Netflix‘s Canadain Twitter account has incited a bizarre controversy after endorsing Carly Rae Jepsen as a gay icon.
Following the release of the Season 3 trailer for Queer Eye which featured a sampling of Jepsen’s new song, Netflix tweeted out “the gays get stronger every time @carlyraejepsen releases a new song,” apparently as something of a joke. The tweet invited immediate backlash, both from Twitter users who hate Netflix’s pro-LGBTQ stance and from gay users who resent the company’s endorsement of Jespen.
the gays get stronger every time @carlyraejepsen releases a new song
— Netflix Canada (@Netflix_CA) February 13, 2019
“A gay may run this account but you’re still representing a corporation and you are not allowed to say “the gays” and that’s that on that,” tweeted user @ryanlinsky. “Yeah they definitely won’t get my money for supporting gays,” said user @kingjuulien.
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The backlash on both sides of the Jespen debate prompted a apology from Netflix, which itself invited even more criticism. “As a gay woman & gay man who have run this account for 4 years,” Netflix tweeted, “we strive every day to ensure our community is seen & heard. We absolutely take your concerns to heart.” Predictably, the debate also prompted Twitter users to begin attacking one another.
the response has been a reminder of the high bar corporations are held to for representation, as they should be. As a gay woman & gay man who have run this account for 4 years, we strive every day to ensure our community is seen & heard. We absolutely take your concerns to heart
— Netflix Canada (@Netflix_CA) February 19, 2019
The debate also perplexed users in the US, where Jepsen is regarded as something of a two-hit wonder. Apart from her chart-topper “Call Me Maybe,” her only other top ten hit stateside has been the track “Good Time,” recorded with pop group Owl City. She’s fared much better in the elsewhere in the world, with “Good Time” hitting the number one spot and her track “I Really Like You” breaking the top ten in several foreign territories like the UK & Japan.
Jepsen, for her part, has proven herself a staunch ally of the LGBTQ community, notably withdrawing from a Boy Scouts of America-sponsored concert in 2013 over the group’s ban on queer members. She also headlined Los Angeles Pride in 2016.
dean089
Can’t we just be happy with “staunch ally?” This nonsense of presenting straight people as “gay icons” has really run its course.
@NYCBear
Yeah, it is really nonsense. No more, no less.
bonbon
#NotMyGayIcon
MarathonBoy
The people who constantly promote heterosexual women as “gay icons” are effeminate males. I once asked an older effeminate guy why he – a gay male – viewed Judy Garland – a hetero female – as an icon or role model. His response (in grotesque falsetto voice) was “Well, she died young and had troubled relationships with men.” He actually thought that those were reasons to celebrate her. For any sane, mentally healthy person, those are reasons why she should not be an icon. That fem was admitting that he saw himself as a candidate for early death and bad relationships. Pathetic.
Fortunately, young normal gay guys who are not afflicted with effeminacy look up to healthy male role models, and not dissolute females.
DarkZephyr
She may not actually be a gay icon but the reaction from young twitter gays who don’t understand the concept of “gay icon” was over the top. Gay icons aren’t often actually gay. They’re often straight people that we admire, are great fans of. Judy Garland, Cher, Madonna etc. These are gay icons and they are indeed straight women. They aren’t “gay icons” because they themselves are gay, they are gay icons because gays love them and have made them icons. Why should this “run its course” for God’s sake?
JessPH
Only two hits? How about Cut to the Feeling? That’s like a gay anthem.
Blackceo
Uhhhh….White gays maybe.
gymmuscleboy
@Blackceo Yeah, let’s racialise this for no reason whatsoever. Classy.
chrism36
2 tweets is a backlash now?!?