Doc Watch: Phrasing

DO I SOUND GAY? (B) - This perfectly serviceable documentary has just enough of a curious premise and an entertaining tone to make it time well spent.

In a similar vein to one of our recent viewings, "Misery Loves Comedy," this examination of the way gay men talk argues a premise in circles until that premise is sort of beside the point, and well-chosen talking heads carry the story along to a satisfying conclusion.

Director David Thorpe makes it all about him, documenting his journey to craft a more masculine tone and come off as less stereotypically gay. Actually, this is a little too much about Thorpe, who also is moping after a breakup and wondering if, in his 40s, he'll find a life partner. Thankfully, Thorpe seems to lose interest in that angle about halfway through.

I've always been fascinated by the way people in cliques adapt their speech patterns until they all utilize the same patter and cadences. It happened during my childhood when Laurie S. moved in across the street, and she and my sister crafted not their own language but their own goofy banter. In my class, Jeff L created his own verbal syncopation (mostly with names -- TIM-may, MARK-ay, JEFF-ay) that got picked up by a lot of classmates.

And I've always wondered, why do so many gay men adopt such a campy, effeminate patois. Is there something common to the gay voice? Do gay men adopt it when they come out and join the club, so to speak? Thorpe, who came out in college, grills his childhood and college pals, and the consensus is that his voice changed as soon as he declared his homosexuality. One observes that she was cool with his lifestyle but the voice annoyed her.

Thorpe gathers a few celebrities to hash out the issue. George Takei, he of the booming tenor, assures Thorpe that a higher-pitched voice is nothing to be ashamed of. David Sedaris offers little true insight and seems more intent on projecting that sophisticated image of his. "Project Runway's" Tim Gunn expresses pride in his formal, fey vocalizations. Margaret Cho stand out as a token woman. Columnist Dan Savage -- who looks and sounds like an All-American straight dude -- is, as usual, the smartest and most perceptive guy in the room.

Thorpe ventures out to track down a Canadian linguist who is both insightful and entertaining and a couple of speech therapists, including a Hollywood guru who plays voice coach to the stars. We see Thorpe practice a lower, butcher voice. He checks in regularly with his two best friends for status updates over fussed-over home-cooked dinners. Thorpe also conducts some effective man-on-the-street interviews.

Finally, the director culls classic video clips of the pop culture touchstones of the gay performers, mostly comedians, who communicated in code but dared not come out in the '60s and '70s -- Paul Lynde, Rip Taylor, Charles Nelson Reilly, Liberace. He delves deeper, with the help of a film historian, to stitch together a theory of the role of the sophisticated gay character in classic Hollywood films and the curious phenomenon of animated film villains affecting a stereotypically gay way of speaking.

This all doesn't really cohere well, but it zips by in a tidy 77 minutes. There might be a more satisfying study of this topic that will come along, but for now, Thorpe has at least started a fascinating conversation.

BONUS TRACK
Speaking of banter: