It helps that South Koreans are, like Americans, growing increasingly hep to this whole gay culture thing. Which explains why television shows like Beautiful Life (seen here), about a disabled librarian and a hairstylist who fall in love, with an ensemble cast that includes a gay couple, are doing well in the ratings: Viewers aren’t terribly grossed out by seeing two dudes act all romantical toward each other. But there’s also that matter that gay-themed programming means more hot guys on the small screen, which straight lady viewers love tuning in to see.
You know, because casting directors all know The Gays are beautiful, and select attractive actors accordingly.
While the increase in gay characters could signal a change in society, it may also be influenced by a female-driven consumer market. There is a significantly higher ratio of gay-themed television shows or films to their lesbian counterparts, which, according to “Antique” director Min Kyu-dong is “because consumers of art are primarily women. Since lots of good-looking men are appearing, more than would appear in a heterosexual-themed work, there is a lot more eye candy for women,” said Keii, who stressed that her opinions were not those of her organization [the Lesbian Counseling Center].
[Min Kyu-dong]’s own film [Antique], which featured a gay pastry chef, serves as a case in point. According to Min, “Antique” drew an audience that ended up being around 86 percent female. This might explain why the vast majority of homosexual or potentially gay characters are played by attractive actors like Zo In-sung (who starred in “A Frozen Flower”) or “Coffee Prince” heartthrob Kim Jae-wook (who starred in “Antique”). Both “A Frozen Flower” director Yu Ha and “Antique” director Min revealed that they did not deliberately target female audiences when casting for their films. However, that does not change the fact that heartthrobs are playing gay leads, characters who tend to be successful and chic professionals. “Gays on the whole are portrayed within mass media as intelligent, good-looking, gentle men who hold professional positions,” said Cheon at Ewha Womans University. “If, up until now, gays were stereotyped as sick, poor and uneducated, then now they are starting to be stereotyped as good-looking and wealthy characters.”
As with any stereotype, the current one for gay men can hardly be seen as representative of the entire homosexual population. “Some might say, ‘How often do such beautiful people date like that? It is ridiculous. In reality, it is burly men with beer bellies who go out with each other,’” said Keii. “In real life, gays, not just lesbians, are leading tough lives,” Keii added.
And for the record, this is actor Kim Jae-wook, who plays the gay pastry chef in Antique. More like this please.
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Andrew
As a really big Yaoi fan, as well as a somewhat Japanese and Korean weaboo, — I can attest to this, LGBT themed media in Asia is massively popular amongst straight women, and indeed the majority of authors for Yaoi Manga and Anime are Females, I can’t imagine it would be any different with this either.
brihova
He’s cute. I wish this site would post more cute Asians!!!!
AlwaysGay
Don’t hold your breathe believing this means gay people in East Asia will recieve all their rights. The status quo for gay people is to be subservient, docile and perpetually disadvantaged. South Korea and Japan have been in peace time for decades, have healthy economies, low unemployment, low crime and are almost entirely populated by native people yet gay people in those two countries have done next to nothing to get their rights. As gay people do pretty much nothing in those countries heterosexuals are shaping gay people’s image and raiding our creativity and experiences for their own gain.
David
@alwaysgay
I think East Asia is much more liberal than many people in the west give credit for. Yes, East Asian countries tend to be quite homogeneous and there is little LGBT activism when compared to say, the US. But when it comes down to it, gays are much more tolerated there, not in the sense that there is gay marriage, but that there isn’t this strong anti-gay sentiment in political discourse or the media. I think this ultimately comes down to the fact that East Asians are not particularly religious, and that religions in the Far East tend to be silent on homosexuality. In Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong there are almost NO hate crimes. PERIOD. This isn’t an exaggeration. This may be due to cultural reasons or attributed to a lower level of crime in general, but how “progressive and inclusive” is America when we literally see gays getting beaten to death every other day?
The facts are in Taiwan all schools are mandated to teach that homosexuality is an accepted and normal part of human nature, employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal, and both presidential candidates in the previous election stated that same sex marriage needed to be openly discussed “on its merits.” Can you imagine the vitriol in the US if any of that were even proposed? A representative in China proposes gender neutral marriage every year, the former Taiwanese president also put gay marriage on his agenda. Japan is considering issuing same sex marriage licenses to foreigners that come from countries where it is legal. The fact is, progress is slow in East Asia because of a lack of dialogue not because of severe bigotry as in the US.
AlwaysGay
The lack of visibility and rights for gay people in East Asia are indicators of anti-gay bigotry. The reason it’s not as severe as other countries is because very few gay people are out which means heterosexuals have no or limited experience with gay people. They don’t see it as a “problem” because they don’t see it. Remember last year East Asian tourist buses were stopping in the Castro to take pictures of gay people? A study of gay people in China found 80% of openly gay people eventually went on to marry people of the other sex as the behest of their family. I don’t know what the hate crime statistics are in East Asia against gay people because they don’t record them as such. Would a gay person in East Asia go to the police and say they were attacked for being gay?
Davis
@alwaysgay
Look, I’m not saying that a lack of visibility is a good thing, far from it. What I’m saying is that the level of bigotry is different. While there are obviously homophobic people throughout the world, in East Asia there isn’t this mentality that it’s okay to physically attack gay people or say outrageous things like “hurricane X was caused by gays,” said by Pat Robertson. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to East Asia but I lived there for awhile and from my personal experience I have seen openly gay couples walking around holding hands. It wasn’t everywhere but I mean, how common is it to see openly gay couples in say, middle America?
As for your comment about the tourists. I think there’s a difference between curiousness and hatred.
Yes, I can say matter-of-factly that if you suffered a hate crime in East Asia you CAN go to the police without fearing discrimination. I don’t want to generalize, but in places like Japan, the police are VERY bureaucratic and professional, perhaps overly so, to the point where they just do their job and would not hesitate to prosecute a hate crime.
I think this unwillingness to come out in East Asia has a lot to do with a personal inability to accept, as well as from family, which may be a little different from here in the US. Traditionally, it is seen as VERY disrespectful to your parents to not have grandchildren. So, I think the reluctance to be open about LGBT issues is not necessarily due to disdain or bigotry but rather a fear of not fulfilling “personal duties,” and “losing face” for your family.
David
Woops, I mean’t David not “Davis”
hephaestion
Now if they could just do something about those awful Moonies…
AlwaysGay
David, I think you are lying. If the vast majority of gay people in East Asia can’t come out to their parents or friends then they won’t with police. There is massive shame associated with homosexuality in East Asia.
Gay people follow the status quo in East Asia. If they upset the status quo and demanded their right to live their lives and have their rights, I think the situation would be way more hostile.
Evan
It’s quite interesting how throughout this thread, “East Asia” is treated as some sort of monolithic entity In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen the phrase “East Asia” used so many times in my life. At least David backs his assertions up with some concrete info about specific countries’ laws, while AlwaysGay’s talking about “East Asian tourist buses” in the Castro.
Anonymouse
If you think gays are more tolerated in East Asia, you’re wrong.
Don’t forget about the SK actor who committed suicide after coming out and having all his fans turn against him in a torrent of hate.