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Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (August 1, 2008)
Other highlights of the TCA included chatting with Shirley MacLaine, Neil Patrick Harris, Justin Kirk, and Keith Olbermann. Even getting to ask Look! Pigs are flying! Whole flocks of them!
Karl Rove, Shirley MacLaine, Justin Kirk Alas, there were plenty of lowlights including straight network presidents, showrunners, show creators, and writers who just don't get it when it comes to gay visibility on TV. Too often when I asked about gay content on various shows, I was told that they were certainly open to the idea, but had nothing in the works. Some insisted they didn't have an anti-gay agenda as if that was the question I was asking. Even worse were the ones who said they couldn't do gay characters because their shows didn't deal with sex. Because we all know that gay = sex. Oy vey. Worst of all, were the gay folks who didn't get it and tried to make justifications for lack of gay content on their shows, networks, etc. I'm actually working on a longer article discussing the whole depressing topic. Thank heavens for Showtime which announced two new shows with gay content — Nurse Jackie and The United States of Tara. Thanks to our presence at the TCA we've got a whole slew of great articles and interviews in the work, not to mention a guide to fall TV that is going to kick some serious booty! Finally, I just learned that Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog starring Neil Patrick Harris will not only have a sequel, but is also now available on Hulu. Frankly, I was a little underwhelmed by it thought I thought Neil was great. Thoughts?
Brent and I don't actually sing, but our own vlog is back and it's new and improved! We're now The Wrap with Two Gay Guys and we "rap" about the week's entertainment news. Wrap, rap -- get it? BTW, a number of folks seemed rather smitten with Brent citing his "hotness". In the immortal words of Ripley from Aliens, let me just say, "Get away from him, you bitch(es)!" I kid! (No, seriously back off. Don't make me use the Monkeys!) And be sure to check out Daniel Leary's latest Mores for Gays before you're next blind date! Now I'll shut up so you can have the BEST.GAY.WEEK.EVER! Submitted by on Thu, 2008-07-31 21:51.  White writers/directors like to put African American men in dragSubmitted by
dback (1762 points) (361 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 11:52.Future epitaph: "It seemed like a good idea at the time." I don't know if it's unconcious racism (let's emasculate the black man!) or reinforcing the idea of "the Other" ("a black man is already outside 'mainstream' society, and a gay black man even more so, so if we make him really flamboyant or a DRAG QUEEN, we've hit the jackpot!"). But this unfortunate tradition goes way, way back to bad 80's comedies like "She's My Girl" "Revenge of the Nerds" (remember Lamar's javelin?), "Mannequin" etc. And of course in urban films, the transgender prostitute character is usually a person of color, and likely to be bumped off before the story ends (see: "Q and A." Or don't). I was actually impressed with "The Boys in the Band" for including a good-looking, masculine black male in the circle of friends--he was one of the few I remember when I started looking for gay characters in films and on TV. ("Parting Glances" and "Making Love" were two of the landmark gay-themed films of the 80's, but neither had any African-American characters of note.) But maybe I'm just being oversensitive--one of my partner's favorite gay characters ever is The Lady Chablis in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," because he admires her take-no-guff smarts and wit. For me, I think something like "Noah's Arc" is an essential addition to the gay canon. The Lady ChablisSubmitted by
scorpio54 (267 points) (62 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 01:25.one of my partner's favorite gay characters ever is The Lady Chablis in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," because he admires her take-no-guff smarts and wit. When director Clint Eastwood was casting that movie - which was based on a true story, of course - The Lady Chablis was one of those he contacted, and he was apparently so charmed by her (never 'him') that he cast her as herself in the movie. Or maybe it was just that having met her he couldn't imagine anyone else playing the part. If I recall correctly, it was originally going to be a smaller part, too. African-American?Submitted by
scorpio54 (267 points) (62 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 12:16.Chiwetel Ejiofor is African-American? Since when? He's British and was born in London
 Thanks for the catch!Submitted by
 I forgot he was from the UK~
Totally Understandable That You'd Forget Ejifor was from the UKSubmitted by
nordic balance (not verified) on Sat, 2008-08-02 08:42.since he does such a lovely American accent. I knew he was British because I'd seen some of his British film roles and I looked him up but there are so many British actors playing popular American characters n film and on TV with seamless accents these days it's hard to keep track. As for the identity issue, half my family is from Mississippi and half is from Jamaica and I've always used the term African-American or Afro-Carribean American (depending upon what was relevant at the time) because they seem most appropriate in the way that friends of mine who were born in the US describe themselves as Itallian or Scots-Irish. It's more of a "where are your people from" kind of thing which is as much about culture as it is about national heritage or identity.  African-AmericanSubmitted by
db (3180 points) (661 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 17:39.This is another reason the African-American term is problematic. It's also used about people with Carribean ancestry. I hear peple refer to "African Americans" all the time who are neither African or American.
very problematic termSubmitted by
ellipse (20 points) (4 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 20:25.Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... The Carribean is in the Americas.
I know what people usually mean, but American itself is a poorly worked out "national" id.
elipse, ask someone from the Carribean if they are American...Submitted by
db (3180 points) (661 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 10:13.I bet the answer won't be "yes."
 Actually...Submitted by
netogeno (3117 points) (857 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 11:16.Every single person that was born in the continent named America is an American, so ellipse is right, "American" itself is a poorly worked out "national" id". The Carribbean is part of America, I think there is a good chance they would say yes.
 I thought he was Nigerian,Submitted by
Knickie (4010 points) (818 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 02:45.I thought he was Nigerian, which would make him actually African -- no hyphen needed.
Slightly inaccurate usages of "African-American"...Submitted by
synaptic_misfire (60 points) (12 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 09:32.A friend of mine at college is half-French, and took extreme umbrage at a CNN report describing the deaths of "two African-American men" in a race riot in Paris. I don't think there is an equivalent term outside of the USA though - I've never once heard "African-French" or anything similar used to describe people.
The 'lesbian' was invented in 1992 by Sir Arthur Lesbian. Burnt MoneySubmitted by
bkrage85 (143 points) (24 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 12:22.Hehe, would it make me look like a complete psychopath if I told you that I have yet to find a film that's more intensely romantic than Burnt Money? >;) I thought it was deeply moving, realistic and heart wrenching. The writing was amazing, and the performances by Leo and Eduardo are simply riveting. There are just so many different layers to their characters. Sure enough, this isn't your typical gay romance, but in my opinion it's a raw and precise look into the partnership of two men who are just as troubled as the world they live in. Sometimes, real life takes its toll on a relationship, and it was so refreshing to see one where that issue is portrayed so well. I guess this shows how different we all are from one another. :) Glad to see that the American public who hadn't had the opportunity will finally get to see this great piece of filmmaking.
"The doctor promised that the [electroshock] treatment would fry the fairy clean out of him. All it did was make him go bonkers every time he heard the electric guitar."  Night ShiftSubmitted by
Cosmic Lad (671 points) (126 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 12:36.Hey Michael! Great column! I just wanted to say 'thanks' for including General Hospital: Night Shift in your coverage. Aside from that bit before it aired last week, I wasn't sure there'd be any more. As a long-time soap, and General Hospital in particular, watcher, I do not think the acting, writing, or sets are quite as bad as you think. Granted, the acting is a little...meh... but, I *think* aside from a few of the GH regualrs, the rest are pretty new to television, so I make some allowances. And this season, just 2 episodes in, writing-wise is already much better than last year's. In other words, I still have hope. 8) And just so you know, I think the writing, and most of the acting, on the parent show is actually pretty fair for tv shows in general, and quite a bit above a lot of other soaps. I definitley agree with your statement about Kyle not being a bad stereotype so far. So that's been quite nice. And you seem to suggest there may be someone out there for him in the future? That'd be wonderful! 8) Seriously, this show last year had twice as large a cast and was so-so, I think this half the size cast is really helping them focus more. I'll quit ranting/ rambling on now...! Oh, and I loved the Dr. Horrible thing - great fun! To anyone who hasn't checked it out - go do so! 8)  Adam Grimes ('Kyle') actually has an extensive resumeSubmitted by
Joseph (7190 points) (1466 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 16:01.(Egad, this is my third time trying to post this, I hope the modem doesn't fall apart again.) I was so taken with the adorable Adam Grimes that I looked him up on IMDb and was shocked to discover he has a resume going back more than a decade, including episodes of The OC, American Dreams and Enterprise, as well as a direct-to-DVD movie called Frostbite co-starring Traci Lords (!). GH:NS isn't a perfect show, but there are two things I like about it: Grimes' winning portrayal of Kyle, a non-stereotypical gay man who's sexy and smart (and I hope TPTB give him a boyfriend), and a culturally diverse cast that also includes two African-Americans, an Indian-American and an Iranian-American. Soaps, if they are to survive, need to accurately reflect our society, and this is great--in fact, these people are more interesting than the nominal--and bland--leading WASP couple.  As for McCain...Submitted by
ceares (441 points) (89 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 14:08.I think Charles Durning said it best http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mNDHTfdn1A  You rockSubmitted by
Brian Juergens (1205 points) (6471 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 14:23.This is my favorite musical scene ever. Yes, even more than the locker room scene. Call me crazy.
Most Disturbing Thing about Gay Character Vincent from EurekaSubmitted by
GaySpouseDotCom (1136 points) (362 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 14:12.In addition to what you said about Vincent (Chris Gauthier) who runs the local restaurant Cafe Diem, I think the most disturbing thing about this gay character is this: Eureka, the cloaked-by-a-shield town they inhabit, is supposedly set in Idaho, where in fact 63% of all land in the state is public land run by the federal government. Idaho changed their constitution to violate equal protection under law, ending a fundamental requirement of democracy (any larger group can outvote a smaller group, that's why equal protection under law is a requirement of democracy). Any realistic genius gay person would have moved to Massachusetts long ago because A) Mass. provides full equality and treats gay people as human persons, not problems, B) MIT is located in Mass. and has some of the best research minds and facilities in the world, and C) Mass. is one of the top producers of successful patents off inventions, etc. The character of Vincent would be a culinary billionaire in Massachusetts AND would be treated equally as a human being should be. So apparently Eureka's Vincent turns out to be the village idiot, not the cute sheriff who pretends to be one. Eureka is greatSubmitted by
Kworb7 (35 points) (7 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 15:56.
Eureka is such a fun show! I for one am glad it's back. Even though I completely agree that SCI FI's series need more gay characters (you would think in futuristic worlds there would be more of them than is considered normal in contemporary terms), I've never been that bothered by their absence, nor do I think Vincent's behavior is that stereotypical. He's quite charming actually. Maybe one day Eureka will surprise us and explore Vincent's character more deeply, like they have done with most of the other characters on the show. It could explain his obsession with food.
As for Weeds, that show relies on toilet humor and discrimination of any race, gender, sexuality, disorder or disease. I think it's an exceptional show and the best comedy series currently on television. Even if the detective's gay relationship was nothing more than his "kiss off", a way to shock the audience with something unusual and unexpected without further purpose, then I wouldn't mind. It's just the way the show works. But I personally don't feel like this was the end of him; they built him up too well to just conveniently brush him aside for the rest of the season.
Gay Characters on TVSubmitted by
GaySpouseDotCom (1136 points) (362 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 21:55.Well, gay people have always been bothered by the absence of gay characters on television shows, sci-fi genre and all - especially well-conceived gay characters that aren't "special episode" characters or "make-the-hets-feel-good-by-not-having-a-romantic-and/or-sex-life" characters. As far as "maybe one day" goes, maybe one day Eureka will go off the air and spare us the trite misery that is Eureka.
I'm so tired of the gay-vampire metaphoreSubmitted by
db (3180 points) (661 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 17:52.I know, like super-heroes we're supposed to identify because we're rejected or living secret lives or whatever but Vampires also have to suck the blood of living human beings to survive--not a really positive simile. I mean--I know people who seem to suck the life out of others but they're not neccessarily gay.
 I'M SO SICK OF VAMPIRES, PERIOD!!Submitted by
I know people say "vampire" has become "a genre unto itself." Maybe so, but I'm sooooo sick of that genre! Everything that can possibly be said--metaphor for gay, repression, sexuality, etc.--has LONG AGO been said! I have LESS THAN NO interest.
And yeah, the whole "vampire as gay" thing is really getting tired too...I mean, I get that there was a time when you couldn't tell gay stories, and gay meant "secretive" anyway. But that time has come and gone. Give it a rest!
Read my books! Explore "Brent's Brain" at http://www.brenthartinger.com Average (2 votes): I am in total agreementSubmitted by
db (3180 points) (661 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 20:33.I once got into a fight with a friend about this. Vampire movies have become so pretentious--so boring. My partner and I saw "Queen of the Damned" in the theatres and then couldn't remember what we had seen that afternoon. Then it came on TV and we started watching it, remembered we had seen it before, but couldn't remember it the next day, "What did we watch last night?" I asked. "I don't remember." My partner answered. Enought vampires--on to something interesting. In the original works defenseSubmitted by
netogeno (3117 points) (857 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 11:30.Queen of the Damned was the very misguided attempt of adapting two very good books into one project and came up with absolute trash. It was wrong in so many levels.
 I have to disagree about Queen....Submitted by
Janet (2391 points) (466 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 14:21.....of the Damned. The book was absolute trash as well. The movie was unwatchable. And this is coming from an Anne Rice fan. I've read "Interview..." many times. It's superlative. Also, I loved "The Feast of all Saints"- very gay. And "Cry to Heaven"- situational gay. Neither book are supernatural, which I think she is actuallly better at. I even liked the book "Exit to Eden" although it was trashy. "Violin" was good and sort of supernatural. I liked "The Witching Hour" but didn't get into the rest. Some of her books are just awful and others the very best. Too bad, I hear she's gone all born-again....
I say we take the warning labels off everything and let nature take it's course.  Overexposed vampires!Submitted by
giovannif7 (1704 points) (359 posts) on Fri, 2008-08-01 22:09.Much as I have enjoyed various takes on the vampire myth over the years (Nosferatu, Dark Shadows, Shadow Of the Vampire, Fright Night, Buffy and Angel, to name a few), I have to agree that it's time to declare a moratorium. The last couple of vampire projects I sampled were a daytime soap (Port Charles) and a nighttime reinvention of the vampire legend (Moonlight), both of which tried to alter the rules of the vampire universe, to the detriment of the projects. When you're watching a vampire show where your "creatures of the night" can take a hike through the desert in the middle of a sunny day without combusting, and a stake through the heart doesn't kill them, your core audience is not going to be happy. I do love the previous Alan Ball projects I've seen, so I will probably give True Blood a chance. After this, though, I'd be perfectly happy if ten years or so pass without a new vampire show or film. I've said it before, butSubmitted by
Knickie (4010 points) (818 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 02:53.I've said it before, but I'll say it again -- no matter what you may think of her (especially her recent craziness) Anne Rice pretty said it all on the homoerotic vampire thirty years ago. Everything else, at least to me, reads like a tired rip off. And this smacks of more of the same.
'True Blood' is not a metaphor...Submitted by
David E is a Fraud! (315 points) (162 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-09 22:44.Metaphors compare two things that are NOT ALIKE (like 'JOHN is A WALL of strength'). 'True Blood' is NOT a metaphor. From what I've read here on After Elton, 'True Blood' takes known phrases asociated with gay-bashing, like "God hates fags" and sets up an analogy with vampires (changing the phrase to "God hates fangs"). It also applies phrases common to the LGBT community (like "coming out") and directly applies them to vampires. Analogies indicate that two things ARE ALIKE and point up the similarities that demonstrate their 'sameness'. (Like the analogy of a civil rights struggle for vampires that directly mimics the civil rights struggle in the LGBT community.) Creating analogous plot devices and situations between vampires and the LGBT community is disgustingly vile and I'm surprised and outraged that it is being done by a gay man. Ball is saying to the world that a group of fictional characters known for drinking blood and causing death and harm to the human race are THE SAME as members of the LGBT community. It's gay-bashing and it sucks. -Sibelius "It's curtains for you, Dr. Horrible. Lacy, wafting curtains..." As sucker for this kind of contentSubmitted by
netogeno (3117 points) (857 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 11:29.I agree that when it comes to vampire mythology everything has been said. So any new project has to be about the characters, otherwise it does get to be repetitive and boring.
 Charlaine HarrisSubmitted by
Ashleigh (15 points) (3 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 13:08.I don't know if anyone else here has read the Sookie Stackhouse books, but I've been reading them for years and have analyzed them to death. Charlaine Harris has specifically said that her portrayal of a society where vampires are out and discriminated against is a direct reflection of the current state of her view of discrimination in this country - specifically anti-gay, but also discrimination in general. Whether Alan Ball sees it or not, that's his source material.
Something I don't think the series is picking up on - or the media - based on having to watch the preair pilot, is that this is a character-driven series and that the "vampirism as gay metaphor" thing really isn't that important in the series.
Of course, I love vampire fiction and hope to eventually write my dissertation on the subject, so your mileage may vary.
 Lafayette Reynolds seems to reflect the new Lawrence KingSubmitted by
Guillermo Serri... (3151 points) (817 posts) on Sat, 2008-08-02 16:31.revisionist view of gays, especially those who have fluid gender expression, as using their nasty little ways to scare/seduce/taunt their uncomfortable straight male counterparts. The point of view only seems becomes more pronounced when depicting characters/real people of color, as it adds another layer prejudice. With Lafayette, Ball also seems to be using the lack of education card to build a full fledged cliche.
From what I've seen the series looks like it would be DOA if it were not going to air on pay-TV. This scene is particular left me cold as the acting is so over the top in every respect and the misuse of words did not ring true to me dramatically and was not funny. I get the impression that the show is shooting to be both so this does not bode well for it. I also could not get the images/imagery put forth by Newsweek in what is now a full attack on those scary gays or color who accessorize like women. Even though I stopped watching Six Feet Under when it seemed to be hitting the same beat, there is no doubt that Ball is a talented man and that said show was set in a universe that was not as played out as the vampire genre. I am not at all looking forward based on the adverstising campaign and scenes to date.
Great weekending column! Guillermo's Media Guillotine: Entertainment, journalism, politics, and popular culture: This week -------> more on the Larry King coverage, TV's sirens of sanity, and all non-gay highlights . Is McCain from Texas too?Submitted by
Sethanel (190 points) (39 posts) on Sun, 2008-08-03 00:09.Detective Schlatter and Detective Till... are those rings they are wearing? If they are married I hope to g... well whatevers out there that they are married to each other. otherwise, it would be just pathetic.
McCain. One reason I am glad I am Canadian. The phrase "Two Parent" came up a lot with a little dash of Ordinary, and a hint of traditional. the redneck fool.
McCain is one of the twoSubmitted by
Senators from Arizona which is one state away from Texas (New Mexico is in between). It is fairly conservative, but nothing like Texas.
 Being a Resident of Arizona, I would like to speak upSubmitted by
Samuel Gillespie (1090 points) (206 posts) on Mon, 2008-08-04 12:53.We are also the only state to vote against an amendment to our State Constitution banning gay marriage, granted there's already a law on the books outlawing it. I feel we're more of a live-and-let-live libertarian-minded state, and even out in rural Arizona, I'm shocked sometimes to see how gay or gay-friendly it is. That being said, it's still the wild west, and however familiar I may be or feel, I'm not blind to the fact that homophobia can exist everywhere.  Kyan DouglasSubmitted by
Dee (444 points) (110 posts) on Sun, 2008-08-03 09:20.So is he the only Queer Eye Guy who didn't land a gig after Queer Eye ended?
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You can check that our for yourself as Brendan's new flick The Mummy VII: How Long Can this Franchise Save My Career? opens everywhere.
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gaby-gate
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True Blood
Regarding the new series "True Blood"---hmmm, I'm not really thrilled with the idea of yet another over-the-top flamboyant gay character. I've just read the first three books in the "Southern Vampires" series by Charlaine Harris (upon which the television series is based) and enjoyed them very much; I'll undoubtedly be reading subsequent volumes. But it sounds like there have definitely been some changes made; the character of Lafayette is certainly flamboyant in the books, but doesn't go chasing straight guys.
Actually, Lafayette is quite a minor character in the books; he only directly appears in the first title, and I'm guessing that, all told, there's less than a page of text in the entire book that even refers to this character.
On the positive side, in these books same-sex vampire pairings appear to be quite common, and are dealt with in a very matter-of-fact way; no big deal is made of the homosexual content at all.
I'm like a superhero, with no powers or motivation...
Totally different take on Weeds' Det. Till
Hey Michael:
I had a very different reaction to last Sunday's last minute reveal on Weeds that the unctuous Det. Till was in fact gay. I read that scene as Till's swan song - the very last we'll see of him on the show - and as such this scene was his comeuppance or "kiss off" so to speak. I thought the scene of him in bed with the other unctuous DEA agent was gratuitous and frankly totally out of character for him - didn't he spend the last several episodes making unpleasant passes at Celia?
It made no sense at all and the whole shot of him reaching for the big bottle of lube seemed designed to make the audience go "ooh gross" more than anything else. I was really disappointed.
Now, if we see more of Detective Till in future episodes then maybe I misread this. The proof will be whether we actually ever see this character again (I don't think we will.)
D
Wow, if this is true I'll be pissed...
Read my books! Explore "Brent's Brain" at http://www.brenthartinger.com no votes
It will be interesting and I'm looking into it. As for Detective
Till being unctuous and how the show portrays other minorities, I'm not entirely sure I agree with those charges and how much. Does anyone come off good on this show? Nancy acts like a lunatic half the time. She's got her older son into the drug business. She ignores her younger son half of the time. She suffocated her mother-in-law to death and makes horrendous choices one after or another. Doug is a pathetic loser. Celia is a crazed shrew.
At least Heylia and Conrad were portrayed as intelligent people and Conrad was a love interest for Nancy.
My point is just that I'm not sure it's fair to accuse the show of treated Till any worse than the other characters. I admit his flirtation with Celia was odd, but I explain that as just another way he was trying to manipulate Celia. As for the lube moment seeming gratuitous, it was completely blown out of the water by learning her son is getting off to pictures of his mother.
All I ask of shows is that they treat their gay characters the same as their straight ones and I think Weeds measures up on that score.
Detective Till on Weeds
What I got from the montage was that Nancy was surprised from the sexual charge she felt from getting spanked, then we had her youngest kid apparently discovering masturbation, Silas (and his fully body tan) pleasuring his MILF in the middle of the workday, and of course Till lube and all. Had that been the only sex that was shown, then it would have felt out of place and open to critique. I am not even sure if Till's sexual orientation is a given as maybe he is gay, bi, enjoying a power trip over a lower ranked co-worker, or simply serving as a story telling tool that all these seemingly gratuitous shots may be more conventional than any of us and/or the characters are used to seeing.
If I were doing a serious analysis of gays in the TV universe, I would not include this character as being a "gay" character. I do know that I am really enjoying this show more than I have in a long time as last season it got a little too out there.
Guillermo's Media Guillotine: Entertainment, journalism, politics, and popular culture.
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