Looks to me like media pickup of this story, accusing Brokeback Mountain's filmmakers of imperiling sheep and other critters, just as Oscar voting reached its crescendo, smacks of dirty politics in Hollywoodland. It's reminiscent of how the LA Times held its story on Schwarzenegger's derriere-pinching until the eve of the Calif. gubernatorial election, or how the tale of Bush's youthful DIU was released just as his race with Gore drew to a close.
And just watch the LGBT "two-feet-bad/four-feet-good" crowd scurrying onboard. Talk about sheep!
More. Not to beat a dead sheep, but the
religious rightists have now picked
up the story.