In high school, you had Cliffs Notes to, uh, “augment” your own reading requirements. And when it comes to pop culture, we’re also looking for a way to cheat. Like with this quarter-century review of gays on television. Rather than watching the Celebrity mini-series or Dynasty, we can scroll through this montage of Gs on the small screen. Remember when the camera used to cut away from kissing scenes? Those were the days. (via)
in review
What Does 25 Years of Gays on TV Reveal? Bad Acting, Mostly
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TimNCGuy
if you want better examples of acting in gay characters, then stop looking at crappy TV melodramas and soap characters.
I can quickly think of two earlier series on TV with gay characters and GOOD acting. One was even the series lead.
1977, Billy Crystal in “Soap”
1981, Tony Randall in “Love, Sidney”
Admittedly, they weren’t “sexualized” characters as you are showing in this montage. But, examples of better acting and gays portrayed as just normal people.
Sapphocrat
Here’s one place lesbians got a break: IIRC, the first small-screen lesbian kiss — not a cutaway — was between Amanda Donahoe and Michele Greene on “L.A. Law” in 1991.
Of course, that’s because lesbianism isn’t such a horrible threat to straight men, who get more hot and bothered than anything else by two chicks wrapping tongues. It has something to do with the belief that lesbianism is a temporary condition, cured as soon as a straight guy arrives and gets between said chicks.
But that’s an annoying topic for another day.
adolf
no chips? no magnum PI? fail
Lance Rockland
Matt on Melrose Place was such a shithead. He fucked up his relationship with the hot Navy guy and then made a huge mistake dating that married doctor (the one who framed him for killing his wife). Matt should’ve gone after Jake. Now THAT would’ve been hot!
jarvisbearcub
The little kid in the first segment was River Phoenix!
The Artist
I think this is really sweet! Babysteps seem to work….keep the momentum going.
Syl
Okay, not as impressive as the progress in motion pictures, but as Artist said “babysteps” do seem to work. Ten, maybe fifteen years, and hopefully gay/bi/lesbian tv characters won’t cause (as much) public outrage, will be actual fleshed-out characters defined by more than their sexuality, and be more or less as common onscreen as offscreen.