When AIDS Was Funny is a 2015 British short documentary film by Scott Calonico.MUBI
Summary The film plays controversial audio of the White House's acting press spokesman, Larry Speakes, responding to questions by making homophobic jokesDocumentary 'When AIDS Was Funny' Shows Reagan Administration's Indifference - VoxListen to the Reagan Administration Laughing at the AIDS Epidemic - VICE on the escalating AIDS epidemic by journalist Lester Kinsolving.AIDS Was Hilarious to the Reagan White House, Press Corps - New York Magazine
Background The audio recordings are from several of the Reagan administration's press conferences in the 1980s. The audio is juxtaposed with images of AIDS patients at Seattle's Bailey-Boushay House in the 1990s.
1982 exchange The controversial dismissal of the growing AIDS epidemic is heard in the film through a series of press conferences in the 1980s, such as this 1982 exchange between Speakes and Kinsolving:Eilperin, Juliette (December 4, 2013) "How attitudes toward AIDS have changed, in the White House and beyond." Washington Post. (Retrieved 7-7-2014.)
References
External links When AIDS Was Funny on IMDb The entire film on Vanity Fair's official YouTube channel