My first argument, just to see who's paying attention (my guess: no one).
Media portrayal of non-hetero-normative relationships is at best weak, and at worst, damaging to the groups represented. While there is more nuance to these portrayals, it's interesting to look at some of the more damning evidence.
Will and Grace is a fairly recent example. Will is the straight man to Jack's flamboyant counterpart. Jack represents the stereotypes of the feminine homosexual, speaking in a higher octave than most men, focusing on superficiality in most things he says, and berating Will for not being as attractive as he should be.
To his token, Will is the more straight-laced, the not immediately noticeable homosexual who's only vice is exhibited in his friendship with Jack - that Will, if anything, isn't gay enough.
But why focus only on Will and Grace? There are, after all, other instances of homosexuals in the media, and what positive examples they are:
Queer As Folk - while this television show does tackle some serious issues, the primary location is a gay dance club where drug deals and sex take place in the back rooms. Many of the episodes metonymize gay life into a series of one night stands interspersed with crystal methamphetamine use.
The L Word - more than Queer as Folk, sex is what sells this show.
Tobi, from Family Guy, a show known for pushing the envelope of what can and cannot be said. Other instances of popular homosexual characters include Herbert the pedophile and Stewie Griffin.
The issue with media portrayal of characters is that, in many ways, the media informs us of how we should act. Television, especially in a country where so much emphasis is put onto television, provides cues for social behavior. Who didn't learn a lot about interpersonal relationships and communication from Friends? So my question then is where are the cues for positive homosexual social behavior? Where do homosexuals learn these cues from?
Another way to think about it is this: we're all taught that men date women. So even in elementary school most of you can remember having little "girlfriends" or "boyfriends" or getting your first kiss at 11 or 12. You probably experienced going on dates after, or sometimes before, you learned how to drive, and of course everyone knows how important prom was.
What happens to a group that isn't represented by those "men-date-women" stereotypes? What happens to a group that gets that chunk of their life, all of those formative events, withheld until they're 18 or 19 or even in their 20s (since college is the classic coming out time)? How are homosexuals supposed to act without any positive media role models, or do you think some of these scenarios do represent positive portrayals or can you think of other positive scenarios?
Finally, consider what happens when you separate a group of people based entirely on their sexual orientation; won't that group be more sexual by default?
What are your thoughts?
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ReplyDeleteI think accurate media portrayal of said groups is unnecessary. Accurate media portrayal is itself rare. Everyone knows that TV is all about drama, including them. I grew up without actual television, so I know what it's like to not have such references. I think said minorities don't need TV references, because they, like everyone else, have morals and values, and like everyone else, will put those into their love lives. In addition, I don't think current (typically inaccurate) portrayals of such romances are damaging, because everyone laughs at their ridiculousness, not just heteros. And as you said, separating a group of people will emphasize their differences, but when it comes to sexuality, we need to realize that there are several subcultures involved that operate somewhat differently and may not perceive differences as problems.
ReplyDeleteAaron Smith
fakechristmastrees@gmail.com
Awesome Aaron! This is exactly what I would like to see in everyone's comments. You were very thoughtful, had no problem disagreeing with my views, and did so very respectfully. Though, for everyone's benefit, try to be as specific as possible in your comments. Great job!
ReplyDeleteTelevision in the end is all about making money. The creators of The L Word and Queer as Folk can't be blamed for what people like, and will watch. People have to realize that these are TV shows and they cannot take cues from them and apply them to real life. As far as Family Guy and Will and Grace go, there is even less reality there to go on. These are comedy shows and are meant to be ridiculous and entertaining. It happens quite often that stereotypes are used in comedy shows, especially Family Guy as well as South Park. Some would say it is bad that they exploit these stereotypes, however, I believe that if you are offended by anything these shows say you should wait until the next week when they show another negative stereotype of a different group, realize it means nothing, and then get over it and just enjoy the show.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Aaron. The intentions of the media and television does not need to be accurate, but rather entertaining. The things portrayed through media is for pure entertainment of the public. It gives us all something to laugh about and forgot about reality for a little while. As some might disagree and say that television has a major impact on social behavior and there should be positive portrayal of certain stereotypes, I believe that there are so many other things in society and the world around us to help impact and shape who we are today.
ReplyDeleteKelly Kollmorgen
kelkol325@yahoo.com
I agree with Aaron on the fact that groups already have morals and values, so they tend not to care about how media depicts them since it’s inaccurate more times than not. I do think, however, that it can impact how homosexual men feel about other people’s response to their being gay. The fear of being negatively judged weighs heavy on the mind and can keep people from revealing their true selves. Many times on television, when a man comes out of the closet, his parents aren’t supportive and often seem disappointed in their child. But recently on the show Ugly Betty, Betty’s nephew, Justin, discovered that he was gay. Justin’s portrayed as the stereotypical feminine gay man with a high-pitched voice, cares a lot about how he looks, and gives fashion advice to anyone he feels needs it. He was unsure about his feelings until he kissed a boy from his acting class and was later caught by his stepdad. Because of how our culture has taught Justin to react, he becomes defensive and tells his stepdad not to tell anyone. His stepdad doesn’t even have a chance to tell him that he supports Justin no matter what. They haven’t resolved this issue yet on the show, but I do believe it will end positively and Justin’s family will accept him for who he is since their unyielding love for one another is evident on the show. I believe this could be a step in the right direction when it comes to how a family reacts to member’s coming out, as portrayed on television. People may not change how they walk or talk just because of what they see on TV, but it can keep them from revealing their true feelings due to the fear of a disapproving response.
ReplyDeletekelsey grau
kg332108@ohio.edu
While reading through the post I immediately questioned whether media informs us on how to act, or whether how we act is what informs media what to focus on. As stated by Kelly, Aaron, and Matt, media is made for entertainment, not as a textbook for life. In my humble opinion, shows like Family Guy and Will and Grace take examples of real world actions, and then distort and magnify them to make things more entertaining. I agree that many things from media are used in pop culture, but the basis of media usually derives from what is already taking place within our interactions. In no way am I trying to say that media examples of any group or stereotype are true, but rather that small aspects are taken and changed or embellished to create an edgy and exciting portrayal. In a way I am asking which comes first, media example or our actions. I agree that there is little to no "homosexual example" in our culture, especially at a young age, so media portrayal may give a greater influence. However, I feel that faulting media for that is excessive. It would not hurt to have a better portrayal of homosexuals, but in the end media is there to exaggerate and create interesting situations, not to create role models.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Witten
Sportsmatt2408@aol.com
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ReplyDeleteI think the media's portrayals of the contemporary homosexual are centered around misinterpreted sensationalism as opposed to accurate depictions. For example, the short clip of Jack from Will and Grace is classic shock value that is used to attract viewers and ratings. Is Jack an accurate depiction for the majority of homosexuals? Of course not, but there are some out there who fit the bill too. Either way you look at it, the media's main goal is to ENTERTAIN. So if people get offended by these inaccurate representations, I think it is important to remember that these representations should not be taken literally in the first place. Another example mentioned above is Herbert the Pervert from Family Guy. Herbert is an old gentle man who happens to have a crush on Chris and other little male companions. If people were to over-analyze Herbert, they would find him offensive. Me, on the other hand, know better than to relate Herbert to the gay community. To repeat what I said earlier: Herbert is absolutely hilarious, but I know he is used for entertainment reasons only, not for a concrete exemplification of homosexual social behavior. It is unfortunate to see the media's attempts to distort the image of the gay community, however I expect most people to be intelligent enough to look beyond these fallacious stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteBrett Carter
BC917508@ohio.edu
Its inevitable that media has damaging effects on all groups with stereotypes and so forth. I also feel it wrong to say anyone is not (insert type of social label here) enough. It is with comments such as this that become pressuring. People shouldn't feel they have to live up to any sort of standard to define themselves just because that's the typical perception.
ReplyDeleteMedia is what defines a culture and its a culture that will define the individuals within it.
The point about individuals that don't take part in typical relationships until later years is interesting. I suppose I can speak for this in that I fall into this category.
I think it is too difficult to say it dominantly goes one way or the other as far as being more sexual. After struggling with these relations and having been reserved for so long, many wouldn't easily be able to adjust to a different manner in character. On the other hand, sure, many will quite possibly be more sexual feeling they need to catch up in ways.
Megan Martin
mm118109@ohio.edu
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt in that the stereotypical roles portrayed by the media of different groups are largely influenced by real life. As stated before, in many of the shows dealing with these controversial subjects, the story lines, characters, etc. are exaggerated for entertainment value. Television networks are not going to put a show on the air that people aren’t going to watch. Shows like Will and Grace and Family Guy are what people are choosing to watch, as represented by the numerous seasons that have been produced. Just a few years ago, when homosexuality was still a touchy issue, especially as being represented on television, shows like The O.C., and One Tree Hill, dipped their feet in the pool. However, these programs portrayed it in a mostly negative light and showed it not being greatly accepted. As the years progressed, more recent shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, and as mentioned before, Ugly Betty, have made the issue a more prominent part of the show and have shown it in a way as being more accepted. I think that this is because the issue of homosexuality has become more widely accepted and focus has shifted away from it to other issues.
ReplyDeleteJulia Whitford
jw188009@ohio.edu
I agree with many that we need to take note that these are just television shows, and they are made to entertain and to offer extreme examples with a goal of making the audience want more. One thing we need to realize, however, is that not all of America is as media literate as we may be. Some people truly believe that 1. all homosexuals act this way or 2. if you do act this way, you HAVE to be gay. Although we may know that Family Guy's humor is total hyperbolic and satirical, not everyone sees it that way.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, I have seen more recent examples of an "Average American" portrayal of the homosexual culture. For example, ABC Family's show "Greek". Although it is very inaccurate in its examples of college life and lust, I give them credit for their character Calvin. His experiences with his sexuality, coming out, normal relationships, and friendships are ones that ABC Family deserves a great deal of respect for dealing with. He's a normal guy, and I love that.
Erin McCarthy
emccarthy20@yahoo.com
I agree with what everyone has said about the shows L Word and Queer as Folk and how the creators of that show have purposefully used sex to draw more viewers because everyone knows that sex sells. Both TV series were obviously successful since both had 5 or more seasons and I think that these shows do have an influence on the gay community.
ReplyDeleteI went to Dublin Coffman, a high school known for being rich and uptight and when you looked around the hallways you could see a big influence from mainstream media. Every girl had either a Coach or Vera Bradley purse, Uggs, a North face jacket, and usually expensive designer jeans. It was also clear the media had an influence on the small amount of gay students as well. For the ones who were out at school they were very similar to the character Jack on Will and Grace or the characters from the L Word.
I think that as everyone becomes more accepting of their different lifestyle and supports them, the media will have less of an influence on the gay community. Recently, there has been many new positive role models for the gay community for example Ellen Degeneres, Adam Lambert, and Dustin Lance Black (writer of the film Milk, that won 34 awards including 2 Oscars) but there is still room for more acceptance.
Christina Fisher
cf105308@ohio.edu
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ReplyDeleteThe entertainment industry has always been a cut throat type of institution that is normally not afraid to shine a bad light on a particular group of people if they think viewership will increase. The homosexual community is one of these groups who are used by the television and movie industries by being portrayed as overly feminine and flat out goofy. This type of thing has always been around; it reminds me of actors using black face to portray black people in the early 1900s. I don’t see this stereotype going away anytime soon because it’s so entertaining to most people. However, some shows do break down the norm and decide to show the reality of being a homosexual and that is through documentary styled shows like MTV’s True Life. I don’t think that homosexuals are really affected by television shows in how they act in everyday life because people are born a certain way and I feel like they are molded by their physical environment like hometown, family, etc. If a group is separated based on sexual orientation that group would definitely form a new culture and embrace it, whether that culture contains a more sexual atmosphere is completely unknown.
ReplyDeleteLouie Poczik
LP156309@ohio.edu
In my opinion, the media's portrayal of homosexuals is not completely accurate, but neither is the portrayal of any group of people. The media shows gay men as flamboyant, but at the same time shows teenage, heterosexual males as players that just want to sleep with anyone they possibly can. Both of these glimpses are merely generalizations. The fact of the matter is that these types of characters are the ones that get viewers hooked on a particular series and wondering what will happen next, which is smart for TV shows and movies to exploit these different extremes of people. That being said, I feel that the media's take on homosexuality may be detrimental to younger followers that potentially view these types of generalizations. Younger children don't necessarily understand that not all homosexuals act in a feminine manner, and may have biased takes on different groups of people. I was talking to my cousin who is 10 and he said that he would beat up a boy if he liked him. I feel that the media almost sends messages that it is bad to be homosexual and it is scary to me that some people may take these outrageous characters made for pure entertainment purposes seriously. I do understand why the media portrays different groups of people by using the most interesting characters from them, but in the case of sexual preference maybe generalizing isn't the smartest way to grab a viewer's attention, we don't want to make more prejudice than there already is.
ReplyDeleteAlex Rodgers
ar107308@ohio.edu
As much as these shows do portray the typical stereotypes I also feel a bit different about it. When I think of how homosexuals or anyone who is not in the non-hetero-normative relationships I think that people believe that it is out of the “norm”. Now no one ever said what norm was but obviously the typical male- female relationship is what we know. What is the “norm” today and how would a person define it? Because I think in today’s world the sexual preference between two people is obviously not still the same that it was many years ago. So as shows such as Will and Grace and Queer as Folk portray these media typical stereotypes I think that everyone is said to their own opinion. I think that after viewing the shows it is up to the viewer to think as they wish about the characters. There should be no stereotypes for people that as we may see out of the “norm”. Isn’t that what this world is about anyway, individuality. I do not necessarily agree with how the characters are portrayed although I do agree with the others when they said that most of it seems to be for entertainment. Entertainment sells and that’s what these producers are strictly looking to do, sell.
ReplyDeleteCorey Bittner
cb269708@ohio.edu
In my opinion, I believe the media exaggerates a little too much on what homosexuals are like and how they should act. More and more people are coming out and act in a way that is portrayed on television. I think that is unnecessary and people should act upon what they believe, not what is shown through media. For instance, when television wasn’t a part of everyday life, it was more common to have a stereotypical relationship, male and female because no one knew how to act or how others would react. As for today, people are more comfortable to come out because it is becoming “normal” and “ok”. Yeah, the television needs to make money, which would entitle them to dramatize things and take things to another level, but I disagree with the point they take it to. I believe that people should understand that media can generally do what they want, so people shouldn’t take the homosexuals actions on television into consideration and shouldn’t take offense to it.
ReplyDeleteSarah Kinnear
Sk136409@ohio.edu
I agree with the statements above that media has taken human feelings, qualities & characteristics and magnified them to become more "appealing" for an audience. I feel that in the shows will and grace, family guy and the L word, that qualities are depicted to make an audience like a show more, and not taking into consideration that some things portrayed are almost mocking real feelings of people. I think that these shows are not realistic to how gay community members act.
ReplyDeleteAs someone mentioned above, I also went to a upper class high school where all you see is designer things. I feel that this can hurt a community because people are not able to form their own opinions or beliefs, they just want to want. You can compare this with media on television. You act or want what you see around you. I feel that people should base their feelings and wants based upon their own true character. When asking about a "positive gay role model", I would have to agree with what Erin said about Calvin on ABC Family's, Greek. Though the geek college life is not accurately depicted, I feel that Calvin's character about coming out in a society of predominantly straight members, is shown very well. He is just a normal guy trying to show his true self, which is what media should be depicting.
Kaci Durham
Kaci_Durham@yahoo.com
I believe that the actions of the character on Will and Grace were clearly being exaggerated for comedy purposes. This media portrayal is not at all true for how the homosexual community acts as a whole. There are some individuals that act this way, however. It does not seem to be a problem caused by media portrayal has created with such characters or even a problem at all. This is just the way that some individuals act and that is completely fine. So I do not have a problem with the way that the character on Will and Grace was created because of the fact that he is just an exaggerated example of a stereotype just created for humor.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure the example from "Will and Grace" is necessarily the best argument because, although, Jack is a very flamboyant stereotype of homosexual males, Will shows the much more realistic side of homosexuality. Jack, I believe is purely there for entertainment and be so unrealistically flaming that it's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteMonica Lander
ml259509@ohio.edu
I do agree with the above statements about the media’s objective of entertainment. I know that the media is a business market and their objective is to entertain the audience in order to make money. With this in mind I still feel that the media’s portrayal of non-hetero-normative relationships can be damaging to that specific group. Despite the fact that most people know that what happens on TV shows and movies is not what typically happens in real life there still are people out there that are influenced by what they see on the TV screen. After all think about why so much money is spent on television advertising. Companies know that with the right kind of methods they can portray their product a certain way and convince the audience to change their opinion or belief towards a certain product. A specific example is the Axe Fragrance commercials. Do you really think that by using an Axe product that girls will flock all over you? I hope your answer is no and you should realize that these commercials are a bit ridiculous, but I also hope that you see how effective they are. Despite peoples knowledge that these commercials were not 100% accurate people still were convinced that this overpriced product was really worth it, and Axe products became very popular. I feel that this is similar to the way that some minority groups may be damaged by the way they are represented. Most people do know that the flamboyant gay characters on TV shows such as Will and Grace are not how typical homosexuals act. Despite this, people still are influenced by these shows and many viewers may begin to change their perception towards homosexuals, which could be damaging to non-hetero-normative relationships.
ReplyDeleteKevin Meade
km276909@ohio.edu
I agree with the group that was saying tha media is for entertainment. Producers and writers want rating and people to watch their show so they make many characters that appeal to a wide range of people. I also agree that stereotypes of people really affect how homosexuals are portrayed on TV. But I also think that this is done for a reason. People expect a straight, a homosexual, a man, a woman, a child, etc to act in a certain way (even if it is an amplification/exaggeration), and when they don’t act in that way people don’t like it. This is part of the reason TV shows play into stereotypes. I also see that more and more shows are starting to bring homosexuality into their shows and they are starting at younger ages like Kurt in Glee.
ReplyDeleteKelsey Driscoll
kd134408@ohio.edu
mj216709@ohio.edu
ReplyDelete