• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

LGBTQIA Thread |OT5| Can't even drink straight

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'm with them through April. I'm not all that worried about me since I can stay in my room mostly.

I'm more stressed about them spiking more freshman girls drinks when they are alone here. That's pretty awful and risky. I knew they'd said they wanted girls to get drunk here before, but I didn't know they were picking up freshmen who shouldn't be drinking in our housing and then putting other stuff in their drinks.


Maybe you could inform a campus official?

Edit: Top of the page, and since I just finished watching Looking

t2St4m9.jpg
 

HylianTom

Banned
i keep forgetting the #1 rule of lgbt movies there's only a 10% chance of a happy ending. then you get the curveball neutral endings
Yeah. Really pisses me off to no end. Sick and tired of gay-themed movies with either sad endings, or where the ending is ambiguous while the writer/director thinks that this is clever or impactful. I want fairy tale happy endings.. we've seen no shortage of the other sad/unresolved shit, so I'm at the point where if I know an ending is shite, I'm much much more likely to just skip it.

If you haven't seen Beautiful Thing, make that your #1 gay movie priority. I'm not kidding.

I remember seeing it in a Memphis theatre back in 1997.. Greg and I had been dating for a few months. It was a movie theatre experience to remember. I still remember gripping his hand, crying happy tears. A powerful movie. Great, GREAT soundtrack as well.

51-OZ8LxS8L.jpg
 

Golnei

Member
Yeah. Really pisses me off to no end. Sick and tired of gay-themed movies with either sad endings, or where the ending is ambiguous while the writer/director thinks that this is clever or impactful. I want fairy tale happy endings.. we've seen no shortage of the other sad/unresolved shit, so I'm at the point where if I know an ending is shite, I'm much much more likely to just skip it.

I'd agree - I'm all for grim despair in genre fiction, but I'm not particularly fond of media with LGBT characters that functions as misery porn for straight people. I can understand the trend when it was used to circumvent censorship in order to be able to show non-straight relationships on screen at all, but martyrdom and tragedy really shouldn't be the default setting for queer characters in drama.

Dayum that's rough. Backtracking especially is a huge pet peeve for me. Too bad too cause visually it looks so charming and vibrant. Still gonna go in with an open mind, but definitely holding expectation low after everything you mentioned.

It'll definitely depend on your personal biases, because I somehow managed to find it to be one of my favourites in the series. The backtracking and repetition are problematic, but neither is anywhere near as much of an issue as the original release of Wind Waker; and while it can feel a little claustrophobic at times, the dungeon design is among the series' best. If Fi received significantly better characterisation, the sky was less empty,
The Imprisoned and Tentalus
had less ridiculous designs, some endgame sections were made optional and the score wasn't so weak, it'd be almost perfect.
 
Yeah. Really pisses me off to no end. Sick and tired of gay-themed movies with either sad endings, or where the ending is ambiguous while the writer/director thinks that this is clever or impactful. I want fairy tale happy endings.. we've seen no shortage of the other sad/unresolved shit, so I'm at the point where if I know an ending is shite, I'm much much more likely to just skip it.

If you haven't seen Beautiful Thing, make that your #1 gay movie priority. I'm not kidding.

I remember seeing it in a Memphis theatre back in 1997.. Greg and I had been dating for a few months. It was a movie theatre experience to remember. I still remember gripping his hand, crying happy tears. A powerful movie. Great, GREAT soundtrack as well.

51-OZ8LxS8L.jpg

This, so so so much.

My favorite gay movie. Saw it as a teenager and it struck a chord with me emotionally. The soundtrack is EXCELLENT. Mama Cass is a goddess and it fits so well here. Ugh, I need to watch it again.

The scene at the end still kills me. One of my favorite movies ever.

600full-beautiful-thing-screenshot.jpg
 

Maledict

Member
Beautiful thing made me gay. Literally! :)

Had struggled with my sexuality all my way through my teenage years, making myself think it was a phase, something that I was going through. I didn't think I could possibly be gay because I didn't look like or want to be like the only gay characters you got to see on television and film - people like Julian Clary, or other outrageous gay characters. I didn't like pink, I didn't like feather boas, I didn't want to be a girl, so I just assumed on a fundamental level I wasn't gay.

One evening I caught this film, and it was like a lightbulb switching on in my head. At the end, I remember saying to myself "Oh, I'm gay then". That was it from that point onwards - never looked back, and never once doubted myself or my sexuality.

All it took was a depiction of gay people my age where they were just...people. Who happened to like people of the same sex.

EDIT: Of course, nowadays you see a much larger host of positive gay role models, but for someone my age back in the late 90s there really did seem to be only one way to "be" a gay man according to the national media and if you didn't fit that stereotype you were lost.
 
Beautiful thing made me gay. Literally! :)

Had struggled with my sexuality all my way through my teenage years, making myself think it was a phase, something that I was going through. I didn't think I could possibly be gay because I didn't look like or want to be like the only gay characters you got to see on television and film - people like Julian Clary, or other outrageous gay characters. I didn't like pink, I didn't like feather boas, I didn't want to be a girl, so I just assumed on a fundamental level I wasn't gay.

One evening I caught this film, and it was like a lightbulb switching on in my head. At the end, I remember saying to myself "Oh, I'm gay then". That was it from that point onwards - never looked back, and never once doubted myself or my sexuality.

All it took was a depiction of gay people my age where they were just...people. Who happened to like people of the same sex.

EDIT: Of course, nowadays you see a much larger host of positive gay role models, but for someone my age back in the late 90s there really did seem to be only one way to "be" a gay man according to the national media and if you didn't fit that stereotype you were lost.

Thanks for sharing, and it definitely proves a point that I've realized for a while now, which is that pop culture influences social justice more than anything else. Gay bullying, gay marriage, Don't Ask Don't Tell... all these became major hot button issues once movies and TV shows (even pop music) started mentioning gay issues, or showing more gay characters that were positioned as being "normal" for the skeptics. I think 2011 was the first major push for gay mainstream, with all the coverage on gay bullying, pop songs being angled toward the cause (Born This Way, Firework, Raise Your Glass, etc.), and TV shows really going for it as well (Glee, a bolder Modern Family).
 

HylianTom

Banned
Thanks for sharing, and it definitely proves a point that I've realized for a while now, which is that pop culture influences social justice more than anything else. Gay bullying, gay marriage, Don't Ask Don't Tell... all these became major hot button issues once movies and TV shows (even pop music) started mentioning gay issues, or showing more gay characters that were positioned as being "normal" for the skeptics. I think 2011 was the first major push for gay mainstream, with all the coverage on gay bullying, pop songs being angled toward the cause (Born This Way, Firework, Raise Your Glass, etc.), and TV shows really going for it as well (Glee, a bolder Modern Family).

You aren't kidding. I think Will and Grace, despite its flaws, helped my mom go a long way. Dad was a bit later, but the character played by Ed O'Neill (whom he & I had loved in Married With Children) in Modern Family really hit a chord with him.
 

DOWN

Banned
Anderson Cooper was the biggest for my mother. She liked different personalities on Bravo network, but they all still kinda fell into a pop culture, louder stereotype in some way or another. Seeing a journalist, who she liked for many reasons, say it was at first moments strange to her, but quickly became part of the picture she liked. He made it more than a separate group she thought of from afar, I think.
 

HylianTom

Banned
Anderson Cooper was the biggest for my mother. She liked different personalities on Bravo network, but they all still kinda fell into a pop culture, louder stereotype in some way or another. Seeing a journalist, who she liked for many reasons, say it was at first moments strange to her, but quickly became part of the picture she liked. He made it more than a separate group she thought of from afar, I think.
That was another biggie! Yes!

Over time, Mom stopped saying "aww man, what a waste of a guy!" to "ooh, some lucky man's gonna snag him!"

And whoever decided on Modern Family to make Cam a huge football fan/former football player: I want to hug that writer. Such a great, great stroke of genius. Football is like a religion in many parts of the country, so the appeal factor for audiences who don't typically enjoy TV shows with gay themes was definitely helped.
 

maxcriden

Member
Anderson Cooper was the biggest for my mother. She liked different personalities on Bravo network, but they all still kinda fell into a pop culture, louder stereotype in some way or another. Seeing a journalist, who she liked for many reasons, say it was at first moments strange to her, but quickly became part of the picture she liked. He made it more than a separate group she thought of from afar, I think.

Ever since Anderson Cooper came out my Mom is all like "why can't I have any nice gay children" ;__;
 

DOWN

Banned
And whoever decided on Modern Family to make Cam a huge football fan/former football player: I want to hug that writer. Such a great, great stroke of genius. Football is like a religion in many parts of the country, so the appeal factor for audiences who don't typically enjoy TV shows with gay themes was definitely helped.


Reminds me of DirecTV's ad for NFL Sunday Ticket with a gay couple:

http://youtu.be/1uuXI8ODjDw
 

Nohar

Member
Well, it's official: I have a crush on Joshua Sasse.

josh_new_headshot.jpg


I mean... Damn. Galavant (the show) turned out to be ridiculously funny, and he does have a perfectly groomed beard in the show.

I think I'm jealous of his beard.

I want that beard.

Give me that beard.

On a (much more) serious note: PANTHEON, your roomates are a poor excuse for human beings. They are spiking the drinks of young girls in order to sleep with them (and if I understand the term correctly, spiking a drink is putting drugs in it without the person drinking it knowing it). That is immoral, dangerous, and punished by law (and I'm pretty sure sleeping with someone you drugged is considered rape).

On the one hand, I get that you don't want any trouble and that you will leave when April comes. On the other hand, I don't know what say american laws on that subject, but I'm slightly concerned you may be considered as an accomplice if something like that happen again and you tacitly agree to do nothing about it (or at least guilty of failure to assist a person in danger ~ which may be stretch, but once again I'm not familiar with penal legal precedents in the USA).
You may want to notify the authorities.
 
Well, it's official: I have a crush on Joshua Sasse.

josh_new_headshot.jpg


I mean... Damn. Galavant (the show) turned out to be ridiculously funny, and he does have a perfectly groomed beard in the show.

I think I'm jealous of his beard.

I want that beard.

Give me that beard.
Galavant is worth it just for him. Those eyes and that beard, Mmmmmm.
 

mantidor

Member
My first "gay" show was Oz, then Queer as Folk.

Kids these days are so lucky, those weren't exactly shows with positive, decent gay characters.
 

RM8

Member
I've never watched any of these movies / shows :x I've never been a big fan of TV, and I was cursed with an impossibly narrow taste in movies. I'm such a casual, I'm the Wii Fit mom of movies.

EDIT: I agree with the below post.
 

VegiHam

Member
So, my main problem with LGBT media is in a way that it's a genre.

That sounds dumb. I mean that It's really hard to find movies and stuff about gay characters that aren't 'gay movies.' I do think it's very very important to address issues affecting the community in media and I love that there are people doing that. But I feel like I can't have a generic cheesy romcom which happens to have two guys, or a comedy about some gay people without it being all about coming out, or oppression, or people getting HIV or other big significant issues. Sometimes I want to feel represented without dealing with heavy stuff.

I know It's probably my fault for not looking hard enough. Just I occasionally feel like stuff exists not for me to relate to but to educate straight people on 'what it's like to be gay' even when it's often nothing like that. I'm curious if any of you feel similarly, but I feel like I've probably explained myself terribly here and come across like an idiot.
 

HylianTom

Banned
So, my main problem with LGBT media is in a way that it's a genre.

That sounds dumb. I mean that It's really hard to find movies and stuff about gay characters that aren't 'gay movies.' I do think it's very very important to address issues affecting the community in media and I love that there are people doing that. But I feel like I can't have a generic cheesy romcom which happens to have two guys, or a comedy about some gay people without it being all about coming out, or oppression, or people getting HIV or other big significant issues. Sometimes I want to feel represented without dealing with heavy stuff.

I know It's probably my fault for not looking hard enough. Just I occasionally feel like stuff exists not for me to relate to but to educate straight people on 'what it's like to be gay' even when it's often nothing like that. I'm curious if any of you feel similarly, but I feel like I've probably explained myself terribly here and come across like an idiot.

Nope. Makes perfect sense.

There are movies where there's a Gay Main Character.
And then there are movies where there's a Main Character.. who just happens to have gayness as one of his traits.
 

mantidor

Member
I don't know, some stuff can be repetitive but something like coming out is such an univerally important situation for any lgbt person I really don't see how you would not include it in any show or media form that wants to address lgbt topics in any level.
 

HylianTom

Banned
I don't know, some stuff can be repetitive but something like coming out is such an univerally important situation for any lgbt person I really don't see how you would not include it in any show or media form that wants to address lgbt topics in any level.
No doubt.. coming out is such a pivotal event that I enjoy that kind of story from time to time. Seeing a sympathetic portrayal on-screen can give a young person hope. It can leave a mark for good. Those stories being told can literally save lives.
 

VegiHam

Member
Nope. Makes perfect sense.

There are movies where there's a Gay Main Character.
And then there are movies where there's a Main Character.. who just happens to have gayness as one of his traits.
Exactly! And the first kind is really important, but surely by now we're mainstream enough that type two shouldn't be so hard to find.
I don't know, some stuff can be repetitive but something like coming out is such an univerally important situation for any lgbt person I really don't see how you would not include it in any show or media form that wants to address lgbt topics in any level.
But that's exactly it: why must movies featuring gays 'address LGBT topics'? Lots of movies about women address relationship topics for example. Or like books about an ethnic minority that deals with issues of family as it's main theme. I mean I wouldn't mind a background coming out in a comedy story going for a traditional freaky friday plot where for example two married guys learn to appreciate each other's problems more; but I don't see why as soon as you add gays 'addressing LGBT issues' needs to be a focus...
No doubt.. coming out is such a pivotal event that I enjoy that kind of story from time to time. Seeing a sympathetic portrayal on-screen can give a young person hope. It can leave a mark for good. Those stories being told can literally save lives.
But is it so important a story that we can't afford to not tell it occasionally? I guess that's what I'm wondering.
 

HylianTom

Banned
Oh, no, not really. Just a joke :) But I asked my wife and she agreed it's the kind of thing my Mom would said. I think she'd be really psyched to have a gay kid.
My Maw Maw - an incredibly devout Catholic woman - used to tell really flattering stories of a friend who had a gay son, and she'd use those stories as context for dropping remarks about how gay men make the very best sons.

"They take care of their mommas," "they help with the family in general," "they're sensitive," etc. She was one of the rare people I heard growing-up who stereotyped gays positively. Her generalizations were never "they have good hair" or "they dance well" or "they're neat and organized"-type stereotypes; they were more conservative/traditional stereotypes, actually.

It really threw me for a loop, and I still rarely hear that type of generalizing even today in this better climate.

But is it so important a story that we can't afford to not tell it occasionally? I guess that's what I'm wondering.
I would hope that not every story has to have this kind of content shoehorned into it.. :p
 

mantidor

Member
I do get your point but it really is no different with straight people's representation in movies. Heterosexual issues are always represented and talked about constantly, is just that as it is the status quo you really don't notice it.

I mean, finding a movie without a romantic plot or subplot of some kind is very difficult, character's sexuality is always there, shown front and center, most of the time, and many heterosexual cliches are there, pregnancy scares, the difference between men and women and how they approach relationships, etc, etc. I actually can't think of a movie or show where the character's sexuality is irrelevant, as there is always a romantic interest, and it's not a minor subplot that you can take out of the movie.
 

Nohar

Member
I never really watched a "gay" show. I watched "As if" back in the day: it was the first time I saw a gay character on television (Alex), and I could relate to him and Sooz. I have fond memories of this show, so I guess I should try to watch it again if I can (though it is mostly teen dramas - and I can't stand Sasha and Nicky).

Then, well, like most of us I watched Buffy the vampire slayer, which I loved, and it was the first time seeing lesbian characters on-screen for me.

I also watched the first season of Queer as folk later... But I wasn't really that fond of it.
 

VegiHam

Member
The problem is that there is not enough lgbt entertainment to begin with.
Yeah why are we acting like there's tons of lgbt media? :lol
I guess this is the real problem.

Ok group project guys, everyone write a novel.
I do get your point but it really is no different with straight people's representation in movies. Heterosexual issues are always represented and talked about constantly, is just that as it is the status quo you really don't notice it.

I mean, finding a movie without a romantic plot or subplot of some kind is very difficult, character's sexuality is always there, shown front and center, most of the time, and many heterosexual cliches are there, pregnancy scares, the difference between men and women and how they approach relationships, etc, etc. I actually can't think of a movie or show where the character's sexuality is irrelevant, as there is always a romantic interest, and it's not a minor subplot that you can take out of the movie.
Absolutely true, but I'm more thinking about LGBT issues that are tangential to actually being gay. I'm less looking at gay vs straight and more and how for example not every movie starring a woman has a domestic abuse or miscarriage or unequal pay subplot, whereas HIV or being rejected by parents or having to come out DO tend to frequently come up in lgbt media where it would be possible to exclude them.

But I suppose it's very, very hard to separate those issues from LGBT identity. ANd it'd be unrealistic for all fictional gays to live in a utopia of equality where they just have wacky nonstop fun. So I'm not really sure what I want, just more variety I guess. And I suppose that will only come with more representation. Might just have to make my own...
 

Rayis

Member
One of my problems with people who want more gay representation in media is the fact they tend to want only heteronormative gay people represented, while I think is important to represent all types of gay people, I think you could have a non-normative gay person and have it be represented well, not all gay people who appear in media have to be indistinguishable from straight people to have them be represented well.

The whole "stereotypical" gay person argument grates on me sometimes.
 

Kevyt

Member
Yeah why are we acting like there's tons of lgbt media? :lol

I think I have seen almost all LGBT films and short films. I've been looking for new films to watch and every time I see one that 4n't, familiar I start watching and realize I have seen it already. It's kind of disappointing. ;_;

One of my problems with people who want more gay representation in media is the fact they tend to want only heteronormative gay people represented, while I think is important to represent all types of gay people, I think you could have a non-normative gay person and have it be represented well, not all gay people who appear in media have to be indistinguishable from straight people to have them be represented well.

The whole "stereotypical" gay person argument grates on me sometimes.

This, a thousand times this!!
 

VegiHam

Member
One of my problems with people who want more gay representation in media is the fact they tend to want only heteronormative gay people represented, while I think is important to represent all types of gay people, I think you could have a non-normative gay person and have it be represented well, not all gay people who appear in media have to be indistinguishable from straight people to have them be represented well.

The whole "stereotypical" gay person argument grates on me sometimes.
Could you explain what you mean by hetronormative in this circumstance? We talking lifestyle or personality or what? Cus this is an interesting point I want to respond to but feel like I might not be understanding fully :p
 
Could you explain what you mean by hetronormative in this circumstance? We talking lifestyle or personality or what? Cus this is an interesting point I want to respond to but feel like I might not be understanding fully :p
straight acting
masc only
"i'm not like those types of gays i'm straight acting"
 

Kevyt

Member
Could you explain what you mean by hetronormative in this circumstance? We talking lifestyle or personality or what? Cus this is an interesting point I want to respond to but feel like I might not be understanding fully :p

One example could be masculine guys who do "stereotypically" manly things, contrary to more perceived feminine guys.
 

mantidor

Member
Absolutely true, but I'm more thinking about LGBT issues that are tangential to actually being gay. I'm less looking at gay vs straight and more and how for example not every movie starring a woman has a domestic abuse or miscarriage or unequal pay subplot, whereas HIV or being rejected by parents or having to come out DO tend to frequently come up in lgbt media where it would be possible to exclude them.

Oh there's a lot of lgbt stories out there that are never told, it's pretty annoying. For instance coming out is not something that happens once and is dramatic, is a constant process that never really stops, be it on your work, with new friends, etc, but no one tells that. And that is still related to coming out, there's so much stuff out there. I really feel like writing a novel heh.

One of my problems with people who want more gay representation in media is the fact they tend to want only heteronormative gay people represented, while I think is important to represent all types of gay people, I think you could have a non-normative gay person and have it be represented well, not all gay people who appear in media have to be indistinguishable from straight people to have them be represented well.

The whole "stereotypical" gay person argument grates on me sometimes.


The problem is worse I think, Hollywood, the undisputed king of media in the west, is basically a fantasy facfory. Let's start with the obvious, people in real life are not THAT attractive, and that isn't even talking about gender or race representation, so such a small minority like us is going to get a pretty rough deal.
 

berzeli

Banned
So, my main problem with LGBT media is in a way that it's a genre.

That sounds dumb. I mean that It's really hard to find movies and stuff about gay characters that aren't 'gay movies.' I do think it's very very important to address issues affecting the community in media and I love that there are people doing that. But I feel like I can't have a generic cheesy romcom which happens to have two guys, or a comedy about some gay people without it being all about coming out, or oppression, or people getting HIV or other big significant issues. Sometimes I want to feel represented without dealing with heavy stuff.

I know It's probably my fault for not looking hard enough. Just I occasionally feel like stuff exists not for me to relate to but to educate straight people on 'what it's like to be gay' even when it's often nothing like that. I'm curious if any of you feel similarly, but I feel like I've probably explained myself terribly here and come across like an idiot.

A bit yeah. I mean there are two franchises of gay rom-coms (Eating Out and Not Another Gay Movie) and then a slew of (mostly awful*) other rom-coms so that particular genre maybe isn't the best example. But I understand from where you are coming, even if I think that your view of things is a bit uniformed (or maybe I'm not getting what you're saying). The problem is viewing LGBTQIA themed media as a homogeneous entity with a specific agenda and a genre of its own rather than viewing it as drama/comedies/etc. that are LGBTQIA themed. I'm also not sure of what you are arguing for, is it just better representation in general or is it for someone to make what suits your specific wants?

To look at it from the other side of the spectrum, I am of the opposite opinion. I find that a lot of LGBTQIA themed media is far too vapid and that "we" still haven't properly dealt with things such as the HIV epidemic. Just last week when Russel T Davies (Queer as Folk, and the upcoming Banana, Cucumber, Tofu) announced that his next project was going to be about living with HIV in Britain I realised that there haven't really been a British production focusing mainly on that subject. (or if there has been I've completely missed it) Oh wait, there's Jarman's Blue. It kind if counts, kind of doesn't count.

So yeah, whereas I sympathise with your position, I can't really find myself agreeing with you. Wanting something for oneself that is suiting one's wants is a very natural reaction but may not always be feasible. I for one is still waiting for the BBC to come to their senses and make a series out of Mark Gatiss' Lucifer Box novels, I mean a bisexual spy in a period piece? Yes please.

There are a myriad of issues with representation in the media, both in terms of quality and quantity and really the only bright side to this is that it gets better. Even if it doesn't happen at the pace that one would hope or like.


*But then again I hate most comedies. So you know, your mileage may vary.
 

RM8

Member
One of my problems with people who want more gay representation in media is the fact they tend to want only heteronormative gay people represented, while I think is important to represent all types of gay people, I think you could have a non-normative gay person and have it be represented well, not all gay people who appear in media have to be indistinguishable from straight people to have them be represented well.

The whole "stereotypical" gay person argument grates on me sometimes.
It's easy for writers to adhere to stereotypes, though, and leaning towards one specific "kind" of gay character is unavoidably going to alienate a big chunk of gay people. It's a problem that arises from the fact that we're not some kind of homogeneous club, but a bunch of random people.
 

VegiHam

Member
straight acting
masc only
"i'm not like those types of gays i'm straight acting"
One example could be masculine guys who do "stereotypically" manly things, contrary to more perceived feminine guys.
That's what I figured Rayis meant.

This is a difficult one for me, cus I'm that kind of guy. And whenever there's a really offensively bad portrayal of gays on TV it seems to be the non hetronormative kind. And I hate people making assumptions about me because of bad impressions they have from TV. I've had family members tell me 'you can't want to drink Lager' and stuff. I think that might be why a lot of people want representation in media to be hetronormative; because they see the stereotypical image of a gay man as a threat to the image other people have of them. But we have absolutely no right to think like that and it's terrible of us. I mean for the millions of people on the other side of the issue representation in media is super important and it's irrational to think my friends will all reject me overnight if more people on TV are less like me.
Oh there's a lot of lgbt stories out there that are never told, it's pretty annoying. For instance coming out is not something that happens once and is dramatic, is a constant process that never really stops, be it on your work, with new friends, etc, but no one tells that. And that is still related to coming out, there's so much stuff out there. I really feel like writing a novel heh.
Do it! Write that novel! I'll read it.
A bit yeah. I mean there are two franchises of gay rom-coms (Eating Out and Not Another Gay Movie) and then a slew of (mostly awful*) other rom-coms so that particular genre maybe isn't the best example. But I understand from where you are coming, even if I think that your view of things is a bit uniformed (or maybe I'm not getting what you're saying). The problem is viewing LGBTQIA themed media as a homogeneous entity with a specific agenda and a genre of its own rather than viewing it as drama/comedies/etc. that are LGBTQIA themed. I'm also not sure of what you are arguing for, is it just better representation in general or is it for someone to make what suits your specific wants?

To look at it from the other side of the spectrum, I am of the opposite opinion. I find that a lot of LGBTQIA themed media is far too vapid and that "we" still haven't properly dealt with things such as the HIV epidemic. Just last week when Russel T Davies (Queer as Folk, and the upcoming Banana, Cucumber, Tofu) announced that his next project was going to be about living with HIV in Britain I realised that there haven't really been a British production focusing mainly on that subject. (or if there has been I've completely missed it)

So yeah, whereas I sympathise with your position, I can't really find myself agreeing with you. Wanting something for oneself that is suiting one's wants is a very natural reaction but may not always be feasible. I for one is still waiting for the BBC to come to their senses and make a series out of Mark Gatiss' Lucifer Box novels, I mean a bisexual spy in a period piece? Yes please.

There are a myriad of issues with representation in the media, both in terms of quality and quantity and really the only bright side to this is that it gets better. Even if it doesn't happen at the pace that one would hope or like.


*But then again I hate most comedies. So you know, your mileage may vary.
It's funny you should bring up RTD, because growing up Doctor Who's Captain Jack was a great 'it's OK to be gay' role model for me. Hmm, this is a lot to think about. I've actually, contrary to what my opinion so far implies, been really looking forward to RTD's new Channel 4 stuff because he's really good at this kind of thing. Bob and Rose is excellent and everyone should watch it. And I'll deffo give the things you've mentioned a look. I guess the fact we all want different things and all feel unsatisfied is proof we need more media, huh...
 
My favorite 'gay show' is probably Shameless, even though the 'gay character' (Ian) involves just one of the manifold subplots. But it's actually all about Mickey, anyways.

I mean the show doesn't really do anything special, but I buy those two being together, which I think is identical to straight romances in terms of what actually makes it satisfying.
 

Golnei

Member
A bit yeah. I mean there are two franchises of gay rom-coms (Eating Out and Not Another Gay Movie) and then a slew of (mostly awful*) other rom-coms so that particular genre maybe isn't the best example. But I understand from where you are coming, even if I think that your view of things is a bit uniformed (or maybe I'm not getting what you're saying). The problem is viewing LGBTQIA themed media as a homogeneous entity with a specific agenda and a genre of its own rather than viewing it as drama/comedies/etc. that are LGBTQIA themed. I'm also not sure of what you are arguing for, is it just better representation in general or is it for someone to make what suits your specific wants?

To look at it from the other side of the spectrum, I am of the opposite opinion. I find that a lot of LGBTQIA themed media is far too vapid and that "we" still haven't properly dealt with things such as the HIV epidemic. Just last week when Russel T Davies (Queer as Folk, and the upcoming Banana, Cucumber, Tofu) announced that his next project was going to be about living with HIV in Britain I realised that there haven't really been a British production focusing mainly on that subject. (or if there has been I've completely missed it)

So yeah, whereas I sympathise with your position, I can't really find myself agreeing with you. Wanting something for oneself that is suiting one's wants is a very natural reaction but may not always be feasible. I for one is still waiting for the BBC to come to their senses and make a series out of Mark Gatiss' Lucifer Box novels, I mean a bisexual spy in a period piece? Yes please.

There are a myriad of issues with representation in the media, both in terms of quality and quantity and really the only bright side to this is that it gets better. Even if it doesn't happen at the pace that one would hope or like.


*But then again I hate most comedies. So you know, your mileage may vary.

Actually exploring those issues is absolutely something worth doing, but the problem I have isn't with LGBT creators addressing what have become 'standard' queer issues in media, but creators from majority populations using that same set of plots and archetypes to throw in cheap drama, provide ham-handed characterisation and generally avoid any plotline for a gender/sexual minority that isn't completely built on the back of their often-tragic deviations from the norm; as if it'd be pointless to even bother writing a LGBT character otherwise. I don't see how getting to the point where people don't feel the need to 'justify' the existence of non-straight, non-cis individuals in genre fiction and mass-market narratives wouldn't be beneficial to the state of representation in general.

straight acting
masc only
"i'm not like those types of gays i'm straight acting"

 
One of my problems with people who want more gay representation in media is the fact they tend to want only heteronormative gay people represented, while I think is important to represent all types of gay people, I think you could have a non-normative gay person and have it be represented well, not all gay people who appear in media have to be indistinguishable from straight people to have them be represented well.

The whole "stereotypical" gay person argument grates on me sometimes.

Yeah, I get the most annoyed with those kinds of critics because it obviously comes from a place of insecurity. We commend Modern Family for showing that Cam likes football but we don't commend them for giving him a hobby that's perceived to be overly feminine. People seem to support gay characters on TV as long as they mirror some kind of heteronormative expectation. Not too effeminate because that's bad for some reason, and not too masculine otherwise they're not relatable.

The bottom line is that we shouldn't let any gay characters stand as representatives for an entire community because like any other large sample of the population, people are too different. No one's going to be happy letting themselves be represented accurately in fictional characters, so we should just let that go.

Overly feminine gay characters are a great thing to see IMO, but it's only really "great" if there are other characters out there that are a bit different too. Honestly all I care about is that any character you introduce on your show or movie comes out of something authentic and wasn't shoe-horned in just for the sake of having something "gay," be it for complimentary or derogatory reasons.
 

Kevyt

Member
Actually exploring those issues is absolutely something worth doing, but the problem I have isn't with LGBT creators addressing what have become 'standard' queer issues in media, but creators from majority populations using that same set of plots and archetypes to throw in cheap drama, provide ham-handed characterisation and generally avoid any plotline for a gender/sexual minority that isn't completely built on the back of their often-tragic deviations from the norm; as if it'd be pointless to even bother writing a LGBT character otherwise. I don't see how getting to the point where people don't feel the need to 'justify' the existence of non-straight, non-cis individuals in genre fiction and mass-market narratives wouldn't be beneficial to the state of representation in general.

About the Grindr pic you posted, that seems to be Grindr in a nutshell.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom