Will and Dis-Grace.
Jan. 31st, 2003 11:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eggwardsI’m upset at the show “Will & Grace” today. Last night’s episode was terrible. The show has gone so far off it’s original promise, in my mind, and is now just trying to see what they can get away with, and how much gay stereotyping that they can do.
It was one thing when there was “Just Jack”. Jack and Karen were the comic relief. Then they took over the show. Their characters were funnier, though not more interesting, than Will and Grace. Will and grace had a friendship, and that was boring, apparently. So they let Grace date and get married. Good for the character, bad for the show’s premise since she’s moved out. Will, though hadn’t progressed much because they hardly let him date. He meets up with a guy occasionally, but more often than not, he ends up being the foil for Jack who’s out doing something stupid. Oh how fun.
Now Will, having a real, caring relationship with a guy would be a step in the right direction. Then He and Grace could deal with their husbands, etc. But no. Here’s the synopsis of last night’s show.
"Fagmalion Part Two: Attack of the Clones"
Will and Jack coach Karen's cousin (Dan Futterman) on his new gay lifestyle.
What fun. They teach the new guy, who's recently left his wife and decided to come out, how to be gay. How do they do it? Tell him he’s got to have great abs, lose the beard, learn to dance, not like or understand sports, and wear expensive Gucci shoes. And Will and Jack are doing it to Help Karen get revenge on her Fundamentalist Aunt and Uncle, and because Karen offered to pay them to do it.
I know this isn’t real life, but there’s a few of really bad messages here. 1. Will and Jack don’t care about anyone but themselves. 2. There are no good mentors for those who are coming out. 3. Gays are all vapid little tramps. 4. There’s no room for diversity in the gay community.
We all know that the last one isn’t true, but your average viewer of the show doesn’t know that. Nowhere in the show was there talk of bears, chubs, minorities, etc. He was never told that there are other ways to be gay. That not all gay men are like that, and there is more than just looks. This is from the show that couldn't have a gay relationship last more than 2 episodes, of course.
Naturally, by the end of the show, like Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady, if you’re more familiar) the guy starts wearing the Gucci shoes and espousing “fabulous” and his mentors are thrilled that he’s finally got it. This is funny?
What a terrible message from a show that consistently wins awards from glaad.
This is especially discouraging to me. Since I still feel that I’m in the process of coming out to the community, and learning what’s out there, this show makes me feel terrible. If I hadn’t learned about bears, and other groups, how would I feel about myself trying to enter Will and Jack’s world? I’m sure there’s plenty of others in the closet now who watched last night's show. How must they be feeling?
Why do the writers and producers feel they must change the cousin to make him fit in with this one part of gay life? Do they think that this is really skewering the stereotypes? Not if you thought Will was a few steps away from being the stereotypical gay role. He just re-enforced it.
This show should show more responsibility. It also needs better writers.
It was one thing when there was “Just Jack”. Jack and Karen were the comic relief. Then they took over the show. Their characters were funnier, though not more interesting, than Will and Grace. Will and grace had a friendship, and that was boring, apparently. So they let Grace date and get married. Good for the character, bad for the show’s premise since she’s moved out. Will, though hadn’t progressed much because they hardly let him date. He meets up with a guy occasionally, but more often than not, he ends up being the foil for Jack who’s out doing something stupid. Oh how fun.
Now Will, having a real, caring relationship with a guy would be a step in the right direction. Then He and Grace could deal with their husbands, etc. But no. Here’s the synopsis of last night’s show.
"Fagmalion Part Two: Attack of the Clones"
Will and Jack coach Karen's cousin (Dan Futterman) on his new gay lifestyle.
What fun. They teach the new guy, who's recently left his wife and decided to come out, how to be gay. How do they do it? Tell him he’s got to have great abs, lose the beard, learn to dance, not like or understand sports, and wear expensive Gucci shoes. And Will and Jack are doing it to Help Karen get revenge on her Fundamentalist Aunt and Uncle, and because Karen offered to pay them to do it.
I know this isn’t real life, but there’s a few of really bad messages here. 1. Will and Jack don’t care about anyone but themselves. 2. There are no good mentors for those who are coming out. 3. Gays are all vapid little tramps. 4. There’s no room for diversity in the gay community.
We all know that the last one isn’t true, but your average viewer of the show doesn’t know that. Nowhere in the show was there talk of bears, chubs, minorities, etc. He was never told that there are other ways to be gay. That not all gay men are like that, and there is more than just looks. This is from the show that couldn't have a gay relationship last more than 2 episodes, of course.
Naturally, by the end of the show, like Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady, if you’re more familiar) the guy starts wearing the Gucci shoes and espousing “fabulous” and his mentors are thrilled that he’s finally got it. This is funny?
What a terrible message from a show that consistently wins awards from glaad.
This is especially discouraging to me. Since I still feel that I’m in the process of coming out to the community, and learning what’s out there, this show makes me feel terrible. If I hadn’t learned about bears, and other groups, how would I feel about myself trying to enter Will and Jack’s world? I’m sure there’s plenty of others in the closet now who watched last night's show. How must they be feeling?
Why do the writers and producers feel they must change the cousin to make him fit in with this one part of gay life? Do they think that this is really skewering the stereotypes? Not if you thought Will was a few steps away from being the stereotypical gay role. He just re-enforced it.
This show should show more responsibility. It also needs better writers.
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ugh
Date: 2003-01-31 11:00 am (UTC)i didn't see the episode you're talking about, but reading your synopsis of it makes my blood boil.
Re: ugh
Date: 2003-01-31 01:46 pm (UTC)I've only seen one episode of Queer as Folk, so I'll reserve judgment.
Re: ugh
Date: 2003-01-31 11:19 pm (UTC)Re: ugh
Date: 2003-02-01 05:55 am (UTC)I just think that it's a shame that the felt that they had to make the cousin conform to one particular stereotype to be gay, without really looking at the diversity of the community. He didn't have to change to be accepted.