Huge, ABC Family’s summer teen series about kids at fat camp that stars David Hasselhoff’s daughter, of course includes an awkward gay kid. His name is Alistair (read his blog here!), and even his twin sister is embarrassed to be around him. But on last night’s episode, the queer kid finally got in with the cool kids. (Spoilers ahead.)
[flv:http://media.queerty.net/huge.athena.mp4 https://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs-null/2010/08/huge.alistairbug.jpg 650 400]
Played by Harvey Guillen, Alistair has struggled with fitting in, showering in front of other people, and yes, his queerness. And on Spirit Quest, the campers’ journey into the woods to find themselves or something, he decides to choose “Athena” as his spirit name. Yes, it’s a girl’s name — that’s the point. But when he’s involuntarily paired with the camp’s straight “cool jock,” who hates being branded as the cool jock, he finds a kindred spirit. And the last person you’d think would be an ally to Alistair becomes just that.
Hilarious
Stereotypes and fat kids. Any incentive to watch this show outside of “OMG A STRAIGHT GUY IS FRIENDS WITH A FLAMING QUEEN!! *swoon*”?
L.
I’m getting the sound out of sync with the images, so it ends up looking like a very badly dubbed Brazilian telenovela.
Devon
So this show is like Heavyweights with more terribad soap opera writing and less Ben Stiller?
TonyD
I must admit I tuned in to laugh at fat kids at summer camp (bad, I know) but it does have heart and good story lines.
Chris
Thanks for posting, but take the cursor out please đ
Ian
Well let’s see if Alistair/Huge gets as much clip time on Queerty in the long run like Kurt/Glee, Marshall/United States of Tara or Lafayette/Trueblood, or see if the usual gay fat-phobia wins the day. I’ve never been hugely overweight but have always been built a little ‘pudgy’ and most of the ‘thin’ gays have no idea what it feels like to have such utter contempt and revulsion sent towards another gay person out in the community who doesn’t fit into the usual underwear model standard gay beauty. I hope to see more of Alistair & I think I will check this show out.
Marcus
At first I was annoyed they made the gay character so bizarrely misfitty (like in the role-playing episode where he wouldn’t stop acting like a cat), but then I realized that they pretty much made all but two characters as stupid and embarrassing as most teen shows. Instead of making all these kids cool outsiders (as overweight outsiders so often have to make themselves), they all just sit and swoon over a Twilight-esque book and find way too much meaning in Seventeen quizzes. Not many to root for here.
Aaron in Honolulu
That was cute <3
Mike
Ian, seriously, not everything is about you. Can we not just say, hey, Queerty posted something that is vaguely culturally relevant and it involves an overweight gay guy portrayed in a relatively positive light? No one smile though, because Ian thinks Queerty puts too many cute guys on the site.
I’m sorry to have to ask you this, but when you watch porn, what do the guys look like? When you go to the club, upon whom do your eyes land first? Do they look like more like you, or some more athletic ideal? I mean that question in a sincere way, because I think we need to get over the fact that we are ALL aware that some people are just plain better looking (or richer, or healthier, or whatever) than others. That doesn’t excuse it when people directly put you down because of your weight, but a website putting up pictures of cute guys is really not the same thing.
Ian
Mike, seriously, not everything is about YOU. I had an opinion and I shared it, just like everyone else with a keyboard on this site has a right to do. The rest is pure supposition on your part and says a LOT more about your inner workings than any of mine.