Warning:This is a serious article and
could offend some.Some of the language and sarcasm is meant to prove a
point, and in no way meant to hurt anyone’s feelings. I just wanted you
to know that it is not my intention,but be aware if it happens. This is
all opinion.
There has been something I have wanted to talk about for along time but have been putting it off because it is an extremely sensitive subject. Usually I discuss light things and avoid serious or even controversial topics. But this is one I just had to tackle because it really bothers me.First let me say emphatically that I mean no disrespect to anyone who is gay,lesbian, or anything else. I have known people that are these things and been friends with them, and think they are just as good as anyone else.
Ok, here is what I wanted to talk about. There is a tendency in this society to "out" fictional characters. Usually this is done as a joke in a series or some other program. It started; at least I think it started, in the mid-90's. Here is my question, why do we do this? Obviously there are characters in TV and film who are openly gay, and that is fantastic. Sometimes a character will come out in the course of a series or film, and that is also great. But why do we have to out the characters who are not? I don't get it, to be specific being gay basically means you have feelings for the same sex rather than the opposite. How does the fact that two men are standing in the same room also mean they like to share a bed? Why is it because a cartoon is animated a certain way or a character a little affectionate mean automatically mean they prefer the same sex?
To make my point I am going to cite six popular examples of character who are not gay, but people love to make jokes that they are.
#6. C3PO & R2D2 (Star Wars). Truth is this joke also tends to permeate all robots including the one from Lost in Space. C-3PO and R2D2 gay? Why is that exactly, because C3PO expresses concern for R2D2 and cares about him? Funny, I never knew that straight people were incapable of caring about same sex freinds and colleagues.
#5. He-Man. This is all over the place; even the Nostalgia Critic when he reviewed Master of the Universe couldn't stop mentioning it. A hundred times. As I said in a previous article, when I watched the cartoon inthe 80's all I ever saw was He-Man kicking ass. I never said, "Hey the wayhe is moving that sword looks like it's really a vague subtext". I justdon't get it, why is this one so popular? Because he wears a chest plate? Howdoes purple boots also mean he likes sleeping with men? If you watch the originalshow you know He-Man has feelings for Teela which he keeps private. Caseclosed. Oh but wait, he "held aloft his mighty sword!" giggle, giggle!
#4. Larry and Balki (Perfect Strangers). Oh my goodness,look, two men living together! Giggle giggle! I mean, there is just no way that two men could share an apartment and not at the same to be sleeping together,right? I'm not sure how popular this one is but have seen it enough to warrant a mention. Forgetting the fact they are cousins (literally), they chase and marry two girls through the whole run of the show!
#3.Timon and Pumbaa (Lion King). I admit that having Nathan Lane do the voice doesn't help, but at the same time at what point in the Lion King do we get the idea that Timon and Pumbaa are more than just kindredspirits, friends because they don't have anyone else in their lives? You can argue Timon is a jerk, fine, but what does he do that makes him gay exactly?
#2. Batman and Robin. What can I say about this one, it's everywhere! It was a joke on Friends, Linkara has made jokes, and it even got a reference the other day from Jimmy Fallon. I realize the bright orange shorts are an odd fashion choice, but is that all we are basing this on? Robin is 8-12years old in the comics! Don't people realize how gross that is, that an adult Bruce Wayne has eyes for a kid? Even when SNL does the ambiguously gay duo,they're both adult men! Of course they are, the joke wouldn't work if they had one be a kid. Real comic fans know Dick Grayson was in love with Starfire who,believe it or not, is a woman! That was before the reboot of course, that’s another topic.
#1.Bert and Ernie (Sesame Street). This one hurts, even more than He-Man, because they were my favorite characters and it feels like someone is stomping on my childhood. This is so popular, so acknowledged that it's almost become an accepted part of the characters. Again, why???? Because theylive together? Sorry I need more than that. We see they sleep in separate bedsfor pete's sake! I always felt like they were brothers in a way, Ernie was theyounger one and Bert was the older one watching out for Ernie. In a book I haveon Sesame Street the creators were asked what Ernie and Bert’s orientation was.The answer was simple; they have no orientation because they’re puppets! I don’tget it, why is so important to people that they are more than that? I mean, whyare they gay but Kermit and Fozzie, played by the same performers, are not?
Before I continue I want to point out that women are not exempt from this. I mean I never watchedXena, Warrior Princess but I know all about how people like to say she is alesbian due to her relationship with her sidekick, Gabrielle. What was it thatmakes them gay other than the fact they care for each other? As I said I neverwatched this show so I am not qualified to honestly judge and may be wrong,
Ok, time to be real. Some may be reading this and wondering,why am I talking about this? I mean, these are all fictional characters andit's all in fun. Here is the problem; this attitude isn't limited to TV andmovies. I am straight, I love women and without getting to explicit let's just say I enjoy being with them. However, I am also shy, neat, and a bit introverted. For these reasons, and possible others including the way I dress Iam not sure, I have to deal with people thinking I am gay. Now let me stop hereand stress I am not trying to say I face more or less discrimination thananyone else, that’s absurd, but it is still frustrating when you are afraid tobe yourself by listening to a certain musician or watching a certain program becausegod forbid someone gets the wrong idea, or when your own family thinks thesethings no matter how much you say otherwise, or when you get mocked and madefun of, to the point where you start to wonder yourself. I can only imagine what people who are gaymust feel, and give them all the credit in the world for being free to bethemselves.
Fortunately I am adult; I can only imagine what a poor child who may be confused about his orientation must go through. So the question is, whydo we do this? No, seriously, why? In this day and age people who are gay,lesbian, bi-sexual or whatever else are accepted part of society (maybe nothappily by some, granted). And yet people still giggle and laugh when they suspect someone may be this way. It amazes me, whenever a straight actor plays a gay role they call him a gifted actor, but when a gay actor plays a straightrole people are shocked! How could this be? Another example I didn't mention was Chandler on Friends, after they did an episode with Chandler missing Joey because he had moved out the whole"Chanlder is gay" thing started. It is possible for two people of thesame sex to care about each other without also wanting to sleep with them. Some fans do this to Kirk and Spock to, they were close friends but to some peoplethat's not enough they also have to be lovers. I have seen some of the fanfics, and they include some very disturbing images. Can't two friends on TVJUST be friends?
Bottom line, If someone is gay, or lesbian, or anything elsethey are no different from people who are not these things. Why is it funny ifyou think someone is? Take every example I listed above, and let's say I am wrong and they are all gay. SO WHAT???? How does that affect the programs ormovies they were in? How does that hurt their character? Why is it ok to makefun of them and mock them for it, because their fictional characters and haveno real feelings? The same thing in the real world, let's say that you seesomeone and suspect they are gay. So???? Are they bad people now? I just don’t get it.
Look, I am not an expert and I am not pretending to have allthe answers. People are entitled to their opinions. What they don't have theright to do is tease people because of it. That is why this is wrong, but for some reason as long as it’s a fictional character no one seems bothered by it.Again I have to ask, why?
Whew, I am done. Going to get off my soapbox know. This is just something that has been on my mind and I just had to get it out. I want to stress, everyone has a right to their opinion I will always respect that. If you think I am totally wrong that's cool,I am posting this here and not on the other site because I think my friends here know me enough to know I don't mean any harm. That's it for me gettingserious, next time more fluff and fun stuff I promise.
There has been something I have wanted to talk about for along time but have been putting it off because it is an extremely sensitive subject. Usually I discuss light things and avoid serious or even controversial topics. But this is one I just had to tackle because it really bothers me.First let me say emphatically that I mean no disrespect to anyone who is gay,lesbian, or anything else. I have known people that are these things and been friends with them, and think they are just as good as anyone else.
Ok, here is what I wanted to talk about. There is a tendency in this society to "out" fictional characters. Usually this is done as a joke in a series or some other program. It started; at least I think it started, in the mid-90's. Here is my question, why do we do this? Obviously there are characters in TV and film who are openly gay, and that is fantastic. Sometimes a character will come out in the course of a series or film, and that is also great. But why do we have to out the characters who are not? I don't get it, to be specific being gay basically means you have feelings for the same sex rather than the opposite. How does the fact that two men are standing in the same room also mean they like to share a bed? Why is it because a cartoon is animated a certain way or a character a little affectionate mean automatically mean they prefer the same sex?
To make my point I am going to cite six popular examples of character who are not gay, but people love to make jokes that they are.
#6. C3PO & R2D2 (Star Wars). Truth is this joke also tends to permeate all robots including the one from Lost in Space. C-3PO and R2D2 gay? Why is that exactly, because C3PO expresses concern for R2D2 and cares about him? Funny, I never knew that straight people were incapable of caring about same sex freinds and colleagues.
#5. He-Man. This is all over the place; even the Nostalgia Critic when he reviewed Master of the Universe couldn't stop mentioning it. A hundred times. As I said in a previous article, when I watched the cartoon inthe 80's all I ever saw was He-Man kicking ass. I never said, "Hey the wayhe is moving that sword looks like it's really a vague subtext". I justdon't get it, why is this one so popular? Because he wears a chest plate? Howdoes purple boots also mean he likes sleeping with men? If you watch the originalshow you know He-Man has feelings for Teela which he keeps private. Caseclosed. Oh but wait, he "held aloft his mighty sword!" giggle, giggle!
#4. Larry and Balki (Perfect Strangers). Oh my goodness,look, two men living together! Giggle giggle! I mean, there is just no way that two men could share an apartment and not at the same to be sleeping together,right? I'm not sure how popular this one is but have seen it enough to warrant a mention. Forgetting the fact they are cousins (literally), they chase and marry two girls through the whole run of the show!
#3.Timon and Pumbaa (Lion King). I admit that having Nathan Lane do the voice doesn't help, but at the same time at what point in the Lion King do we get the idea that Timon and Pumbaa are more than just kindredspirits, friends because they don't have anyone else in their lives? You can argue Timon is a jerk, fine, but what does he do that makes him gay exactly?
#2. Batman and Robin. What can I say about this one, it's everywhere! It was a joke on Friends, Linkara has made jokes, and it even got a reference the other day from Jimmy Fallon. I realize the bright orange shorts are an odd fashion choice, but is that all we are basing this on? Robin is 8-12years old in the comics! Don't people realize how gross that is, that an adult Bruce Wayne has eyes for a kid? Even when SNL does the ambiguously gay duo,they're both adult men! Of course they are, the joke wouldn't work if they had one be a kid. Real comic fans know Dick Grayson was in love with Starfire who,believe it or not, is a woman! That was before the reboot of course, that’s another topic.
#1.Bert and Ernie (Sesame Street). This one hurts, even more than He-Man, because they were my favorite characters and it feels like someone is stomping on my childhood. This is so popular, so acknowledged that it's almost become an accepted part of the characters. Again, why???? Because theylive together? Sorry I need more than that. We see they sleep in separate bedsfor pete's sake! I always felt like they were brothers in a way, Ernie was theyounger one and Bert was the older one watching out for Ernie. In a book I haveon Sesame Street the creators were asked what Ernie and Bert’s orientation was.The answer was simple; they have no orientation because they’re puppets! I don’tget it, why is so important to people that they are more than that? I mean, whyare they gay but Kermit and Fozzie, played by the same performers, are not?
Before I continue I want to point out that women are not exempt from this. I mean I never watchedXena, Warrior Princess but I know all about how people like to say she is alesbian due to her relationship with her sidekick, Gabrielle. What was it thatmakes them gay other than the fact they care for each other? As I said I neverwatched this show so I am not qualified to honestly judge and may be wrong,
Ok, time to be real. Some may be reading this and wondering,why am I talking about this? I mean, these are all fictional characters andit's all in fun. Here is the problem; this attitude isn't limited to TV andmovies. I am straight, I love women and without getting to explicit let's just say I enjoy being with them. However, I am also shy, neat, and a bit introverted. For these reasons, and possible others including the way I dress Iam not sure, I have to deal with people thinking I am gay. Now let me stop hereand stress I am not trying to say I face more or less discrimination thananyone else, that’s absurd, but it is still frustrating when you are afraid tobe yourself by listening to a certain musician or watching a certain program becausegod forbid someone gets the wrong idea, or when your own family thinks thesethings no matter how much you say otherwise, or when you get mocked and madefun of, to the point where you start to wonder yourself. I can only imagine what people who are gaymust feel, and give them all the credit in the world for being free to bethemselves.
Fortunately I am adult; I can only imagine what a poor child who may be confused about his orientation must go through. So the question is, whydo we do this? No, seriously, why? In this day and age people who are gay,lesbian, bi-sexual or whatever else are accepted part of society (maybe nothappily by some, granted). And yet people still giggle and laugh when they suspect someone may be this way. It amazes me, whenever a straight actor plays a gay role they call him a gifted actor, but when a gay actor plays a straightrole people are shocked! How could this be? Another example I didn't mention was Chandler on Friends, after they did an episode with Chandler missing Joey because he had moved out the whole"Chanlder is gay" thing started. It is possible for two people of thesame sex to care about each other without also wanting to sleep with them. Some fans do this to Kirk and Spock to, they were close friends but to some peoplethat's not enough they also have to be lovers. I have seen some of the fanfics, and they include some very disturbing images. Can't two friends on TVJUST be friends?
Bottom line, If someone is gay, or lesbian, or anything elsethey are no different from people who are not these things. Why is it funny ifyou think someone is? Take every example I listed above, and let's say I am wrong and they are all gay. SO WHAT???? How does that affect the programs ormovies they were in? How does that hurt their character? Why is it ok to makefun of them and mock them for it, because their fictional characters and haveno real feelings? The same thing in the real world, let's say that you seesomeone and suspect they are gay. So???? Are they bad people now? I just don’t get it.
Look, I am not an expert and I am not pretending to have allthe answers. People are entitled to their opinions. What they don't have theright to do is tease people because of it. That is why this is wrong, but for some reason as long as it’s a fictional character no one seems bothered by it.Again I have to ask, why?
Whew, I am done. Going to get off my soapbox know. This is just something that has been on my mind and I just had to get it out. I want to stress, everyone has a right to their opinion I will always respect that. If you think I am totally wrong that's cool,I am posting this here and not on the other site because I think my friends here know me enough to know I don't mean any harm. That's it for me gettingserious, next time more fluff and fun stuff I promise.
No comments:
Post a Comment