Instead of Election Coverage…
Instead of election coverage, like every one else (I voted for Nader), I thought that I might explore something that’s been on my mind for a little while, and has very little to do with politics.
Here’s my question: How come TV executives think that we (the TV-watching audience) can deal with and enjoy characters on television who are gay, but that we can’t take it if the actual actors themselves are gay?
Let me explain what I mean. I got in the car yesterday, and on the radio happened to be an ad for the new show in which John Goodman is playing a 40-something gay man. His ‘dad’ was saying something about being in the gay bar to the effect of “I’m in a box of fruit-loops!” And that really bothered me. Not because it was a relatively bland gay-bashing remark, but because I instantly remembered when Ellen’s show was violently yanked off the air a couple years ago, primarily because she herself was gay (not her ‘ficticious’ character). I then thought of ‘Will and Grace,’ and their own version of gay-stereotyping, which has apparently made that show pretty popular. I just don’t get why gay CHARACTERS are okay, but actually homosexual ACTORS are not.
I think the conclusion I came to is that it’s easier for the mass TV-watching audience, as well as the executives deciding what goes on the air, can deal with parodies and abstractions and false gay people on TV, but simply are horrified to find that the real person on their television (or next to them on a bus, or on the street) is actually really gay. It’s just really disappointing to me, because a lot of people view this trend of having shows about gay people is a good thing for the gay community, but in actuality, it’s setting the movement back years. Because these people acting gay aren’t, and they’re just mostly poked fun at. I thought the Archie Bunker-style ‘it’s not really offensive because the character is so obviously out of date that it doesn’t matter’ type of humor was done with. And actually, this whole thing works word for word with black people as well.. only the person playing a black person has to actually be black. It just seems like gay people are still not really accepted, but laughable gay characters are, which is not good.
I don’t know. I’m just really frustrated by the whole thing.