romp. There is sex in the movie, but at its core, it’s sweet and a little sappy.” Sweet, sappy, and sexy? Ms. Austen would be proud.
8 Comments
Good, he shouldn’t have to.If you want to talk unpalatable, listen to him go on about his eating habits.
Gay men have a ton of sex. Any hetero male who thinks he is doing well really has no idea.
While I get your point, I would like to counter with this: If you think you are doing well, be happy about that. There is no point and no gain from comparing yourself to others. Partake in what makes you happy and just chill.
It is a lot more impressive when a hetero guy does it though.I remember in the early days of facebook when poking was a thing, and before they just needed grindr, we fucked around with this dude we knew who left his facebook logged in and changed his profile to gay and poked every gay guy within 10 miles. The responses he got, within minutes, were ASTOUNDING, if only for the fact that he was…let’s just say “a total fucking mess” appearance wise and many, if not all, of these dudes could clearly be doing MUCH better lol. (it should also be worth noting that this was in Miami, so it’s not like they couldn’t be picky).
not all gay men /sadge
Yeah. It’s like I am paddling up a river with my hands.
ugh finally, hetero movies and their idea of sex positivity always comes with some moralistic pondering. And it’s like well this doesn’t feel very positive.Excited for this.
The only times I’m not 100% straight are a tie between every time I’ve ever seen Michael B. Jordan do anything. So I recognize I am not the demographic being targeted by this flick. But I can’t wait. The trailers look like it might be a true breath of fresh air.