Let's see. Gay male TV role models: Jody Dallas, played by Billy Crystal (fairly stereotypical, but not particularly pretty) with Robert Urich playing his gay lover, Peter Cambell (a tennis pro); To Catch a Killer (made for TV movie), John Wayne Gacy played by bearish Brian Dennehy (not the typical gay stereotype...unless you're talking about serial killers..yeah! Gay serial killers); In Living Color, the Wayans brothers doing Men on Film (how gay can you get! But African American gay portrayal--I felt bad for African American gays); Normal Ohio, William "Butch" Gamble played by John Goodman (a bearish gay character who's the lead--public didn't buy it and it went bye bye); Some of My Best Friends. Warren Fairbanks played by Jason Bateman (mostly "straight acting" twink) and Vern Limoso played by Alec Mapa (flaming Filipino queen--in all fairness, Alec is in a way, very much the character he played--the character was smart, independent and had a mind of his own). Some of My Best Friends was actually a good show, but lasted for five episodes--CBS aired the five different episodes on four different nights--shuffling it around so the public couldn't find it. There must be other gay characters on TV...these are the one's I remember...
Cliche but true: TV is not about entertainment, it's about sales. They call it mass media for a reason, it has to appeal to the masses. The masses appear to be 90% straight...and many of the other 10% are closeted. TV viewers need things spelled out for them and if a character isn't flaming gay, they may just be confused about their sexuality. When ever a show introduces a gay character, Americans for Family Values, the Moral Majority, etc. are required by their beliefs to picket.
Gay images the Moral Majority/Americans for Family Values support: Serial killers, child molesters, those who are beaten and killed.
My crap: No. I'm not into that... I haven't been a regular viewer of Will and Grace, but as far as I know, they haven't done an episode involving an evil twin, or the "save the _____" by creating a Broadway style show. Honestly, most sitcoms become desperate for new material after a few years.
I remember when there was suppose to be the first man-to-man kiss on network TV ( I don't remember the show), I remember the protest, I remember the anticipation, I remember it was edited out. Gays have, demographically, higher incomes, greater disposable income and an ideal target audience, but the religious right is vocal. So much of Hollyweird is gay..."when I was in high school, they had a gay support group...it was called the drama club"--Alec Mapa.
So to middle America, where there are "no gay people," and queer equals evil... TV perpetuates the idea that we are only interested in sex, not love...that we are incapable of long term relationships, not worthy of marriage... Of course when straights are interested in sex rather than love, can't maintain long term relationships, it's okay. This enforces the image to some gays that this is the way things are and that is the way we should act. In a world where good TV role models don't exist, some have to settle for those available.
We can't win... unless we try.
Michael, I love you...for your mind! Thanks for the food for thought... keep writing.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2003-02-01 01:24 am (UTC)Gay male TV role models: Jody Dallas, played by Billy Crystal (fairly stereotypical, but not particularly pretty) with Robert Urich playing his gay lover, Peter Cambell (a tennis pro); To Catch a Killer (made for TV movie), John Wayne Gacy played by bearish Brian Dennehy (not the typical gay stereotype...unless you're talking about serial killers..yeah! Gay serial killers); In Living Color, the Wayans brothers doing Men on Film (how gay can you get! But African American gay portrayal--I felt bad for African American gays); Normal Ohio, William "Butch" Gamble played by John Goodman (a bearish gay character who's the lead--public didn't buy it and it went bye bye); Some of My Best Friends. Warren Fairbanks played by Jason Bateman (mostly "straight acting" twink) and Vern Limoso played by Alec Mapa (flaming Filipino queen--in all fairness, Alec is in a way, very much the character he played--the character was smart, independent and had a mind of his own). Some of My Best Friends was actually a good show, but lasted for five episodes--CBS aired the five different episodes on four different nights--shuffling it around so the public couldn't find it. There must be other gay characters on TV...these are the one's I remember...
Cliche but true: TV is not about entertainment, it's about sales. They call it mass media for a reason, it has to appeal to the masses. The masses appear to be 90% straight...and many of the other 10% are closeted. TV viewers need things spelled out for them and if a character isn't flaming gay, they may just be confused about their sexuality. When ever a show introduces a gay character, Americans for Family Values, the Moral Majority, etc. are required by their beliefs to picket.
Gay images the Moral Majority/Americans for Family Values support: Serial killers, child molesters, those who are beaten and killed.
My crap: No. I'm not into that... I haven't been a regular viewer of Will and Grace, but as far as I know, they haven't done an episode involving an evil twin, or the "save the _____" by creating a Broadway style show. Honestly, most sitcoms become desperate for new material after a few years.
I remember when there was suppose to be the first man-to-man kiss on network TV ( I don't remember the show), I remember the protest, I remember the anticipation, I remember it was edited out. Gays have, demographically, higher incomes, greater disposable income and an ideal target audience, but the religious right is vocal. So much of Hollyweird is gay..."when I was in high school, they had a gay support group...it was called the drama club"--Alec Mapa.
So to middle America, where there are "no gay people," and queer equals evil... TV perpetuates the idea that we are only interested in sex, not love...that we are incapable of long term relationships, not worthy of marriage... Of course when straights are interested in sex rather than love, can't maintain long term relationships, it's okay. This enforces the image to some gays that this is the way things are and that is the way we should act. In a world where good TV role models don't exist, some have to settle for those available.
We can't win... unless we try.
Michael, I love you...for your mind! Thanks for the food for thought... keep writing.