Dramatic times!

Heath under the collar…

Heath was thrown into the media spotlight when it was alleged he spat at the Paparazzi when he was on the set of Candy (upcoming Aussie film about heroin addictions, starring Ledger and Abbie Cornish).

Ledger fiercely denied the allegation that he spat at the cameraman, yet the cameramen had another story. They said he had spat on them in a rather vengeful manner and they would seek revenge! Without making this sound like an episode of Paradise Beach, the spitting incident went further….

At a premiere for Brokeback Mountain, cameraman on the side of the red carpet squirted water pistols at Ledger and his wife (who also stars in Brokeback Mountain) as they strode down the red carpet. Ledger was outraged.

So there was Ledger, soaked from water pistol fire, the cameraman, openly content they’d sought their vengeance, and the onlookers – bewildered by the events.
All of this against a background of controversy propelled by the release of Ledger’s film. Journalists making value judgments on the film before they had seen it.

I wonder if there weren’t any controversy surrounding Ledger’s film, if there would be as much controversy surrounding Ledger’s reaction to the cameraman and their water pistols? I think this may be a case of the media, raising gender and sexuality issues by analyzing how the film is received, with Ledger’s own gender identity…this pattern has since followed Ledger since, and I wonder if it will continue throughout his career.