Gay Stereotypes in the Media: Sitcom Edition

[hco323]

I think gays and minorities to team up in the media and make good quality tv and movies. I am tired of the Token gays or color person (not meaning only black), cause they say what people expect them to say. I <3 Neil Patrick Hairrs. He is playing a straight man slut, but is gay in real life. I think at least in his case he helped me see that gay people aren't bitchy (thanks to Perez Hilton for making that assumption) and too much happiness.

[dontdodrugzz1]

I LOVE STEREOTYPES! THERE THE SHYT

[rchcc122]

I disagree with what you said about Will and Grace though. I view it as having a 'normal' straight character (Grace) a 'normal' gay character (Will- who is a successful lawyer might I add) and an extreme straight (Karen) and an extreme gay (Jack).

[CaliforniaKidCritic]

I hear what you're saying but in time.

[youwatts]

Will & Grace was a bit stereotypical, But not all the time. They didn't have everyone Man Will and Jack go out with singing Cher songs or going "girlfriend" and snapping there fingers. or crossdressing Its really enjoyed the show. It shows at most points what Gay guys and Some Lesbians go threw in life, and there relationship problems with Family friends and others. I don't think they were giving gays a Bad name. I agree with what one person said about jack. He was just seeking attention.

[VinnieSutra]

I relate totally. Thanks for the video. I think I'll subscribe to you.

[LesMasque]

Deal with it that's hollywood. Just like many blacks are seen as one who speaks Ebonics or Italians only being simple minded or a gangster. You are not the only one.

[elkitchencabinet]

well when we find something wrong, why don't we point it out and try to fix it? that seems like a better choice than "dealing with it."

[terrafirmaterrafirma]

Ummm, where these stereotypes are not seen is in the representation of those that dominate hollywood.

[pop0it0rocket]

Great video.  I agree with nearly everything you said. Thanks!

[Bodrochowski]

Have you guys ever seen Summer Heights High? One of the many things I love about that series is the fact that there is not *one* reference to Mr. G's sexuality, in the whole series - it's evident he's gay, but it's the first time I've seen a comedy series that doesn't resort to the simple option of just finding humour in him purely because he is gay.

[contijet1964]

The portrayal of people with mental illnesses on Crumbs was extremely off-color.

[LesMasque]

Good point. While showing a gay man as not stereotypical they are making a mochary of someone with mental illness.

[bgginger]

BORING! I would much rather watch jack mcfarland for five minutes than this "non stereotypical" gay man. Jack's funny and not in anyway supposed to be a serious representation of anything. There are loads of none stereotypical charatcters on tv. Check out Brothers and sisters, Hollyoaks in the UK, OZ etc anyway gay people like any other type of person are all different. I for one love the flamboyance and humour so prevelent in gay culture !

[terrafirmaterrafirma]

The point is that Gay men benefit from not being portrayed as frivolous effeminate hedonists. The reality is that most gays are hard working ordinary individuals. No they dont wear makeup and they dont work in the fashion industry. I , for instance, am a mathematician and my lover a Chemist both with Ph.Ds, and we dont act like adolescent females.

[oielvert]

I want to thank you for mentioning Crumbs on this video. I just finished watching all the episodes and it's really funny. I keep trying to find out why they had to cancel it but I just reach a dead end. It is too sad.

[jaytothejkris]

Even though I do realize that Will & Grace is very sterotypical but it has been my favorite show every sence it aired in the late 90s. The show is so damn funny i can't help myself from watching it. I think that Jack and WIll were just being themselves and not putting an act on for anyone. but I haven't never heard of "Chrumbs" and after seeing a few minutes I am sad that it got cancelled.

[gyqz]

I'm so sick and tired of people talking about 'our community'. If you want to stop segregation: stop reffering to communities!!!!Being gay doesn't defy what you are as a person and searching for a rolemodel in a sitcom...well...that's non-realistic!! Sitcoms are created to make people laugh. If you want to see realistic (gay)people: look around in real life and you will see and find them!! let tv be what it is....entertainment....sorry for my poor english and BTW: yes...I'm gay!

[electricfoxx]

Actually, all TV shows suck now.

[q8mind]

Amen to that. Stop claiming to be a "community". It makes me sick.

[dordsediekie]

I totally agree on what you said. There's nothing wrong with your english dude. ;-)

[gyqz]

Thanks!!!! I'm glad you're one of the realistic types!!! And about my english.....well..I keep on re-reading it and something tells me I got to put more effort into it...but thank you!! And thanx a mill. for your support!!!

[dordsediekie]

wtf? just found out you're a dutchie! Kan het dus ook gewoon in het nederlands ;-)

[gyqz]

Wahahahah....you dutchie too...hahahaha!!! Het kan idd. helemaal in het nederlands...LOL. Bedankt nogmaals voor je steun!! Ik word zo moe van al die mensen, die zich in aparte hokjes willen stoppen!!!

[dordsediekie]

Idd, er dreigt een hokjes tekort in NL zo langzamerhand, je bent wie je bent. Een hokje is altijd te klein, er valt altijd iets van je persoonlijkheid buiten. And remember...If it aint dutch, it aint much! haha

[gyqz]

Juist!!!!!!!!!!!! Daar ben ik het dus helemaal mee eens!!! Er is geen hokje groot genoeg, om je hele persoon te omvatten...dus waarom een hokje?? En die laatste opmerking: helemaal TOP!!! If it ain't dutch...it ain't much...wahahahaha...SO TRUE!!! LOL

[LYLS3637]

Will and Grace brought up messages no other sitcom ever dared to address. Yes, Jack was off the wall and ridiculous but he made us look at how RIDICULOUS stereo-typing all gay men like that are. To me, its the Archie Bunker factor. By satirizing that assumption of gay men, Will and Grace made the first and only attempt at reforming it. Will didn't sleep around and Grace did. Jack did and Karen was married. All four of them loved each other and that was the real message of the show.

[magniterrain]

I want you to read my channel description. I think we share some of the same ideas. I'm sure you'll like it. don't forget to comment.

[Rab1975bit]

Like in Sex and the City, Miranda's lawyer colleague decides to come out and go for it by swinging his ass in a skin-tight sheer T-shirt and hot pants at work on a casual Friday! It's like... If you're gay, you'd better be a flamboyant queen so that people around you know what to expect, or you're just being sneaky, Or the queens'd think you're ashamed of your sexuality.

[Rab1975bit]

Also, gay stereotypes in the media set such bad examples for young gay people growing up or trying to come out. The gay portrayals in the media lead people to think that a gay person needs to act in a certain way in order to be accepted as "out" (a circus clown) to perform and entertain friends. It's expected because people learned from the media that is the only way, OR you're dangerous to others.

[Rab1975bit]

U're right about Will & Grace. It's just a mess. There are a few laughs but The characters r stereotypical, they seem to have inconsistent personalities, & the show tries far too hard to be something that they're not. Many jokes are "borrowed" from Absolutely Fabulous. Karen = Alcoholic Patsy. and Jack is almost like the gay male version of Eddie.

[VitaiSlade]

I don't see how you haven't had more comments by now. You bring some very good points. Unfortunately, the reasoning behind ABC canceling "crumbs" and the un-airing of anything remotely close, is that non-flamboyant gay men AREN'T interesting. They are seen just as others, just with a different sexual preference. Queens get the attention BECAUSE they are different. Unfortunately, it makes all gays look bad.

What catches peoples attention? The normal everyday person, or the obscenely odd one?

[coppermetal5]

Awesome criticisms

[polnerxxx]

Definitely agree with you. I never found Will and Grace all that funny, and quite often the jokes were in bad taste.

[sk89522]

what about desperate housewives the gay people there look like normal gay people to me like andrew he is just like a normal fuck up teen like what a straight teen could be it has nothing with being gay and how about that new gay couple in the series only saw one episode with them but they seen alright

[nilan66]

Hey Watch Simpsons, the best show ever! Family Guy is also amazing. I have not seen American Dad. Southpark is a good show!

[justjustin86]

And lastly...Crumbs had decent ratings for one week(which is a shame especially since it had a huge lead-in with DWTS)it dropped the ball for the most part because it just wasn't funny....But I will agree that Jane Curtain is a gift...I'll watch her in almost anything

[justjustin86]

Sure Will and Grace was insanely flamboyant,but to say it wasn't groundbreaking is ridiculous...A hit show starring mostly gay characters on network television.I could also argue that for the most part Jack was the flamboyant not because he was gay...but because he was an attetion seeker(other gay characters came across as quote "normal" individuals who just happend to be gay)

[justjustin86]

Leon and Fred wanted a low-key wedding to express how they felt about each other...None of the weddign was meant to be representitive of gays(and the episode made it explicitly clear by having Leon object to it)

[justjustin86]

I couldn't disagree with you more..on almost every point...I remember the episode when Leon and Fred got married.The joke was..that Roseanne assumed that all gays were stereotypes and wanted a freakshow for a wedding(so she made the wedding a freakshow).At the end we realize that none of what she shoved into the wedding(tacky waiters,drag queens,and flamboyant taste)represented the couple at all...

[kittylynch]

you can see crumbs. just type in crumbstv here and you can see all 5 episodes. thank crumbsfan for doing it for all of us.

[TheonenonlyRMD]

I wish I could have seen "crumbs"

[RTRTRAAA]

I personally enjoyed Will and Grace, I have known people who are definately that kind of gay people. I agree that the media needs to expand the "gay character" beyond the steriotype though. Society needs to be aware that gay people are just people, as diverse as anyone else with a sexual preference.

[boportsmouth]

In time the people who think gay people are normal and acceptable will out number those who don't. also its important to note that for the past few years we have been in a bit of a conservative swing on the pendulum of social progress.

[boportsmouth]

as you said its popular to have a gay character on TV right now. That says something. Society is ready to except homosexuals out in the open for the most part. It's going to take time but this is in reality a great indicator for the level of tolerance society at large has for us. kids are growing up with gay people on TV. no they arn't Ideal images but as I said people are becoming desensitized to the extremes.

[boportsmouth]

OK I liked this one. Have you considered the inverse of your argument? What about the positive effects of these intensly stereotypical figures? I personally favor a war of attrition styled integration. all these images your complaining about do serve a purpose. They desensitize people to the extremes of our community. People are seeing these images and laughing and all the while gays are becoming less and less threatening.