IS IT A POST GAY-PANIC WORLD? (FORGETTING WILD HOGS, OF COURSE)
Over the past six months or so, you could hardly throw your remote at the television without hitting a gay episode on one sitcom or another. There was the “Gay Witch Hunt” episode on The Office, “Single Stamina” on How I Met Your Mother, plus “gay” episodes of George Lopez, The Knights of Prosperity, Family Guy, The New Adventures of Old Christine, 30 Rock, The Winner, and Andy Barker, PI, just to name some of them. Don't you just feel so trendy?

Unlike so many “gay” episodes of the past, however, none of these were “very special” episodes where someone comes out in a touching fashion and is accepted by all. (The closest was The Office which put a hilarious spin on that tired concept.) Thankfully, we've moved well past the “special” stage, and gay episodes of sitcoms now focus more on the comedy part (George Lopez notwithstanding).

To the list of this year's gay episodes add last Monday night's Two and a Half-Men, starring Charlie Sheen as Charlie and Jon Cryer as his brother Alan. The episode—"Tucked, Taped, and Gorgeous"—guest starred Matt Roth as Greg, a gay dad who befriends Alan with amusing and interesting consequences.

What was most refreshing about "Tucked, Taped, and Gorgeous"—and several of the other shows as well—was the lack of “gay panic” demonstrated by the straight characters. Yes, Charlie is somewhat taken aback when he realizes Greg, a race-track loving, cigar chomping guys' guy is a big ol' mo, but when he tries to surprise Alan with the news, Alan already knows it and considers the fact Greg owns a sailboat more noteworthy. But the episode goes beyond avoiding the “gay panic” syndrome (we even see two kids nonchalantly discussing having gay parents) to something more interesting: the presence of Greg causes the two brothers to wonder if they might not be gay as well.

While Charlie is somewhat disturbed by the potential discovery (he visits his therapist played by out actress Jane Lynch to discuss), Alan has a very different reaction. Due to a misunderstanding, everyone around him assumes Alan has come out and are glad he's discovered his “real” self at last. Rather than protest vehemently that he's straight, Alan realizes that his easy friendship with Greg is making him—gasp!—happy. Indeed, Alan becomes so uncertain himself that he comes on to Greg going so far as to kiss him to see if he feels anything sexual for him. He doesn't, of course, but is terribly insulted to discover that Greg isn't the least bit attracted to him anyway. Even worse, Greg thinks Charlie is hot. (And it might entirely be in my imagination, but it seemed to me that show might be hinting that Charlie really is gay.)

It's nice that the show goes out of its way to show that gay men come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of athletic prowess, but it was even nicer to see it acknowledged that Greg has own sexual desires and that Charlie is someone he is sexually attracted to. FOX's quickly canceled The Winner starring Rob Corrdry as Glen also did a “gay” episode, “Glen's New Friend,” that nicely addressed gay sexuality. Not only did the gay character of Terry (Eddie McClintock) get to express his completely appropriate interest in Glen, but in an interesting twist, Glen (definitely suffering from gay panic) so wants to get football tickets on the fifty yard line that he is willing to have sex with Terry (who doesn't realize what is going on). That isn't necessary because Terry's ex, with whom he is still in love, shows up and wants to reunite with him. Terry promptly shows Glen the door.

It's great to see gay male sexuality presented as something completely normal and non-threatening. Now if we could just do something about getting rid all that heterosexual kissing.