Is Sherlock Holmes Gay?

During a recent appearance on The Late Show, Robert Downey, Jr. joked with David Letterman about the possibility that Sherlock Holmes—the famous sleuth he portrays in Guy Ritchie's latest film—might have been gay. When Letterman asked Robert if he thought Holmes and Watson (Jude Law) were partners in more ways than one, the quirky actor answered, "Why don't we observe the clip and let the audience decide if he just happens to be a very butch homosexual?"

According to PopEater, the studio isn't too happy about Robert's innuendos and are worried that he's misrepresenting the film. An insider explained,

When Robert joked with Letterman that Holmes and Watson might be 'homos,' Warner Brother executives died...The studio wants to position this as an action-packed adventure, not Brokeback Mountain 2.

It's easy to paint the studio suits as the humorless bad guys here, but they do have a point.  Robert may have planted a seed with some moviegoers (especially those uncomfortable with homosexuality) who will now overanalyze every look, touch, and word between the two characters. Will they squirm in their seats every time Sherlock calls his sidekick "my dear Watson?" 

We don't think this is anything worth getting in a tizzy about—Robert was clearly just having some fun. But were his "homo" comments really that funny? Gays have come a long way, but the fact that they're still used as a punchline proves that they're still far from being treated equally...even in Hollywood.  Study: Straights Could Learn A Thing Or Two From Gays

Photo via FlynetPictures.com.