YES! First and foremost I need to say that I am lovin’ that I have a class in which it is totally acceptable for me to do what I’m about to do. Well, I may be assuming that (and we all know what happens when one does that) but I’m gonna do it anyhow. To those whom may be offended…I’m sorry but I have as much sympathy for you as I do the devil..excellent Grateful Dead song… Anyone? I know, I’m heartless. Anyhow, this week we were to look at a particular phenomena and comment on its portrayal in the media. My choice? Gays and lesbians! Why? Because we’re all hypocrites and I am indeed the jerk whom loves to point that out. You’re welcome.
Hey! Remember that show Ellen? Remember how it was a great show, it was funny and everyone (most people) loved it? I do. That was until the famous last episode where Ellen said…(clearing the throat) I’M GAY! Aaannnd….then she went off the air. Wait? Ellen is gay? (Duh.) Gasp! We can’t have gays and lesbians (don’t forget your queers and the rest of the GLBT group) on television!! That way people will know they are real! Please excuse my dripping sarcasm but seriously..it was once taboo to have anything to do with gays and lesbians. They were people to fear or feel sorry for. And now all of a sudden they are novelty items (think we’re #1 foam fingers)?? Remember Rosy O’Donnell…like you could forget. Again, everyone loved her (?). She was funny, loud (obnoxious), pretended like she loved Tom Cruise for us (like we don’t all do that), and was a huge hit until she came out (OMG of course she’s a lesbian you guys). Then…poof! There went her awesome talk show. Oxymoron.
Sorry, there were a lot of parentheticals in there. I’ll do better.
However, these days most people would be lying if they said they weren’t amused and even if secretly, liked “just Jack” and his jazz hands from Will and Grace. How about the fantastically dressed telling you how to dress Tim Gunn? And you know damn well you wished you had a queer eye for your straight guy self and your terrible Ikea clad bachelor pad! Are you pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down yet? It is no longer hip to be a square my friends. Gay is the new black.
The point here folks is that the gay and lesbian community, up until recently, had to be censored and strained through a “mainstream” and non-gay/queer/whathaveyou filter that resulted in a televised picture of gay life that was “acceptable” and non-offensive to the masses. So..you can be gay without actually BEING gay…so long as your ratings are high. Actually, Will and Grace represents this quite well. Both Jack and Will are gay. However, there is very little conversation about being gay or having gay relationships, and either character is rarely shown in a romantic situation. So…great…at least we are including the gay and lesbian community in the media, but it also still marginalizes them and almost always stereotypes them..oh the flamboyance.
Sociology has traditionally been concerned with inequality and social change, both of which are constituents of the study of homosexuality. Big time social theorist Michel Foucault, as a highly influential post-modern thinker, helped bring about the idea that “knowledge is not a set of truths but instead a set of socially constructed beliefs, and that no one knowledge is more credible than any other knowledge.” Hmm. You mean, the way you think is no better or no more “correct” than the way I think? Noooo….. And there was a bit in there about “social construction” too I think. So what I’m supposed to know and think is based upon what my society constructs as acceptable and important. Umm..curious here..but what happens if this socially constructed “knowledge” is false or conveniently leaving important pieces out?? Wait..that doesn’t happen. Especially in the media. This is my point, at least within a sociological framework (the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society everyone) we are brave and sensitive enough to view/research the gay and lesbian members of society and their identities not as they “should” be seen but as they are and as they change, paying special attention to the difficulties and complexities that surround them. Sociological explanations say “the structure of society leaves room for changes in an individual's sexuality and gender throughout the life course.” Media, on the other hand, continues to distort and exploit this community for the benefit of the mainstream masses…so long as the ratings are high.
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5 comments:
Gay is an evolved version of what it has always meant to be gay. Greeks used young boys as entertainment, something that has been picked up by many cultures. Even Alexander was said to have partaken in such activities. But it is only in the past century that people have started accepting themselves as homosexuals. It is no longer an activity, but rather a lifestyle for people to share with one another. With every movement their is controversy and with that comes attention from the masses. In 50 years hopefully we wont even think about such trivial things and homosexuality will be an accepted lifestyle that isn't something to entertain the media and their masses.
Ancient Greece is not necessarily an accurate analogy for modern homosexuality for several reasons. It excludes a lesbian identity, even though it's probably fact that women had same sex relationships in ancient Greece and Rome. Your example deals exclusively with males. The modern idealized notions of same sex male relationships in ancient Greece are unfortunately incorrect. In Greek society, male homosexual relationships were often either sociopolitical power displays which were both misogynistic and exploitive, or arrangements whereby older, established men took young boys (from their same class) as lovers. Most modern homosexual men would be offended to have their consensual, loving relationships compared to those of old.
If something is evolving it is in fact, no long what it once was.
It should also be noted that modern definitions of homosexuality are based on equally modern conceptions of gender, which also did not exist in ancient times. The current definition of homosexuality derives from the German sexologists' late 1800's research, which argued that homosexuals were essentially neurotic sexual inverts. Popular definitions of current are the result of hard won revisions demanded by the Gay Liberation movement of the 60s/70s. It is accurate for you to say that it is only within the past century that people have started to accept themselves as homosexuals per se, however, wholly inaccurate to discredit the centuries and non-Western cultures, which have embraced and supported same-sex love in its myriad of forms and expressions.
My point within this blog, albeit at times hard to decipher and/or follow, is simply that what once was illicit now appears to be trendy. Of course. For example: for those of you situated in the midwest: Ugg boots meet sweatpants.
However, Moby Dick is an excellent piece of literature. I appreciate you reading and commenting on my blog. Cheers.
Hey Erin,
Here is how I know being gay is still a "trend": a recent cover story from People Magazine pictured Clay Aiken, who had just had a child, reveal "I'm gay." Look, it's Clay Aiken! I think we all knew...Same think with Lance Bass a few months ago. Does it really still merit a cover story when somebody comes out? The trend will be over when we no longer feel the need to discuss others' sexual preferences.
And yes, I do still love Just Jack and jazz hands, and I mostly watch Project Runway just to hear Tim Gunn say "Make it work!"
Emily
Hey Erin-
Funny story about homosexuality in the media.
For Christmas last year my aunt was looking for some DVD's to give to my grandparents to accompany their brand spankin new DVD player. She knew my grandpa liked cowboy movies and when she saw the most popular cowboy movie to come out in recent years (yes, Brokeback Mountain) she bought it and intended to give it to him for Christmas.
Most people know what that movie is about. Apparently my aunt didn't. My grandpa isn't the most liberal man in the world. If he would have seen that movie, he probably would have had a stroke.
Anyways, as she was wrapping presents, my mom asked her, "Who did you get Brokeback Mountain for?"
"Dad," my aunt replied.
My mom explained to her what the movie was about and my aunt decided not to give my grandpa the movie.
The best part of the story is, sometime during the following summer, my grandpa DID see that movie. My grandma rented it one night. He didn't like it one bit.
Hey Erin-
I really like the tone of this post. It is very important for people to be aware of how the GLBT community is portrayed in the media and how it is received by the media's audiences. When I first read about this in the text, I couldn't NOT think about the whole Rosie/Ellen situation with their sitcoms. As a kid growing up, my parents were not the most liberal thinker (though they have come around now) and were kind of against my sisters and me watching Will & Grace because of the "themes." Now that they have the reruns at night, I now for a fact that my parents watch the episodes, and do enjoy it.
You wrote, "Media, on the other hand, continues to distort and exploit this community for the benefit of the mainstream masses…so long as the ratings are high." I was thinking about this while watching Grey's Anatomy last week, and this season is all about the relationship between Callie and Erica, and their discovery of being with women. It's like you say, as long as the ratings are high, this trend with continue!
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