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More gay people, please

by Adam Finley, posted Aug 22nd 2006 11:02AM
simpsonsGLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, have released their annual tally of gay characters in leading or supporting roles on network television, and they're not pleased with the results. They've counted nine gay, lesbian, or bisexual characters out of a total of eight shows. Meanwhile, the Eskimo Coalition is reporting much smaller numbers than GLAAD. Honestly, I don't know how to feel about this. I like to see everyone represented fairly, and for shows to represent the diversity that exists within these groups, but I'm not sure how realistic that is. It seems the content and themes of television programs are driven by the market more than anything. Once in awhile a show will manage to break through and set a new standard, but the notion that eventually everyone will be represented equally across the board seems a tad naive.

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Stevie

Your all talk about this and you all talk that that. And for the gay guy who made the comment about normal gay people. I am sorry but are to busy jacking off to Falcon videos, most all gay people are flaming queens.

I am gay. I love being gay is what I am, not who I am. And they are doing what they did in the past when they said they need more blacks on tv. And then they said they need more asiasn latins, and now they need more gays.

If you dont like watching gay people on tv then change the channel and shut the fuck up.

August 29 2006 at 6:27 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ladi

I guess it is the same reason that people seem to need to scream from the rooftops that they are uninterested in anyone else's life but their own and they insist on letting people know if they are different they should be quiet about it, shouldn't talk about it or draw attention to it and shouldn't be upset that when others don't like them for wanting to be treated equally.

I don't understand why a person who feels this way needs to draw attention to themself and then sigh about it when other people don't like their opinion or have different ones.

August 24 2006 at 10:12 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mack Swift

Sigh...why is it that people feel the need to shout out from the rooftops who they're sleeping with (in some cases what), what color they are, what culture they are, what relgion they are, and so on and so forth. And then they demand equal and fair representation in media and then get pissed off when they don't; and then demand that they deserve to be represented on TV (or what not), and the cycle continues. Dangerous cycle here folks.

In keeping with the topic of this blog thread, why do gay people feel the need to shout from the rooftops that they're gay? I have no problem at all with 2 guys or 2 girls hold hands in public or bits of public affection here and there; but when they start dancing around and proclaiming they're gay and demanding and calling attention to themselves is when I start getting annoyed. If I called attention to the fact that I'm straight and promiscuous; I'd be called a pervert (or a man-whore).

Life's a bit easier when you don't draw so much attention to yourself. And then it gets worse, when after you get done drawing a crowd, when people get miffed at you because of the fact you drew the attention to yourself about something that people really don't think needs to be announced to the world or drawn attention to; and then you get all miffed and huffy about being discrimited against.

Get my point?

August 23 2006 at 2:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
RSL

I, too, agree with CastingGod but with another idea. Maybe there ARE more gay people on teevee. But they're just not shouting it like all the "gay" characters that we're used to [read: the gay minstrel show]. Maybe being gay isn't [or at least shouldn't be] such a big deal and our characters no longer need to mouth the words every friggin' scene. I, myself, always saw the character of Boone on Lost as a clearly bisexual character. Not because "he's too cute to be straight" or something gay-fanboy-stupid like that but because of some nice and subtle remarks between him and his sister. YMMV

August 23 2006 at 11:08 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
LC

I agree with casting god. It seems that whenever a show gets a popular gay character, they make them too flamboyant and are the butt of jokes based on their sexuality. They have tried other shows with gay leading characters that are normal, but they usually don't last too long.

TV is a business and they are only going to back shows they feel are a success. The fact that they gave Will and Grace the green light and gave it plenty of promotion shows that Hollywood isn't afraid to put gay characters on the air, they are afraid to put gay characters in dull shows on the air.

August 22 2006 at 8:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gene

I don't see why it is that bad of a thing for an agency to call for a larger presence on shows. To only have nine L&G on eight shows is a joke when you look at the total of shows on the air waves.
Though I hate to admite it the views of the world around us are very much effected by the things we see on TV. A good number of social awareness and the acceptance of certain populations has been motivated by their presence on TV.
If Hollywood would stop limiting the kinds of roles you see L&Gs playing, I don't see how having them on a show would change the themes or content the show.
As a gay male the fact that you see more L&G roles naturally worked into shows I see coming from the BBC makes me want more out of what we create here in America.
Thinking that the lack of repersentation of certain groups on TV doesn't hurt that group is a tad naive if you ask me. So those groups must keep demanding a place at the table.

August 22 2006 at 4:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ladi

Unlike some, I think people inherently deserve basic things. Like respect, acknowledgement and kindness. Does everyone get these things, no, but I do believe people DESERVE them, without having to work for them.

If a person wants to be treated a certain way and for some reason that turns another person into a bigot - I might suggest that that person really was a bigot to begin with and is just looking for an excuse for their behavior.

August 22 2006 at 3:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David

This is obviously a somewhat emotional issue, so let's look at the facts from the AP article:

What the article stated is that there are a total of nine gay characters in eight shows - a decrease of one from 10 gay characters last year. There are a total of 95 prime-time comedies and dramas that were examined for gay characters; of those 95 shows, only eight had gay characters.

Within those 95 shows, there are a total of 679 series lead or supporting characters. So, those nine characters represent only 1.3% of the total number of characters among 95 shows.

You could say that approximately 8.5% of shows have a gay character, but that's really taking a convenient and erroneous point of view.

While I certainly don't expect every show to have a gay character, I feel it is a reasonable (forgive me, here) expectation to have appropriate representation of most (all?) segments of society. I agree that there are far too many people with far too many expectations, but how, exactly, are we supposed to "earn" representation in the media? I think making these observations, as well as working within the media (TV, news, the arts, etc.) is working for it. And, when I say appropriate representation, I mean gay characters portrayed in a positive light, more often than not, just as any other minority member would prefer to see themselves represented.

I'm not asking every producer to create shows or scenarios to force gay characters into plotlines, but to be more aware of us and of who we are, and the contributions we make. And if it works to have more characters be gay, and portrayed positively, how is that wrong?

August 22 2006 at 12:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
dean

I'm D*** tired of this generation forcing their sexual preferences and habits on everyone using ones sexuality for an identity. Have some class fellow fags...suck it up and just be people and stop trying to force the rest of the world to look at you. They have stereo types because most of us act just like that when we buy into the gay American interpration of being gay in America which is mostly "in your face Gay" for attention or rebellion and anger to push the agenda. Can't we just all grow up here and live and let live? Go to work pay, your taxes and vote intelligently. know the real issues and stop clouding them for your own agendas or you will loose the freedoms that we do have by living in a free country such as ours. The real enemy is within ourselves and our foreign enemies know our weaknesses and are using those very weaknesses and and our freedoms against us. Wake up and smell the coffee my dear sweet boys you could loose your country and all your rights all together

August 22 2006 at 12:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
dean

I'm D*** tired of this generation forcing their sexual preferences and habits on everyone using ones sexuality for an identity. Have some class fellow fags...suck it up and just be people and stop trying to force the rest of the world to look at you. They have stereo types because most of us act just like that when we buy into the gay American interpration of being gay in America which is mostly "in your face Gay" for attention or rebellion and anger to push the agenda. Can't we just all grow up here and live and let live? Go to work pay, your taxes and vote intelligently. know the real issues and stop clouding them for your own agendas or you will loose the freedoms that we do have by living in a free country such as ours. The real enemy is within ourselves and our foreign enemies know our weaknesses and are using those very weaknesses and and our freedoms against us. Wake up and smell the coffee my dear sweet boys you could loose your country and all your rights all together

August 22 2006 at 12:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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