I totally forgot that in-between recording an uninspired electro record, Christina Aguilera made a movie with Cher. It makes sense that I repressed it. Cher and Christina Aguilera acting together in a movie about burlesque dancing? As a man of good taste, I was terrified. As a gay man, however, I was intrigued.

With that in mind, I decided to watch the trailer as a gay man and not a film buff. It was a smart decision-given the fact that the film actually looks terrible. But now instead of dreading the film, I’m welcoming it with my big gay toned arms.

If this movie somehow manages to defy the odds and turn out to be of artistic merit, Christina Aguilera’s management team can thank their lucky stars and move on. But in all likelihood, it’s probably going to suck and that’s okay too. The target audience for Burlesque is obviously gay men. It stars two gay icons, involves the tried-and-true premise of “having a dream” and boasts lots of excruciating dance numbers. Given our campy sensibilities, this film is sure to live on in awesomely bad infamy along with Crossroads, Glitter and Showgirls.

History has taught us that gay men have an intense appreciation for all things bad. Bad acting, bad hair, bad outfits- it provides us with the kind of fodder that we need to breathe. I’m not sure why we’re so drawn to freakshows but John Waters, Mariah Carey’s entire acting career and the existence of drag queens have all shown us that we love over-the-top terrible. Yes, we’re laughing at them but we’re also laughing with them. There’s a general sense of comraderie between gay men and camp figures. Perhaps it’s because deep down, we feel like Devine trapped in a B-movie plot with poor lighting and shitty craft services.

That’s not to say Burlesque isn’t A-list. It’s practically A+. But judging by the trailer, the dialogue is pure decadent Cheez-Whiz, the acting appears to be stilted and the dancing downright scary. Film critic Kenneth Turan will probably find the film to be of no redeeming value. But a movie starring Cher & Christina Aguilera wasn’t meant for him. It was meant for us. Thank youuuuuuuu.