Jake Gyllenhaal’s Brokeback Mountain Jacket Up for Auction
We seem to be on a bit of a history kick this week, don’t we? As I was cruising around eBay earlier, looking to add to my already sizable collection of commemorative cookie jars and children’s Halloween costum- err… I mean, normal stuff, I stumbled across this gem of a collectable. The original leather jacket worn by Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain (2005) is up for auction, and cheap. Plus, it turns out that the seller is none other than a former QC writer, Walt, who wrote for us back when we were but a baby blog. It’s fate!
Purchased in 2006 (shortly after Brokeback Mountain was nominated for eight Academy Awards), this fascinating piece of gay and cinematic history remains well preserved, though it’s obviously been worn by Jake. It’s the perfect chance to grab yourself a piece of gay history (ten years from now, archivists from across the globe will be begging you to donate this piece to their collections). Honestly, I’d buy it myself, but I just blew all my money in a bidding war for a set of cookie jars shaped like Condoleeza Rice’s head. Curse the timing!
After all, Brokeback Mountain was a groundbreaking film in a number of ways. Whether or not you liked it — back in 2005/2006, there were several factions within the LGBT community that were dissatisfied with the film — the movie staged several important conversations in the media about homophobia and was an important moment in queer history. I’m particularly fascinated by the way this item has intersected with QueerClick’s own history, which is strangely tangled in broader gay and cinematic history. For all of my jokes, this jacket represents an important junction for three seemingly disparate stories. Books are practically begging to be written on the subject.
Just think of the things you could do with this vital piece of queer history! It could be the cornerstone of your forthcoming dissertation about cowboys on the DL. You could rub it all over your body while watching Donnie Darko and Bubbleboy. You could even use it to stave off the winter’s chill while looking sexy, but that last one seems a little weird to me. Check it out, QueerClickers!
