"The Andromeda Strain" Breaks Ground With Gay Sci-Fi Character

Wow! I had no interest in seeing this at all, but the amount of talent and--shocker--diversity, in that cast picture is enough to get me in front of the t.v. screen. Kudos to TPTB. It's a futile wish that the networks take note--it can be done.

Reading what's written about non-stereotypical gay characters in mainstream fiction, it seems to me the conservative/"aggressive" character is fast becoming the new stereotype. Could that be because a conservative gay guy is felt as less threatening to the general audience?

François
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http://gaycomicslist.free.fr

I must admit I got a little verklempt seeing my name attached to this article. Beautifully written Brent. I loved how the screenwriter felt it was a no brainer to have a gay character, and the studio seemed unconcerned with the inclusion. I agree that this type of gay character, where they are important to the story but their sexuality is incidental, is the best type of mainstream inclusion. The movie itself is not going to win an Emmys, but is lots of fun if you like sci-fi action films.

I was a little confused at first because Crichton is such a rabid conservative I didn't think he would include a gay character, but then once I realized the book he wrote was all straight white men, that made a lot of sense. Of course, I thought Rick Schroeder was a conservative christian so kudos to him for taking the part. Am I a little disturbed that it's assumed that he has no ties, what about his boyfriend? Or is that the point, that the assumption is made in the first place?

It sounds like romance isn't a big part of this mini-series.  So the gay military man (who would have a hard time being in a relationship anyway courtesy of DODT) isn't a big deal in my mind.  Not all gay men have boyfriends/partners/husbands after all.

It's nice however to see a gay man in a military role, and from the sound of it as a good guy. 

I just realized i have no idea what A&E stands for....anyone here know??

A&E stands for the Arts & Entertainment network. If I remember right, it was originally (as was Bravo) designed as a network devoted to more highbrow, classical entertainment choices (opera, plays, classical music concerts, etc.) Those days are long gone, just as TV Land used to be the network for classic television series and MTV was the network for music videos.

When did Rick Schroeder go back to "Ricky"?

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The last time I saw Ricky interviewed on TV (The Today Show, I think), I had the same reaction you did, snicks. Part of the conversation during the interview dealt with the fact that Ricky had, indeed, gone back to his childhood name. I don't remember the specifics of the reasoning, but I heard it and saw it from Ricky's own lips (and lovely lips they are, too).

Even still yet one more representation of a gay person which we are supposed to go all ga-ga over due to its "groundbreaking" nature. The queer dies. The very second the dialogue exchange in which the gay character, conservative or not, came out was over, I said aloud to no one: Oh...he's going to die. And sure enough! The movie ends the way most of these ensemble characters who are all going to die movies ends: White (Benjamin Bratt--latino--yeah right again) Adam and Eve characters are the sole survivors to go forth and repopulate the earth. If this is what passes for groundbreaking these days, then what would it have been called had the gay character been the one to reach the terminal and save the woman? "Earth-shattering"? You know the ONLY movie I can think of off-hand in which the gay character was the hero and didn't die at the end? "Wagons East". And it was a comedy. Guess that's neither groundbreaking nor earth shattering if it happens in a comedy. When things get serious, we all know the queer has to die. So, same ol' same ol'--just like Brokeback Mountain and most of the heterocentric crap that churns across the screens.

A&E aired The Andromeda Strain again on Saturday, in preparation for the DVD release this week. I missed this article so I didn't expect to see a gay character on the show. When I found out that he was gay, my first thought wasn't he's going to die, it was, "is he going to be a wimp?"

The most interesting thing is the fictional “Odd-Man Hypothesis” which comes form the book. The Odd-Man Hypothesis states that unmarried men are capable of carrying out the best, most dispassionate decisions during crises. While it seems to play up fatherhood, it actually works to determine a value for bachelors.

But more important, the original reason for not allowing Homosexuals in the military is supposedly because we pose a security risk (having a secret life that could lead to blackmail.) In this story, being gay actually leads to greater security for the team as it's the wife with children who ends up being blackmailed into trying to retain a sample of the Andromeda Strain, which she is charged with destroying.

The gay character, Major Bill Keane (Ricky Schroder), sacrifices his life and becomes a martyred hero in the story. It wasn't a moral killing, in the sense of being punished for his gayness. Keane reminded me of Mark Bingham, the "Rugby Playing" gay hero of 911. I think the portrayal was honest and realistic. And deserves kudos for showing a gay military man as being an asset to his team.

But at the funeral for the two, the General (?) offers condolences to what seems to be the parents of Dr. Tsi Chou (Daniel Dae Kim), the Chinese defector, but there doesn't seem to be family or a lover to greave for Keane. I would have like to have seen closure on that; even if the lack of a lover did play into the unattached, Odd-Man Hypothesis.