This is a picture from the myspace of the guy who sang the a cappella piece in my previous post. He is so hot. I hope if I go to Yale (big IF) I can meet him.
Now I want to talk about Fox's new show, Glee. It is sort of like high school musical in television series form. I watch the show even though I don't really like it. I think the writing is mediocre at times, the lip-synching is painful, and the plot line is cliché.
Now, my criticisms are not accurate at all times. Sometimes the writing is brilliant and the songs incredible.
However, I have recently noticed that the portrayal of gay characters is painfully stereotypical. The teen gay student is named Kurt, and he is mindblowingly gay. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with someone who is a very stereotypical gay, but I would have appreciated it if Fox decided to portray a gay character who was more than “just gay.”
The same goes for the adult gay character. It hasn't come out that he's gay, but he certainly appears that way. He is absolutely bonkers and isn't allowed near children for undisclosed reasons.
I just wish the mainstream media would for once portray a character who “just happened to be gay.” I admit that I match a number of stereotypes, but I know that not everybody does. I want to see fair representation of LGBT people.
I know a lot of it is in the name of comedy, but goes a little too far at times. Kurt comes out to his dad while he appears to be removing make up, and his dad informs him that he knew ever since Kurt was three. Apparently all Kurt wanted for Christmas was “a pair of sensible heels.”
11 comments:
I really like the show, and your comments about the stereotypical gay guy are so true. I guess they have to play up every high school issue(?) just like how the girl got pregnant already, its only been the third episode!
Then, what´s hot on hi? He looks like my average undergrad-student. Propz Pilgrim
Let's see how many clichés we can stuff a character with!
That's probably how the idea of Kurt came out. He is pretty much a stock character, and I find it a bit offensive towards gays. It reinforces the stereotype.
Funny show, though.
If Fox news is right wing and Republican-based, are the programmes likely to be beacons of enlightenment?
But what do you mean, Jason, about the portrayal of a character being 'stereotypically gay'? Do you mean he has a lisp, a limp wrist and is rather camp?
That is only a media stereotype from the 1950's. I recommend you put 'Julian and Sandy' into a search on U Tube or even my own blog 'It's Getting Better' - coz I ran a 'gay history lesson' about 'polari' and other early gay landmarks some weeks ago.
The origin of many stereotypes, as I thought you'd discovered yourself, is all about the first ways in which gay people began to make themselves known to each other and to others.
There was then a lot of talk about 'she-males' and stuff - which may, or may not, have lead to guys camping it up in the name of being gay.
It's put people off since it started, but we should recognise it for what it is - like the funny handshake.
Sorry if I'm seeming to lecture a bit but I sort of thought you might understand a bit more of this stuff.
It's not just gays that get to be just gays on TV. Look at African Americans. They're either very stereotypical or they're casted light skin enough to 'not be a threat.'
Cause apparently we're not ready to actually see anything but WASP's on TV acting like WASPs
I disagree with your comment about Kurt. Yes, he is the stereotypical gay and there's nothing new about his portrayal homosexuality in the United States. But some gays are like that and they do suffer in high school because of it(I know them)..that's not my argument...
The entire show of Glee isn't REALLY reality. I see it almost as a spoof, a play on the "musical" genre especially the rise of High School Musical.
You said yourself, almost everything is cliche...because it's supposed to be. Everything is exageratted, the characters are cut and paste,"jock", "artsy", "nerd" and "gay". They even have the mean lady who stands for everything against Glee club.
It's a cartoon.
I compare it to Tarantino movies. Good movies but not based on reality. Over the top ridicolousness, replacing obscene languages and copious amounts blood with song and dance routines.
THIS IS NOT A SHOW TO LOOK FOR NON-STEREOTYPICAL CHARACTERS...
With that said. Watch the show Greek and specifically Calvin, the gay fratboy. Greek's first season is about Rusty joining a fraternity as a freshman
Actually since your going into college, it would resonate a lot with you. There is a gay character called Calvin WHO happens to be gay, and nothing more.
If you want, non-stereotypical gay characters, that's Calvin...(I'd also like to add my freshmen experience was accurately portrayed by the show although it too suffers from "the love triangle" and other Hollywood plot lines but only rarely.)
Most of it, from experience, is realistic.
It's on ABC family every Monday I believe but watch the first season though. 2nd and 3rd get over the top too...but almost all of first season is realistic, in every sense of the word.
FMS
long ass comment, lol. (I once wrote a post dedicated to Greek and how awesome it was too, specifically b/c of Calvin and how real he seems)
But even this is faulty, to say that he is more real simply because he does not act flamboyant...
@ Pilgrim liking is a personal matter.
In German we have the same saying like in Latin "De gustibus non est disputandum."
RR
I think that guy, Sam, is pretty attractive. Half-Asians tend to look quite attractive - such is the consensus between several of my friends and I.
I've never watched Glee (I don't think I have time to really). Have you ever watched "Boondock Saints?" The detective in there is gay, but he's like "anti-gay" in personality. It's pretty amusing.
Jason
Just ack from your part of the world and i havent watched Glee but i think i understand what you want to see and us portrayed
take care and be safe
bob
I've not seen the show (I'm one of those musical-hating queers) but your comments remind me of a movie that came out a few years back and got a lot of praise.
It was called Camp and took place at, of course, a drama camp for teens. The characters were primarily gay boys and straight girls but the boy that everyone (straight girl & gay boy) wanted was . . . the straight boy. The only character who actually met someone at camp and fell in love was . . . the straight boy. The one who got hurt as a result? The gay boy. Yes, kids, you too can be a miserable gay teen, lusting after those unattainable, perfect straight boys!
It rather infuriated me. Not that the gay boys were portrayed in a clichéd way (as they were not), but that the straight boy was the ideal, the golden boy. To me, it just reinforced the baseless notion that gay boys are inherently inferior to straight boys.
yeah you make good points :/ i try to look past all of that though XD i love the show....
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