Thursday, February 01, 2007

WGAY-TV

“Why does it seem like every TV show has to have a gay person?”

I’ve heard this more than a few times over the past few years. Have you?

It got noticeably worse when the ill fated Vito Spatafore came out, then flamed out during the last season of the ultimate I’m-a-white-heterosexual-man show, The Sopranos.
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Who was the first openly gay character on tv?

Wikipedia seems to have it all figured out. But the 90’s appears to have been the breakthrough period for homosexuals when it comes to television.
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Speaking of breakthroughs -- just for kicks -- let’s try something, shall we?

“Why does every TV show hafta have an African American person?”

See?

I’m sure scads of Archie Bunker acolytes muttered that sentence throughout the 70’s as African Americans at long last took their rightful place in mainstream America.

Well, I’m sure those scads used far less politically correct terms, but you get the picture.
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At this point, can I just say SHUT THE FUCK UP if you think that being gay isn't the same as being African American.

It’s 2007.

And I’m talkin’ to you, Mr. Smaller-Than-Average-Penis.

Would you CHOOSE to be PERSECUTED?

I didn’t think so. So shaddap.
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Unless you’re a hermit or living in a Kansas cornfield, you know someone who’s gay.

C’mon, admit it.

He might not be your best friend, but he’s your neighbor or co-worker or brother or son. You know him well enough to have had a beer with him at least once or twice.

And if he’s your friend or neighbor, you might even love him a little, but only in that Dude-I’m-so-not-giving-you-a-reach-around sorta way.

Am I right?

So if TV shows are just creative reflections of people living their lives and doing stupid things, and we all know at least one gay person, why isn't there at least one gay person on every show?
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But, Hedy. It’s one thing to be Rob Halford from Judas Priest gay.

It’s another thing to be flaming, in your face gay like Jack from Will & Grace.

Hello? TV is entertainment.

It’s never going to be an exact reflection of our lives – it’s always going to take the most interesting, most controversial parts and put ‘em out there.

And whether you’re comfortable admitting it or not, it’s what you want.
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I am listening to: INXS - The One Thing
I am reading: Nothing and it's great
And I am: Warm

2 comments:

Dave said...

There's currently a lot of media on Muslims/Moslems/Islam and their treatment on TV. I thought originally the news about the Canadian sitcom was a joke. Are Arab peoples the blacks/gays of the '00's?

Dave said...

Are Arabs then the blacks, gays of the '00's?