Video: Homophobia, Or Homo-parody?

The video features a rap artist called "Terrier" who raps behind a repeating hook that says "I kill faggots." 

In one line, Terrier says: "I kill faggots the same way I kill mosquitos, beat 'em with my shoe while they scream 'Please don't.'" 

A trailer video on the group's web site, produced in the style of a mockumentary similar to "Borat," features images of alleged gay rights activists clashing with anti-gay critics.  In one scene, Terrier launches into an obscenity-laden rant at the camera while being interviewed by an apparently fictitious female reporter.  In the tirade, he complains about an "international faggot conspiracy."

The trailer ends with a musical parody of Michael Jackson's "Man In The Mirror."  The producers plan to release the actual film in New York in March 2008, according to a statement posted on the group's web site.

In an email interview with Jared Lap, the director of "Over Da Rainbow," Lap acknowledged that the project is a "sensitive topic," but he described the short film as a satire on "homophobic rap."  Lap said the project was the brainchild of himself and writer Shawn Kittelsen, two recent graduates of New York University, and explained that the "gay rapper" Terrier was actually a minor character in a completely different film. "But as we worked on the story, Shawn and I realized that Terrier spoke to an issue of homophobic rap that we had not seen depicted on film," Lap wrote.

The 20-minute film was shot in the summer of 2007, and despite -- or perhaps because of -- the provocative nature of the content, Lap says the responses they've received "from gay and straight audiences" have been "overwhelmingly positive."

"Left on its own, the song is an absurd but frighteningly realistic depiction of hate speech," said Lap.  "All things considered, a rapper clad with permed hair, a pastel jumpsuit, welding gear, and electric eels can hardly be taken seriously -- but the well produced song and video may lead some to think otherwise. We took measures to ensure that, as it appears on YouTube, FunnyOrDie, and on our own site, the video is accompanied by text explicitly stating that it is a parody and part of a film that promotes sexual tolerance."

Lap also talked about the use of the word "faggot" in the video.  "The term "fag" is even accepted by many gay music fans, who may view its usage in hip hop culture as an inevitability. By taking homophobic rap as far as it can go, maybe more people will realize just how unacceptable the word is," he wrote.

Writer and producer Shawn Kittelsen agrees with Lap, "It's incredible how macho rap music can be both completely homophobic and utterly homoerotic," he says in a press release.  He says the "Kill Faggots" video "takes the hateful fascination with emasculating gay men to an absurd level."

The producers are submitting their work to various film festivals, including NewFest and OutFest and they say they have been approached by the London-based Black Gay Men's Advisory Group about possible screenings in the UK in conjunction with London's Pride Week.

(Article updated, 2/9/2008, 6:35 a.m. with quotes from Lap)