Product Details

• Actors: David Kopay
• Directors: Christopher Hines
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: WOLFE VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: January 19, 2010
• Run Time: 76 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002VJVCOG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,706 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Butch Factor" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

BUTCH FACTOR - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting exploration of an enduring debate, March 9, 2010

By 

AllenTopher (LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Butch Factor (DVD)

Gay and bisexual men long have used "butch" and "straight-acting" to judge the perceived masculinity, or lack thereof, of other men and their own masculinity. Such terms have provoked debate within the LGBT community; however, not everyone uses those terms...at least, not to mean the same things.
The Butch Factor delves into this ongoing struggle to identify what makes one more or less of "a man." Filmmaker Christopher Hines scoured the United States for examples of men who represent the masculine end of the gay spectrum. He found police officers, rodeo cowboys, actors and athletes who define themselves as more straight-acting and less effeminate than other gay men. They aren't all anti-femme, and their masculinity seems natural rather than an act.
Hines also interviewed a handful of less-masculine gay men for perspective and balance. For them, their effeminate characteristics are innate and not something they consciously adopted. They are some of the strongest characters in the film because they overcame the abuse they suffered as children for being gay while their more straight-acting counterparts could hide it. The Butch Factor ultimately reveals that long-standing social mores and gender stereotypes are more to blame for the prevailing desire for more masculine traits in a partner, even among gay men. While the movie doesn't settle many arguments, it is an interesting exploration of this enduring debate.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Internalized oppression can be dangerous!, May 19, 2010

By 

D. Washington "little dave" (hagerstown,md) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Butch Factor (DVD)

I enjoyed seeing a film that addressed a cross section of our community. We neither look the same nor play the same...the media by and large, doesn't cover this side of the gay male life.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploring Masculinity Through a Queer Lens, July 20, 2010

By 

Jaratura G. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Butch Factor (DVD)

What does it mean to be a man and queer? What is masculinity? For many males in the queer community, these are questions that often left unanswered or at best, left undefined, abstract. They persist because they are important. They create identity.

'The Butch Factor' attempts to explore these questions through interviews of gay men of various persuasions including athletes, drag queens, bears, and others as well as well as psychologists, historians, and authors. They share with us their struggles and insights into the what it masculinity means as a gay man. Some may say these are mere surveys of gay male stereotypes, but truly, it allows for a wide spectrum of identity. All are welcomed into the table of exploration.

Films like this are important because the chronicles the changing images of gender. Our culture's concepts of masculinity are in constant flux, and this is especially important to note within the queer community where, despite being outside of cultural norms, can settle into an unhealthy complacency in regards to acceptable forms of masculinity. Furthermore, it is an important reminder that there are myriad ways to hold the identities of queer and man simultaneously.

'The Butch Factor' is a beautiful film and highly relevant in this time of deep change. The minor flaw this film has is fails to show any sort of community for effeminate gay men while showing bear and gay athlete communities. Still, the film is important as it puts to rest many of the assumptions society has about the gay male identity and illuminates both their hardships and their triumphs in their struggle for identity and acceptance. Highly recommended.