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Appendix 2

This second survey is a qualitative questionnaire that I wrote and circulated on the campus of the University of North Texas. In designing my survey, I chose to construct open-ended questions that would hopefully elicit a wide range of actual viewer responses, rather than force answers into prescribed categories (as does the quantitative survey). As such, my survey does not pretend to be statistically significant or demographically balanced; its purpose was to elicit further comments about the film which were then analyzed along with other artifacts of reception (film reviews, op-ed pieces, etc.). My survey was distributed mostly around the Radio, TV, and Film Department at UNT and at the campus media center (which serves a wider population). I received about 45 completed surveys in all.

See Appendix 1 for a quantitative questionnaire that was used by a professional audience research company to track data about the film’s demographic appeal and how it might be most effectively marketed.

This anonymous survey about Brokeback Mountain is being compiled for a research project.  Thank you for your time and interest.  Please return to the RTVF office, Room 262, asap.

(1)  Sex/Gender:  male,  female,  other.  

(2)  Age

(3)  Sexual orientation:  straight,  gay,  bisexual,  queer,  other

(4)  Profession/occupation:

(5)  Do you have gay or lesbian friends, family, co-workers?   yes,  no ,  not sure

(6)  How would you describe your political position on issues related to homosexuality?  (informed, uniformed, liberal, conservative, religious, etc.—please explain)

 

(7)  What are the sources of your information about human sexuality?

 

(8)  Which Oscar nominated films from last year have you seen?  (check all that apply)

  • King Kong
  • Brokeback Mountain 
  • Walk the Line
  • Capote
  • Transamerica
  • March of the Penguins
  • Syriana 
  • Chronicles of Narnia
  • North Country
  • Crash 
  • Hustle and Flow
  • Pride and Prejudice
  • Munich
  • The Constant Gardener 
  • Good Night & Good Luck

(9)  If you have not seen Brokeback Mountain, please skip to question (12).  If you did see it, please describe in a few sentences where and when you saw it, and how (in your opinion) the audience responded to it?

 

(10)  Please describe what YOU thought was the “message” or “moral” of the film was (if any):

 

(11)  Did Brokeback make you think about gay men and/or lesbians in new ways, and if so, how?

 

(12)  If you didn’t see Brokeback Mountain, why not?  (If you did see it, why do you think some moviegoers have avoided seeing it?)

 

(13)  Do you plan on watching Brokeback Mountain on DVD or video when it is released?

(14)  Some commentators have gone on record saying they are “afraid” to see Brokeback Mountain.  In your opinion, what do you think is frightening about this particular film?

 

(15)  Brokeback Mountain won many major wards and was expected to win the Oscar for Best Picture (it lost to Crash).  Do you have an opinion on why it did not win the Best Picture Oscar?

 

(16)  In your opinion, is Brokeback Mountain an independent film or a Hollywood film?  Why?

 

(17) In your opinion, how does Hollywood film in general treat the topic of homosexuality?

 

(18)  Please list and briefly comment on any films (other than Brokeback Mountain) that you may have seen that deal with gay or lesbian characters/issues:

 

 

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