#1 Change
#2 Represent all gay men
I'm not effeminate in character, I'm not OMG this OMG that. I'm a man, who looks, and acts like a man, blind deaf people can not tell that I'm gay. However whenever a gay character in the media is usually the stereotypical gay man, with pink everything and the most polished skin Chemistry can make. The Jack McFarland character did more to hurt the gay male image than to champion us. He is not me, he is not a lot of men that I know; but to the general public he is what we all are. He is the equivalent of white actors wearing black face, or Mickey Roonie playing the Japanese neighbor in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
I ran in to a girl out in WEHO today and it so happened to be her first time out in the gay ghetto. i asked her what she thought to which she replied, "I love Britney Spears and Lady GaGa so I think I'm going to like it here." I went silent for a minute as I realized that she had it in her mind that All gay guys were ALL ABOUT Britney and GaGa. I felt confused and a little insulted. However I can't have any ill feelings towards her, if that is all she knows. She knows what she has seen on T.V. and movies; the stereotypical gay man who is all about the "POP PRINCESS."
We are all different shades of culture and comportment. We are all hues of men and screaming queen. i would like to see a gay character who boys like I was could look up to and emulate. A positive male/gay role model. Up until now it's always been the snarky gay queen who has nothing but shade to through around. Up and coming gay tweens see this as "The WAY" a gay man should be; monkey see, monkey do. We have generations of mean spirited gay men breaking each other down and pulling each other apart, because that's all they know. Where are the guys who like to play sports, run in the rodeo, or gay cops? Where is the BUTCH factor?We are a culture of self hating individuals and instead of learning from the mass media, as we most commonly do, how to be better men and better to each other, we learn how to cut each other down better.
We are not all raging queens who have a matching purse and heels that fall out of our mouths when opening it to speak. We need representation of gay men on the other end of the spectrum. I'm honestly sick of seeing very queen-y gay men on T.V. i would like to see a UFC fighter come out and say, I like COCK and that's how it is.
You have a very valid point, Leo. There really isn't much diversity when it comes to gay men in the media. It also seems like the only time you see really butch gay men in any sort of show or movie, it's either underground or adult media that includes them. I agree that mass media publicly displays us as really feminine drag queens or catty bitches. Yes, there are a few of those running around in real life, they don't make up the gay community. I agree, Leo, I would love to see someone in the UFC come out.
ReplyDeleteDana White has said that he would welcome an openly gay guy in the UFC. In fact, I believe a few have been on the show. They were just closeted. One of my biggest dreams as an actor is to be an openly gay action star. I'm not a fan of Gaga (but I do love some divas), and I love UFC and action movies. I do believe there needs to be some people out there in media who can abolish gay stereotypes and bring something new to the table. I thought LOGO would do that but unfortunately they're more interested in enfourcing stereotypes to a straight audience, since I feel that's a demographic they are going for. As an artist I will work my ass off to change the face of gay culture in media through my screenwriting to show that there's more to us than being catty queens that dress in drag while gossiping about people as the latest Britney track plays in the background
ReplyDeleteYou're right in that it's mostly one-sided, but there has emerged at least a few gay characters who fall at another side of the spectrum, the more "butch" or "average joe" side. Most are, of course, on cable or basic cable.
ReplyDeleteThere's a bunch of them on True Blood - Russel, Jesus, Lafayette (who's all over the spectrum, obviously queer but still butch).
There was Kale Ingram on Rubicon, a top player in the CIA/Homeland/Whatever-it-was, who really just happened to be gay, no fuss what made of it, boyfriend and all.
There was the Adama brother on Caprica, probably the butchest of them all. Married, in the maffia, hot as fuck, gay not an issue.
The gay gladiators in Spartacus: Blood and Sand.
There's Max on Happy Endings, one of the more "normal" regular gay characters I've seen in a half-hour netword comedy. He's bear-ish, and while he "camps it up" in some instances, he really not that much more "gay" then the other male castmembers.
Then there's the gays on british television, which have a few good representations as well.
So yeah, totally agree with your post in general, there needs to be WAY MORE, but they are out there if you know where to look and are interested.
Love you, btw. Hottest star of the year! ;)