So CNN ran this RIDIC segment about the “huge debate” brewing over whether or not “the surge of gay characters on television might actually be sending a bad message”. I hope newsqueen Anderson Cooper gave this mess a side-eye from the 360 studio because when did the producers at CNN misplace their brains?
Huge debate? Where? In Rev. Fred Phelps’ shantytown? Citing Modern Family, Glee and Gossip Girl (two out of three ain’t bad – cause Gossip Girl is dreckitude) as examples, CNN tries to point out that there’s all this controversy brewing over….a gay couple with a baby and a gay kid in a high school glee club.
You know, out there characters on the fringes of society leading our society astray into perverted wickedness like raising a family and singing. *eye roll* They interview one wackjob who gives the typical “Hollywood shouldn’t be normalizing what’s evil” riff but the report is really just a commercial for the shows in question. This “controversial battle” is non-existent.
p.s. And to the blonde newsdroid who opened this segment? Less emphatic hand gestures and cheesy delivery, more questioning if what you’re reporting on is actually a story, Nancy Grace Lite.
– Andy
For the segment, follow the JUMP:
gay characters on tv is good. but it really would be nice if they’d better represent the diversity of gay personalities instead of just rehashing the same femme over-the-top “jack” types they keep doing.
as for the CMI watchdog guy… yeah right. there was resistance in “normalizing” free black people in american society back then too. … i’m not in favour of perverting democracy to subvert the principles in which american society is supposed to be based on and value.
Gays in high school Glee Clubs???
Who woulda thunk it!
I can’t believe you used “drekitude”…>.<
The CNN newsreader appears to be a reject from the Rupert Murdoch Hooker School of Talking Heads. This Dan Gainor fool is part of Media Research Center and CMI for whom Gainor spoke is an arm of MRC. Gainor seems to be just another closeted homophobe begging for 15 minutes of fame. I am tired of being demonized because my life-partner is another man.
Actually, Andy, outside of the gay enclaves of the big cities of the Northeast and the west coast, gay people on television *is* a huge issue, not welcomed by a large number of folks. It’s probably hard to believe from where you sit, but there are plenty of households between, oh, New York and San Francisco where kids are probably blocked from watching Glee or Modern Family (and many other shows) because they present gay people as “normal”.
I’m not suggesting this is a good thing; it’s just a fact of life here in the vast part of the country that hasn’t come to grips yet even with the idea that it’s unconstitutional to criminalize gay sex. In many places, not just Fred Phelps’ pitiful excuse for a church, Lawrence v. Texas is considered an outrage.
Wasn’t this argument had 10 years ago when Will and Grace started. Come on, this is another pointless attempt (that will probably work) to try and wind up the conservative right during election time just to get a few votes.
Ummm, AC, it was the LIBERAL news that reported it, not the CONSERVATIVE. The right wing didn’t have a thing with it being put on the air.
CNN had a brain? Hmmmm. First I heard of that!
the real life gay couple are hot… sorry had to say it 🙂
i agree with YCA diversify the gay personalities im sick of seeing flamers and maybe itll show gays that its ok to be macho oh yourself to identify yourself as gay doesnt mean you have to be overly feminine if you are not personalities should not be defined by sexuality
My problem is I’m tired of seeing flaming Queens as being the only type of gay man in the world. Gay men come in all kinds of personalities, and there are many gay men that if you met them you wouldn’t know they were gay, unless they told you. Not every gay man enjoys singing show tunes. I know for one can’t stand them. There needs to be more than just one type, and it shouldn’t be the usual stereotype as all we see on TV.
James–I totally agree. Wouldn’t it be great to see a recurring character who was a bear, or a leatherman?
Wow,James,arent you stereotyping just as much as the straights? I like showtunes,but am a masc guy.Not a ‘flamer’,not a ‘sissy’,I’m just a guy!So while I understand your point,I hate the TV stereotypes also….I dont think that stereotyping further helps. There are indeed all types of gays,and some bearish guys like show music….and some nellier guys can top too….
what about shows like ‘dexter’ where the lead character is a serial killer? i’m sorry, but a couple of gay characters aren’t a big deal. how ridiculous!
In my opinion, one of the reasons why you only see the effeminate stereotype of gay men on network television is because that is the only thing networks can keep on the air. There was a show a few years back starring Fred Savage as a “regular” gay man, but it was cancelled after only a few episodes. The closest thing I can think of to gay characters somewhat breaking the stereotypes is the gay couple on Desperate Housewives (at least the one that’s a lawyer), and their screen time was cut back because they were boring. So I have to ask: If a TV show featured “regular” gay characters that were boring, would you still watch? I think you mainly see stereotypes because they lend themselves to more compelling storytelling.
i kinda agree, if you had a gay straight guy, played foot ball, went to bars, watched movies, and worked on cars, the rest of the public wouldnt watch cause the only way they would know he was gay was when he was fucking a guy or turned down a woman