Gay Heat Wave in the Media?

[Superevie]

I was watching TV yesterday and Eric McCormack from the TV show Will and Grace was on a talk show. He just made it on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. The host held up the magazine and the title on the front was quite surprising:

Do you guys think there is a "Gay Heat Wave" in the media? If so, is this a good or a bad thing? No trolling, flaming, or gay bashing let's try to be mature about this, as I sincerely hope you all are.

 

[Enemy Ace]

Yes, there is a market for all things homosexual. This due, in part, to the fact that homosexuals exist. Futhermore, it is trendy to gay.

 

[Xen]

honestlly, I dont mind it at all, after all, who knows where I would be with out my fashion tips from the show Queer Eye for the straight guy (and yes, i am serious about that, that show rules )

 

[GenMarshall]

It seems that there is a growing acceptance in homosexuality in the media. This will be a next media reviloution in the media since African Americans has gotten there reviloution in the Media .

 

[MummyMan]

"Futhermore, it is trendy to gay."

Reminds me of "Da Ali G Show" in the first season, anybody seen this show? in one episode this comedian from the UK (the star of his own man show) acts like a fashion designer or something from Austria and goes to the "gay capital of the world - Alabama" and hilarity ensues.

Sorry to threadjack but it was definitely an eye-opener for me, as Ali G met a lot of hostility, so much that it was just funny that anybody would be so stupid. So yeah, i think there's been a lot more awareness of homesexuality and that they're an audience as well.

 

[Gainy]

Reminds me of "Da Ali G Show" in the first season, anybody seen this show? in one episode this comedian from the UK (the star of his own man show) acts like a fashion designer or something from Austria and goes to the "gay capital of the world - Alabama" and hilarity ensues.

That wasn't the first season, that was about the 3rd. There were previous series' shown in the UK beforehand. I think he's hilarious

As for the whole trendy to be gay thing, nah, not in real life. Gay's where I live are abused and beaten regularly.

 

[aaminion00]

Maybe it's just me, but homosexuality can never seem to achieve a medium in the media (or is it median ). Either it's not represented at all (or even worse in a bad way), or it comes up every episode with one or two gay characters involved (is that really that realistic?). Much the same could be said about races and ethnicities.

 

[Håkan Eriksson]

Please.... count every tv show that's on air right now.... How many of them are gay shows?? I would say it must be like 1%.... how is that at all a gay heat or something???

Just becouse it has changed from 0% to 1% doesn't mean the gay's are takeing over the world.

 

[willemvanoranje]

I don't care. It should be so normal no one even notices.

 

[cgannon64]

I think homosexuality is being exploited in the media, not accepted. Not extensively, but if I catch a few moments of "Queer Eye" its like watching some bad blaxploitation show from the 70s. Playing up all stereotypes so people watch...

 

[willemvanoranje]

yeah, we got that bullsh!t here too. Surprises me anyone watches it. I get scared by that kinda stuff. Ah well, the acceptance is far away. I'm an open-minded guy and respect and tolerate a lot, but if I'm honest I admit I feel kind of uncomfortable if I know someone's gay and is sitting too close to me. Glad I know better than to respond to something like that and turn into some redneck army guy.

 

[andvruss]

I'd rather not restate my views again.......

 

[MCdread]

Originally posted by Håkan Eriksson
Please.... count every tv show that's on air right now.... How many of them are gay shows?? I would say it must be like 1%.... how is that at all a gay heat or something???

Just becouse it has changed from 0% to 1% doesn't mean the gay's are takeing over the world.

Which doesn't mean that the other 99 % are hetero.

Whether there is a gay fashion or not, the truth is that the gay community has surely become much more accepted and mainstream, and like willem said, that is normal, and I don't care with it.

 

[Sims2789]

gays are as much a part of American life as "straight" people, so i'm glad their being represented. but they need more representation. so do hispanics and asians, as TV is dominated by white and black heteroes.

 

[h4ppy]

I really don't care if advertisers pander to the gay market. Same with TV show makers. (producers?) But I never will buy or watch anything just because the people being portrayed are gay, and I won't watch a show for the specific reason that it excludes gays either> by the way sims I disargee about your statement about more gay stuff being necissary, there is already a disproportunant amount of gays on TV. (characters, not actors)

 

[eyrei]

Originally posted by sims2789
gays are as much a part of American life as "straight" people, so i'm glad their being represented. but they need more representation. so do hispanics and asians, as TV is dominated by white and black heteroes.

I imagine that the percentage of gay characters on TV shows exceeds the percentage of gay people in the population. Of course, the same is not true for Hispanics or Asians. Regardless, I don't even know why I made this post because I honestly don't care what goes on TV.

 

[bobgote]

yup, gay heat wave. absolutely.
and i'm not sure how gays feel about it either, as pretty much every single character is a bad stereotype.
anyway, i can say that I personally wouldn't watch a show that relies upon the fact that it has gay people in it to get viewers. Unfortunately the same doesn't go for most of the population.

 

[Paalikles]

Originally posted by Xen
honestlly, I dont mind it at all, after all, who knows where I would be with out my fashion tips from the show Queer Eye for the straight guy (and yes, i am serious about that, that show rules )

Bah - that's just playing on stereotypes.
I worked in a store selling men's fashion some years ago, and I know a thing or two about men's clothing. One does not have to be "queer" to know how to put on clothes...

Other than that - the "wave" is a hype rather than a truth IMO
It is unfortunate though, that someone has decided that there is marketing potential in this

 

[Speedo]

People will soon tire of it like they do of everything else. Then there will be a new "wave" of something else.

 

[Mark Young]

I would say that their are more gay shows or more gay characters or straight people trying gay orientations on now then their has ever been before.
Even though Hakan is probably correct with his statistic, the heat wave thing is relative to the amount of gay shows/characters etc that is on at the moment compared to 15 years ago.

Some Gay shows and shows with a permanent gay character in them on here at the moment.
Will and Grace.
Queer eye for the straight guy.
Queer as folk.
Queer TV.
Buffy
Dark angel.
That one with Micheal J fox, it had a black gay bloke in it.
Dawsons creek.
All Saints.
And there are others that I cant remember the names too.

My point being is that at the moment there are more openly gay characters whereas in the 70's and 80's the gays were more subtle and less obvious, such as Felix Unger from the odd couple.