When AIDS Was Funny
Directed byScott Calonico
Written byScott Calonico
Produced byHarmon Leon, Scott Calonico
Running time
7:40 minutes[1]
LanguageEnglish

When AIDS Was Funny is a 2015 British short documentary film by Scott Calonico.[2]

Summary

The film plays controversial audio of the White House's acting press spokesman, Larry Speakes, responding to questions by making homophobic jokes[3][4] on the escalating AIDS epidemic by journalist Lester Kinsolving.[5]

Background

The audio recordings are from several of the Reagan administration's press conferences in the 1980s. The audio is juxtaposed with images of AIDS patients at Seattle's Bailey-Boushay House in the 1990s.[6]

1982 exchange

The controversial dismissal of the growing AIDS epidemic is heard in the film through a series of press conferences in the 1980s, such as this 1982 exchange between Speakes and Kinsolving:[6][7]

KINSOLVING: Larry, does the President have any reaction to the announcement—the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, that A-I-D-S is now an epidemic and have over 600 cases?

SPEAKES: What's A-I-D-S?

KINSOLVING: Over a third of them have died. It's known as "gay plague." (Laughter.) No, it is. I mean it's a pretty serious thing that one in every three people that get this have died. And I wondered if the President is aware of it?

SPEAKES: I don't have it. Do you? (Laughter.)

KINSOLVING: No, I don't.

SPEAKES: You didn't answer my question.

KINSOLVING: Well, I just wondered, does the President—

SPEAKES: How do you know? (Laughter.)

KINSOLVING: In other words, the White House looks on this as a great joke?

SPEAKES: No, I don't know anything about it, Lester.

KINSOLVING: Does the President, does anybody in the White House know about this epidemic, Larry?

SPEAKES: I don't think so. I don't think there's been any—

KINSOLVING: Nobody knows?

SPEAKES: There has been no personal experience here, Lester.

KINSOLVING: No, I mean, I thought you were keeping—

SPEAKES: I checked thoroughly with Dr. Ruge this morning and he's had no—(laughter)—no patients suffering from A-I-D-S or whatever it is.

KINSOLVING: The President doesn't have gay plague, is that what you're saying or what?

SPEAKES: No, I didn't say that.

KINSOLVING: Didn't say that?

SPEAKES: I thought I heard you on the State Department over there. Why didn't you stay there? (Laughter.)

KINSOLVING: Because I love you, Larry, that's why. (Laughter.)

SPEAKES: Oh, I see. Just don't put it in those terms, Lester. (Laughter.)

KINSOLVING: Oh, I retract that.

SPEAKES: I hope so.

References

  1. ↑ "Scott Calonico".
  2. ↑ MUBI
  3. ↑ Documentary 'When AIDS Was Funny' Shows Reagan Administration's Indifference - Vox
  4. ↑ Listen to the Reagan Administration Laughing at the AIDS Epidemic - VICE
  5. ↑ AIDS Was Hilarious to the Reagan White House, Press Corps - New York Magazine
  6. 1 2 Lawson, Richard (December 1, 2015). "The Reagan Administration's Unearthed Response to the AIDS Crisis Is Chilling". Vanity Fair.
  7. ↑ Eilperin, Juliette (December 4, 2013) "How attitudes toward AIDS have changed, in the White House and beyond." Washington Post. (Retrieved 7-7-2014.)
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