Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Uniform Diversity.

Back in the day, when movies and television portrayed gay people, it was usually that certain type of cliche person with regard to how straight people saw us, thus the industry created the "stereotype" that they now claim is prejudice if someone thinks of gay people in that way. Finally however the industry got behind us, partly due to the fact that probably every third person they worked with belongs to the lgbt community and partly because they could see it was the right thing to do. To give credit, I think the big and little screen is the reason for the massive shift in a positive way regarding how western countries view the lgbt community. .............................................. Having said that I have been noticing something with all the talk about diversity in films, television etc. Sometimes the hypocrisy from the film industry is unbelievable, they lecture us (the public) with films and shows about racism and prejudice, then we all saw what happens when it comes to award shows or events, they are white as a snow storm. It is going better I think lately but only because they were embarrassed into making changes. .............................................. This had me thinking about the gay community, a lot of movies and tv shows have gay characters in them, it's wonderful that many of the characters are not there solely as a gay character but as a full member with all the experiences as the rest of the cast; however I see a slight problem. Most characters are played by really attractive straight people. I think it's the industry's way of saying, "it's okay if you are gay, as long as you look, sound, and act like a straight person". I know a lot of lesbians (A LOT) and they range from almost burly man to cute Ellen Page type but I have yet to meet any swimsuit model types that are often on screen. Same with the guys, yes there are some guys that look like (insert hunk name here) but we all know most gay men don't come close. Nothing wrong with that, it's okay not to be a hockey player, racecar driving surgeon who is a weekend lumberjack/secret agent that saves the world. You can relax and go right on lovingly tending your flowers while reading poetry because in truth there are many many like you! ............................................... I understood why in the past they would use guys like Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snips in To Wong Foo (22 years ago) because it was a clever way to get people comfortable with lgbt issues, plus it's a business and they need to make money. They should take note however that there are beloved gay characters on screen today that are just like the real characters we meet in every day life. We all want to see attractive actors but we also want to have a connection with people who are supposed to be portraying us. I think it becomes a problem when people start to feel a disconnect with the person who is supposed to represent them, we don't all have to look like Captain America.

7 comments:

Walter said...

You make some really good observations here. I would add that the same applies to gay media. On ads, television, and publications it's the pretty muscle boys who make it to the glossy pages or LOGO TV shows. Ru Paul's Drag Race is an exception. But you only have to look at who was cast as Prince Charming in the dating show to see that "pretty" holds true across the media, not just Hollywood.

Stephen said...

It is great observations of gay portrayals. Beautiful people do increase sales doesn't matter if their straight, gay, or bi, it is the nature of the beast. But, with that being said, great strides have been made down through the years with shows now having gay characters. Maybe one day in the future more LGBT's will get the roles, play the parts, represent the average bloke....only time will tell. Great post by the way.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Walter, yes I agree with your points, I think as well though, there are still attractive actors who could play gay characters but they seem to use ultimate masculine males. If you read this, I enjoy your blog but am not able to comment, it's an issue I have with my phone, not an issue with your site. Regarding your super girl post, it's the same reason why I started watching Arrow and the Flash lol. Yup that guy you picked is mega cute.

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Stephen, I think the industry suddenly realized that gay people are often extremely loyal fans, so it is a great benefit to have a gay following. I remember an interview with Cher a few years ago, they asked her why she catered to the gay fans so much. She said because they stuck with her when the rest of the world forgot about her, that they allowed her to survive and gave her the stepping stones to her many come backs, you could feel the appreciation and sincerity from her. Thanks for the compliment.

Ur-spo said...

Well said my friend.

Anonymous said...

I know exactly what you mean. Either that or the GAY character is tormented by his or her sexuality. If you can get hold of a subtitle version try Tell No One (Come Non Detto). Its an Italian film I think you might like.
JP

Sooo-this-is-me said...

Dr Spo, thank you.

JP, yes I agree and even though I am the more tortured type to be honest, (my personal issues) one thing I have noticed is many many gay people are perfectly happy with being gay. Thanks for the recommendation, I will try to get it.