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Chris Colfer's Kurt Hummel - Where does Ryan Murphy End and the Character Begin?
Warning: This post discusses some plot points involving the character of Kurt. Much has been made of the archetypes on Glee. The sassy black girl. The jock. The “fashionable soprano” is how Chris Colfer describes his character Kurt Hummel, but that’s really just the sound bite. The reality runs a lot deeper for both Colfer and for Glee's executive producer Ryan Murphy. The out Murphy seems to have found a kindred spirit in Colfer. After turning him down for the role of Artie, Murphy decided to create a role just for Colfer:
Colfer wasn’t precisely thrilled upon finding out that his character was gay. He was more fearful than anything else, having grown up in Clovis, CA, a farm community that he says still has “Yes on 8” signs in the yard to this day. Colfer says, “I was made fun of a lot in high school because of the way I sound and the way I was. I was a lone duck in a swan-filled pond who criticized everyone.”
Colfer's personality seems to just explode out of him. Neither Murphy or Colfer is offering up any information on the barely-19 year old star’s actual sexuality. If anything, they’re reminding you that the character isn’t a young Colfer – it’s a young Murphy. Growing up in Indianapolis, the son of a beauty queen and a semi-pro hockey player, Murphy asked his parents for a Vogue subscription at age 5, was ironing his own clothes at 7, and came out to his dad at 15.
Triumph is going to be part of Kurt’s character throughout: the emotionally powerful scene on September 23, where Kurt comes out to his father, is lifted directly from Murphy’s life, other than the Beyonce dance routine. And since Murphy triumphed, so does Kurt. Murphy says, “I’ve done other shows with gay characters, and I will say that in many of those cases, the gay characters didn’t have happy endings. And I thought you know what? Enough.”
Murphy seems to be promising a happy ending for a change. Regardless, Colfer has the support of his Hollywood father, Murphy, and of his own mother, who says, “To put it bluntly, I don’t know if my son is gay or not. But if it ever came out that he is, he would still have his dad and myself and our support and love in everything he does in life.”
Comedy goddess Jane Lynch thinks Colfer is the breakout star of the show. So yes, much has been made of Kurt being a walking, singing stereotype. We’ve expressed some reservations ourselves. The clothes (today on Bonnie Hunt, Colfer said half the show’s budget went to his designer clothes, including a full-length, see-through Dolce & Gabana raincoat that I’m dying to see), the voice, and the confident self-possession Kurt has. But since all stereotypes are founded in some truth, we should remember that this one is founded in Ryan Murphy’s life.
Is that a designer jacket, Mr. Murphy? “There’s probably more of Kurt in me than I’m willing to admit, but I really wish I could be more like Kurt,” Colfer said. “I wish I could walk into a room and have that Ryan Murphy air of superiority about me.” The full interview appears in the L.A. Times.
Submitted by on Thu, 2009-09-10 08:24. |
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Eh, I'm not watching this for the gay content.
Certainly last episode did a bit to further odious notions of gay people.
What was that crap about the room covered in ponies and frilly decor being for her daughter or gay son? Why not just son? The show just went and smacked the audience with a terrible stereotype that promotes animus between straight and gay men by separating what they're expected to do/like.
The character goes and talks down to the one black girl's clothing choices (while ignoring the appalling dressing code of the handicapped kid).
Speaking of stereotypes, he said he disliked the rule about poor endings for the gay characters. And yet, he has no issue with sticking to another equally annoying rule about gay men always falling for unavailable straight men, and getting in trouble for it. Out and perennially single/gay PDA-free, is the mantra.
So, yeah, I'm not holding my breath for fair treatment to gay characters; Murphy didn't do too well on Niptuck with them, if I recall correctly.
Luckily enough, the show has Jane Lynch to make it all better. I swear that woman carries the show. I'm expecting her to sort of do some Ursula-like piece in the show to complement her bitter cynicism.
Well, to be fair, I think
Well, to be fair, I think the daughter/gay son comment is more indicitive of the attitude of the character saying it then it is a serious comment on what a gay son would want in a bedroom.
And in terms of falling for the straight guy/lack of romance... That's pretty realistic for a 14-year-old gay kid in the suberbs.
prediction
i'm taking odds on whether Kurt ends up with mean-mohawk-kid by the end of the series.
who wants to lose their money?
btw, did anyone catch Kurt's "that's gay" comment last night? an edge of realism or an unfortunate gag?
I can see that...
I made that same prediction HERE
I have read a few spoilers but even prior to reading the spoilers here is what I would have predicted.
His parents are conservatives...Mom is clueless that her little boy is gay...dad is probably a blue collar worker with manly expectations of what a son should be...probably a total football dad. They will both be floored to find out that their label loving, showtune belting, high pitched talking, sour son is gay.
He tries out...sorry, "auditions" (because of course he doesn't know what to call it...he's gay *groan*) for the football team and shock of shock, he's actually good.
He'll have a crush on some straight boy and there will be a jock in school who is in the closet.
You know...with the character of Kurt - thrown in the trash in both episodes so far, being in a bitchy exchange with another character on the show, naming a fashion designer, and generally scowling when on screen. The character of the fired teacher who ran his hand down the male students stomach, bitched out the home goods store employee for not knowing a fabric, having a "girlfriend" in another state, wearing sweaters tied around his shoulders and having a nasty disposition. The gay fathers of the lead girl - don't even get me started... I think we have a lot to look forward to with the portrayal of gay people in this show. It should win numerous awards...
Wake me midseason when they have a marathon.
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"It's hard to be 'straight-acting' when you're kissing other boys."
Gaybashing played for laughs....
I really want to like this show, I've seen both eps so far, but no more. It's one of those "every single character is repellant" kind of comedies. No one to give a damn about.
If we're supposed to care about the gay kid, why is all the abuse he takes played for laughs?
Having him dumped in the trash at the begining of BOTH episodes so far--as a joke mind you, nothing serious, hey, it's just a fag being beaten up by jocks--was enough to turn this gay viewer away for good.
I think he waits by the dumpster for them...
...otherwise you'd think a kid as smart as Kurt would be able to avoid them.
But then...you'd think the lead girl would also know to watch for anybody carrying a Slurpee in their hand. I guess teen on teen assault is funny.
_______________________
"It's hard to be 'straight-acting' when you're kissing other boys."
considering
that a lethal car accident and bulimia were also made light of, i think maybe your expectations weren't in line with what the show is offering. the abuse of *everyones'* characters were played for laughs.
this isn't a teenage, coming-of-age drama; it's twisted musical comedy with stock characters. stock characters (used in everything from Chaucer to Seinfeld) are stereotypes by definition.
i'm definitely not arguing that you have to like it; to each her/his own. (i know i can't get through an episode of any Soap, for example.)
and (though adamblast didn't suggest this) i'm a leetle bit tired of everyone decrying Kurt as a purely negative stereotype, considering i had a LOT in common with him in high school. doesn't make him (or me) virtuous, but being identified as throw-back leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Good point.
You're absolutely right. All the characters are the show are abusive or getting abused, or both, and it's all supposed to be hilarious. I can't laugh at the gay bashing, I suppose, because I've felt too much of it, just as I wouldn't laugh at the car accident or the bulimia if I'd personally felt that pain and considered it an ongoing threat.
I guess I don't trust Murphy either. Much less enjoy his shows. It's not that the characters are so broad, but that they're so broad in predictable and unpleasant ways. Fox comedies so often seem to exist in their own post-"Married With Children" world where *no one* is not disgusting. Everyone is there to be hated on. That's enjoyable?
i can *totally*
understand that. we all have our buttons, and that's definitely a hot one for a lot of peeps. and i can also agree; i HATED "married with children." HATED. (that's right, mom, i said "hated," not "dislike intensely.") i guess the difference in this show -- for me -- is that the characters may have negative attributes, but also silver linings, and show signs of growth (or will show, hopefully). i also think the themes will be generally positive; but maybe not highschool-musical-saccharine-positive.
(and speaking of bulimia, that part about Rachel not having a gag reflex and how she'd be happy about it when she was older? i guffawed so loudly i think my neighbors jumped.)
He's talking to the black girl because
she's one of the strongest vocalists in the group AND is a very strong and forthright person. The kid in the wheelchair gets picked on like he does. Worse even. In the pilot they trapped him in a porto-san that they were going to turn over until the teacher stopped them.
To read some of the posters in here the only acceptable gay character must be straight-acting/ straight-appearing and never wear anything remotely fashionable. For to do so would make him a stereotype. And if you act straight you're NEVER a stereotype.
Actually, David...
...I think we'd like it if it wasn't the only type of gay character on the show. Kurt, the dads and the "Uncle Touchy" music teacher.
The kid in the wheelchair was picked on in the first episode...and it was the jock who stopped them, not the teacher. It was a moment when they added another dimension to his character.
Just imagine the reaction if the character in the wheelchair had been picked up and thrown in a dumpster in both episodes. Or the black girl...
_______________________________________
"It's hard to be 'straight-acting' when you're kissing other boys."
Actually...
too serious
The Jock is ambivalent about doing what's "Gay"
But he gets beyond that.
Kurt, the Dads and the music teacher are very different characters.
God, I'm a stereotype..
When I was in school I was LITERALLY tossed in a dumpster a couple of times! I wouldn't wear jeans until I was a junior because I liked to dress nice. I was in Drama from 2nd grade on. I belted out showtunes as loud as I could (and still do over 30 years later). I had a secret crush on a jock AND a straight male teacher. I'm not so sure this part wasn't written based on ME!
I personally am glad to see such a stereotype. Not all gay men want to be the straight acting, never guess I'm gay, jock types. Some of us ARE drama queens - and damn proud of it! The difference in this character from a lot of the gay queenteens (is that a word?) we see, is he does it on his OWN terms. He knows they are going to throw him in the dumpster, but he makes them wait until he has removed his expensive jacket. If they are gonna do it, they are gonna do it on his own terms. And, that can be empowering if you look at it that way. Just as today we make our relationships on our own terms even if others continue to tear down our relationships. We know it's gonna happen, but it's not going to just happen by their rules.
One other thing.... when I was younger I always referred to halftimes as "intermissions". So, I don't think him using the term "auditioning" is out of character.
Not everything out there has to be a political statement. Some things can just be fun. And this show is.
Nobody is saying you don't exist...
...people are just saying that we've seen you before. Over and over again...
Be as big a queen as you wanna be. Dress however you like. Hold your head high as you get tossed in that dumpster. Just don't forget that there are other members of the gay community...not "straight acting"...but just existing.
_____________________________________________________
"It's hard to be 'straight-acting' when you're kissing other boys."
But I don't think we've seen
But I don't think we've seen him over and over before. He's comfortable in his skin. He's not trying to hide. He's really got no emotional issues (that we've seen yet). And, based on previews, it looks like he might be accepted.
Yes, we've seen the drama queen before, but he's usually almost suicidal, has family issues or is just a minor bit character.
And I'm aware there are other types of gays. My partner is one of them. HATES musicals, listens to hard rock and is a "farm boy". So, I'm not discounting all types. While all types need to be represented (and I do think it's getting better), it's no reason to disregard this type either.
Not In My Back Yard?
If you lined up every other gay man on television THIS SEASON as well as for the last 10 years, I defy you to find more Kurts than other "types" of gay men.
For every fashion-obssessed, musical theater loving gay teen on tv (I can only think of 2 actually) there are 5 Kevin/Noah/Luke/Calvin/Heath/Griffin/Jack/Marshall (who's more Noel Coward than Carsen Kreesly) type male gay teens.
Glee doesn't exist in a vacuum. It's not the only tv show with a gay character on it. There are literally dozens and dozens of gay male characters on television on network, cable etc.
There are also tons of reality tv shows all over MTV with gay male teens dating and making out and adult gay men competing for whatever kind of prize and very few of them are what you'd call "queenie" (even on Project Runway it's half and half I'd say)
Kurt he's not just some 1 dimensional stereotype (and neither are the other kids) and teens like Kurt and adult men who were Kurt deserve to see themselves reflected on television in a positive way where they persevere and handle what life throws them without the self-hate.
You're doing the same thing you worry that straight folks will do when it comes to gay men. You are lumping all the gay men who aren't like you (flamboyant, queenie, whatever) into a box and denying them their individuality and literally wishing you didn't have to watch them on television becuase they aren't like you or don't act how you'd like them to act.
How is that any different than what homophobes who call ATWT and complain about not wanting to see gayness on television?
Bigotry is bigotry
If you can't have a sense of humor about the crap that life has dealt you, you are doomed to be bitter, defensive and scared for the rest of your life.
Kurt running and hiding and avoiding would make him feel weak and like a victim. That's why he doesn't hide. He's like, "Fine, we can do this all day, you wanna play, HOLD MY BAG MOFOS, dump away".
It's as logical and reasonable a way to respond to bullying and anything else because it takes the fun out of it for them and it's also a brilliant breaking down of high school roles. The POINT of bullying Kurt is to make him feel scared and less than, Does he LOOK like he feels scared and less than?
It reminds me of the Warner Brothers cartoon where the sheep and the wolf (or two other "enemy" animals) literally punch a clock everyday and they are totally cordial and then the second after they clock in, IT'S ON!!! Wolf versus Sheep, until they clock out at the end of the day. The play their roles whether they mean it or like it or not.
The kind of comedy that GLEE represents is DARK COMEDY. It's about why horriable things in life can be funny. It's about how music can lift you out of your present circumstance and help you survive. It's about trying to figure out who you really are in a world that is trying to limit you or box you in. It's about learning to play the game of high school in a way that doesn't totally destroy your indiviuality. It's about making choices and sacrifices and learning to stand up for yourself and others. It's about how disperate young people can find common ground in their love of music. But it's not sugar-coated, and it has real edge, just like "Buffy" or "Popular" and other such shows.
A kid in a wheelchair that NEVER get's picked on also often get's ignored and avoided because other kinds are too uncomfortable to be around them which sucks a lot worse.
Having the football team go out of their way to tease you enough to lock you in a port o san may suck in the moment but at least they aren't treating you like an untouchable leper or an invalid. That's the point. No one likes to get teased, but being teased is also part of life, it's part of high school and if you were ever a Geek in high school, you'd get the double-edgedness of it.
You can't watch GLEE from the perspective of a jaded adult, you have to watch it from the perspective of being an OUTSIDER TEEN. Most of us who knew we were gay in high school ( or bless us, those of us who were out in high schoo) can still empathize with those feelings if we really think about it and now with the safe distance of being adults who don't have to be afraid of the war that is high school
If we as gay people are so incredibly sensative that we can never Make Fun of Ourselves or recognize the humor in all the tragedy of being gay (AIDS, HIV, gay bashing, religious intolerance of gay, anti-gay legistalation, parents disowning us, and every other sling or arrow that may come with) we might as well roll over and die.
Kurt is a character based upon TWO VERY REAL PEOPLE (Ryan Murphy and Chris Colfer) who are bravely putting forth the idea that being who he is, is perfectly fine and he has just as much of a right to be proud of himself as any other boy (gay, straight or otherwise)
Why are so many gays so incredibly and casually intolerant of other gays who don't look, act and think like them? It's like some bizarre over-identification that borders on cruel.
It's not like Kurt is the only gay character on television in all the world. There are many, many examples of young men and teens on television right now who are gay and they are all very different from Kurt.
It's not guys like Kurt who are an "embarrassment" to gays, it's self-conscious gays who only care what straight people think about us and who worry all the time about people thinking they're a "queen". Who (besides homophobic straight men and insecure straight women) says there is anything wrong with being a big old flamming queen of a guy if that's who you are? How is that hurting anyone or effecting anyone else's life?
So if all the queenie gays disappeared tomorrow there would be no more gay bashing? no more homophobia? no more anti-gay religious organization and legislation? If all the gays started to act "right", liberation would be here and we'd all be free?
Bollocks!
If you can't stand to be in a world where young men like ficitional "Kurt" and "Justin" (and their real life counterparts) thrive and grow and contribute to society, then it's YOU who has a problem, not them and all your ugly words are doing is feeing the flames of the homophobes.
It's bigotted and ignorant and it's shocking how easily the bigotry flows of gay mens tongues.
Meanwhile the real life Kurts and Justin Suarez' of the world fight their way through high school and grow up to be the Ryan Murphys, Simon Noonans , Adam Lamberts and Christian Sorianos and DEFY anyone to tell them they aren't equal contributing members of society. Which is as it should be.
Kids like Kurt have enough on their plates just living in a world of ignorant homphobes, they shouldn't have to fight the entire over 30 generation of gay men who should be proud of them for being so freaking fierce (even if they are different from them) who should be guiding them instead of whining and crying all the time about how they make "other" gays look bad.
Well said...
So well said, and what I've been wanting to say.
I only have one tiny quibble - in the cartoon it's the wolf and the sheep dog clocking in, sparing over the sheep.
Couldn't have said it better myself
Sometimes I do wonder if the worst offenders of homophobia are within the gay community in itself.
And for the people who are taking offense to this show, they are totally so far up their own ass they don't recognize satire when they see it. The whole show is satirical, I mean, just look at the issues they deal with (a good example of this are the pamplets behind Emma).
But that's the thing about satire isn't it? Not everyone gets it, and that's a shame.
I've been reading the posts and some posters are seriously getting the wrong idea about this show and taking it too seriously. And I agree with you, if anything, they are enpowering Kurt. They are not making him a victim as he has taken all the power and fun out of it the bullying.
And on top of that, it's not even 100% clear that they are picking on him because he is perceived as gay. Bullies likes to find a target and lock on. There are many reasons why they picked Kurt. To call it gay bashing is kind of jumping the gun.
Dude...
Dude... I created an account here just so I could comment on this amazing post. :-)
(Okay. So I've been wanting to join for a while. But I didn't get to it until just now!)
Anyway, I think what you've written here is pure genius. In fact, I'm wondering why you couldn't have posted this months ago back when I did a class discussion about gay rights. I agree 100% with everything you've said, especially these lines:
It's not guys like Kurt who are an "embarrassment" to gays, it's self-conscious gays who only care what straight people think about us and who worry all the time about people thinking they're a "queen". Who (besides homophobic straight men and insecure straight women) says there is anything wrong with being a big old flamming queen of a guy if that's who you are?
Brilliant, man. I don't even know how to word it right.
And as for the show... People need to just chill! Glee is a satire, meaning it pokes fun at high school life and society as a whole on purpose in order to get a point through. The stereotypes are deliberate in order to show how ridiculous some things are (like the jocks and cheerleaders' attitudes).
And concerning Kurt... I'm not sure why so many of you seem to hate the way he is. So what if he's "flambouyant" or acts a bit stuck-up when faced with problems? I see it as his way of staying strong even when he's being teased constantly. I mean, he's being tossed into dumpsters, slushied, ragged on by cheerleaders and others making fun of his sexuality, etc. While several people here may see it as offensive or showing gay teens in a bad light, I see it as realistic. No, I'm not gay myself. In fact, I'm a straight teenage girl. But several of my closest friends are gay and I've seen this happen. They're criticized for everything they do in a school that accepts eleven-yaer-old pregnancy but damns you to hell if you so much as eye another person of the same sex. It happens, much worse than Glee actually portrays. However, just like Kurt, many of my friends just hold their heads high and ignore all the crap they get. It's the only way of dealing with things sometimes, and it certainly doesn't mean you're snobby if you do it.
(Okay. I'm done ranting now...)
You're hardly in any position to cry
When you use condescending terms like "straight-acting" that seek to exclude masculine gay men as pretentious, repressed closet cases.
It's not as if the queens are painfully underrepresented; they actually are overrepresented.
Chris Colfer
A lot had been said about the Kurt character and I don`t really have anything to add. I just want to say how wonderful Chris is as an actor and a person. He is very very funny (if you have read his tweets you`ll know what I mean) and obviously very talented. I truly believe he`ll do the material justice.
No matter what his sexuality in real life is, I`m very proud to call myself a fan of his.
What if Chris weighed 200 kgs or had a penchant for genetics?
The truth is the character of Kurt really represents a good chunk of us 'mos in high school. I for one feel a definite kinship with being bullied for having a high-pitched voice, dancing like no-ones watching (when everyone was) and an unnatural love of Whitney Houston and the Spice Girls. This behaviour was very stereotypical. I was also bullied because I was obese, studied way too much and had an embarassing fascination with dinosaurs i.e. not so stereotypical.
We all have a little bit of the stereotype in us. That's what makes it such a strong archetype. But its not about the "stereotype". That's just part of making the character familiar. Its about what the character does to overcome the "stereotype" i.e. "fashionable countertenor" makes the football team. And I don't think we have seen enough of Kurt to just out and out write him off.
And before people start complaining about the "dearth" of straightacting or masculine characters I would like to point out that I have yet to see a gay male character that weighs more than 100 kilograms or alternatively, the gay nerd who has never been kissed and has every season of Buffy, Angel and Torchwood on DVD. We exist too you know! The "No fats or femmes" mentality whichpermeates the gay world says a lot more about our own intolerance than any perceived intolerance created from a swishy television character.
And now I'll creep back into the little hidey-hole from whence I came!
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I am my own special rainbow! Only problem is four of the seven colours are various shades of beige.