I’d like to thank everyone for both the support and admonishment I’ve received since my comment about Modern Family a week ago: I have a hard time laughing at the gay guys. In fact, I kinda cringe. It sorta feels like the gay equivalent of ‘blackface.’
Since then, some people have expressed feelings similar to mine, while many others have expressed opposing views. I think that’s great. It is my opinion that the ‘gay character’ in TV and film has been too similar, too often, for too long.
On December 19 I cried, ‘Blackface!’ I did it in a fit of exasperation over a stereotype that shook me when I was a kid that I saw alive and well today.
Stereotypes create judgements. When those judgements lead to bullying…or worse…we’ve got a problem. I don’t hear a lot of bullying around the ‘cranky old man,’ ‘neurotic wife,’ or ‘bumbling husband’ demographic.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
What’s happening over at Modern Family is not blackface. Blackface is hateful. However, I do believe a stereotype is being perpetuated that can be harmful.
Growing up I was scared of the ‘over-the-top flamboyant gay stereotype’ I saw on TV and film. I’m not now. Hell, I can ‘queen out’ with the best of them. But when I was a kid the stereotype distanced me from who I would eventually become. Maybe I would be a little further up the pyramid towards self-actualization if I had a role model at that age. Instead, I buried myself so deep into trying to make my friends laugh, theatre, sports, etc., so I wouldn’t have to spend a moment thinking about what a ‘unique’ person I was. I appreciate that the stereotype in question may have helped someone else.
It did not help me.
It confused me. It kept me in the closet. Actually it was worse than that because I hit the denial button before I’d even heard of ‘the closet.’
I want to confuse the current stereotype. Gay people, like any minority, know the power of comedy. It’s often our lifeline. Don’t tell me we can’t still be funny while we do it.
‘This gay character isn’t a stereotype, I know people just like this.’ Sure, so do I. I love them and appreciate that they are different. But when I want to visit Europe and the travel agent sends me to London over and over again I don’t feel like I’ve really seen Europe.
Yes, different gay characters are trickling in. But Hollywood is the gatekeeper of of the cultural lexicon. We set the pace. Let’s step it up. America can handle it. If we conjured Kim Kardashian out of nothing can’t we do the same with a gay badass who fights crime?
I’m glad gay characters have such central focus among truly loving characters on a comedy like Modern Family. On our next trip to Europe let’s visit a different city. I hear Paris is pretty funny this time of year.
I ain’t a hero. Nor am I a villan. I’m a guy with an opinion that comes from my gut and I want to change the world. Through the gay characters that I have played I have attempted to confuse the stereotype instead of perpetuate it. Bully for me.”
— A portion of a message out actor Tuc Watkins posted on his Facebook page December 29 in response to his controversial comment describing the gay characters on Modern Family as “gay blackface”
drivendervish
I should say upfront that I don’t watch Modern Family but I have paid fleeting attention to the controversy over Tuc’s remarks. I am with him in terms of thinking that overly flamboyant or (queenie) gay characters made me a little scared when I was young that I had to be that way to fit in with the gay community. But there are so many gay characters in both TV and film that run the gamut from Queenie to very masculine that every little boy growing up can find a place in the community if he wants to. And as for the ones we recruit we can make them as feminine or butch as we want, can’t we?
aliengod
I think Tuc’s opinion is spot on.
QJ201
Tuc doesn’t like “less than traditionally masculine” gay men on TV… and “queening out” is something you laugh at yourself for and make fun of others for doing.
MisterDemand
Tuc is 100% right, and glad he’s brave enuff to say it. I often feel the same watching Will Grace or Modern Family. I similarly felt out of place as a kid and didnt know what to do. Gay people are very diverse however one the most offensive stereotypical ones are shown on TV.
AJAnders
I agree with what Tuc is saying.
We can show characters that fall under every stereotype in the book. I don’t have a problem with that continuing PROVIDED that TV shows and movies can start to show how diverse the gay community is and not have it be so lopsided in favor of the cliches.
Show me the gay athlete, the gay nerd, the gay badass, the superhero, the villain, etc. There’s more characteristics than giving fashion advice, obsessing over divas and hosting Oscar parties.
When ‘Happy Endings,’ was on the air, the Max character was the first time I found a gay character I could relate to on most levels. He was just like me in that he was a boring dresser, he was a slob, he didn’t care about fashion and he loved football. He was much more of a spaz than me and he tended to live in filth more than I could personally handle, but I thought it was great to finally see a Max on TV as opposed to the endless Kurt Hummels. And even then, I remembered reading complaints online from gay people who said he wasn’t “gay enough.”
Show more of the diversity, that’s all I ask.
Kieran
Thank you Tuc Watkins for saying so well what needs to be said.
The fact is the infamous nelly, swishy gay stereotype has been promoted and pushed relentlessly in our culture and has been used very effectively by homophobes to shame and embarrass gay and bisexual men, the better to encourage them to stay closeted. We’ve had more than enough years of that treatment. Just as blacks in the thirties and forties finally demanded an end to the damaging, cartoonish, stereotypical portrayals of African-Americans in Hollywood, we need to see a more positive, well-rounded and appealing depiction of gay characters in the media. Perhaps then the schoolyard expression, “That’s so gay” will come to mean something hip and cool rather than laughable and lame. There is nothing “controversial” about pointing that out.
Paco
Once again, Tuc is blaming the effeminate gay male stereotype for his approval seeking from heterosexuals. Stop blaming the showcasing of an entire segment of our community for damaging your life. Man up and take responsibility for your choices in life. The effeminate gay males get the spotlight because they were the ones with the balls to step out without any approval from straights. If Tuc and others want Hollywood to change, then give them a reason to.
Oh and Tuc…
If you want to see a gay action hero, then attack the current crop of superhero shows for not casting a gay character as the lead. Don’t go after a 22 minute sitcom that has no place for that type of character.
BJ McFrisky
Jesus H., people, these are fictions created by TV writers looking for a laugh, and yet you think sitcom characters somehow have a social obligation to present themselves a certain way so that you feel better about yourselves?
Blackout
Why is he still whining?
Yes maybe this was true when he was younger! But, if you look at the TV series, shows and movie’s from the pas 10 years you will actually see more non stereotypical gay characters/people, than the “over-the-top flamboyant gay characters!”
So Hollywood isnt creating gay stereotypes(anymore)!
Just to name a few tv series with non stereotypical gay characters:
Revenge, American Horror Story, How to Get Away With Murder, Nip/Tuck, True Blood, Looking, Teen Wolf, Awkward, Shameless, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, The Night Shift, 90210, Greek, Downton Abbey, Warehouse 13, OZ, As the World Turns, The wire, Southland, Dawson’s Creek, Spartacus. If i’m correct The Flash is also getting a non stereotypical gay character, even f**king Glee has diversity! And i can post more if you guys want! lol
So i don’t get why he’s still whining!! And some of you guys on here.
Is this his way of getting 15 minutes of fame(again)? Or is he butthurt that he can’t get a good role in a tv series or a movie, so he attacks other gay characters/tv seriers!!??!!
So guys there is diversity! Only Tuc and some of you guys on Queerty are blind as f**k!! So open your eyes before you post a comment!
Arcamenel
@Blackout: Thank you for saying what I wanted to 100x more eloquently.
There is plenty of diversity when it comes to personality types as far as queer characters come, although there is still and overabundance of white queer characters. I’m more concerned with hollywood’s lack of racial diversity.
Blackout
@Arcamenel:
You’re welcome!!! 😉
“I’m more concerned with hollywood’s lack of racial diversity.”
So true!!!!! We should be mad about this! And NOT about different gay personalities on TV and movies!
I’m still waiting for DTLA(season 2) lol, the acting was sometimes REALLY BAD!!! but i love the racial diversity they had on the show!
lauraspencer
Blackout, very well stated.
I would like to add to your list of GLBT non-stereotypical characters…
GENERAL HOSPITAL with Brad & Lucas
BROTHERS & SISTERS with Luke & Kevin
DAYS OF OUR LIVES with Will, Sonny & Paul
NOAH’S ARC with Wade & Ricky
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (which Tuc starred on)with Andrew
ONE LIFE TO LIVE with (which Tuc starred on)with Kyle & Fish
And look at all the non-stereotypical portrayals on reality shows, AMAZING RACE, BIG BROTHER, SURVIVOR, REAL WORLD, etc.
If you add up the GLBT portrayals across the TV landscape you will the “stereotypes” are outweighed.
Tuc should look in the mirror for his discomfort growing up and stop blaming Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynde.
SteveDenver
TWatkins is a gay stereotype — an aging gay stereotype still trying to fulfill the Calvin Klein underwear ad ideal.
If T-Wat has a hard time laughing at gay characters, TURN THE CHANNEL, QUEEN!
His blithering blather is pesky. What is he actually DOING to improve the situation other than running his mouth?
tdh1980
He continues to project his own insecurities about being a gay man onto the entertainment industry at large via “Modern Family”‘s depictions of Cameron and Mitchell. If the worst that he can say about them or any gay character in mainstream media is that their “too feminine” or “too campy,” then that reveals more about his personal issues than any agenda to push a particular stereotype. Furthermore, blaming his reluctance to come out earlier in life, even partially, on a lack of more “masculine” gay public role models sounds like a cop out. I can’t articulate enough how thoroughly fed up I am of gay men using gay male effeminacy as the main excuse for their cowardice to live their own authentic lives and heterosexual homophobia.
wade.l
I think someone is upset because he did not get the good role.
Alan down in Florida
@tdh1980: “Furthermore, blaming his reluctance to come out earlier in life, even partially, on a lack of more “masculine” gay public role models sounds like a cop out.”
It’s not a cop out, it’s the truth. As someone who didn’t come out until his mid 30s (61 now) I have met many men in my generation that didn’t come out sooner because all they knew about homosexuality were the flamers and eunuchs that the mainstream media portrayed and they couldn’t reconcile their own desires and behavior with what they saw in the media. The world is full of people who are more concerned with the judgment of others than about their own opinions and it is only in the past decade and a half that a more well rounded representation of homosexuality has started being portrayed.
One TV show that no one remembers today was Brothers (don’t remember if it was HBO or SHO) which featured not one but two gay leads. There was the flamer best friend who was the smartest and funniest character on the show and then there was the “straight acting” bartender who was struggling with coming out because the only other gay guy he knew was the flamer – which was as far away from his personality that could be. This is exactly the internal struggle Tuc is talking about.
MisterDemand
@SteveDenver:
In his original comments he actually talked above persuading producers, to tone down the wardrobe and stereotypes of gay characters he played. Also why are doing gay people use “queen” as an epithet like your average homophobe.
Are there examples of gay people who arent stereotypes? Yes, but they are few comparatively and tend to be side characters. The most popular gay characters are the “Jacks” because their feminine mannerisms are fun to laugh at.
MisterDemand
@Alan down in Florida:
This-
Literally the reason most gay men have trouble coming out and even accepting themselves. If the media says being gay is one thing, and you don’t conform to it, are you really gay?
For me personally is was had to imagine my family accepting me as they laughed and mocked gay characters they saw on TV; most people don’t want to lost the respect of confidence of people they love so they don’t come out.
Desert Boy
Tuc, who? What the f u c k?
KuKu
Someone once noted that in the mainstream media, gay men are portrayed primarily as either jesters or eunuchs. “Will and Grace” was a perfect example of this — Jack was a jester, and Will the eunuch. This is done to find a way to desexualize gay men and make them palatable for a potentially uncomfortable viewing audience. Why? Because the idea of gay men engaging in sex — specifically penetrative sex — freaks straight people out. Even if it’s not portrayed on screen, the inference of it could be there. As such, stealing their sexuality is the only way to avoid “offending” someone.
Why do you think Mitch and Cam — both portrayed as jesters — on Modern Family are not the mainstream “hot” gay stereotype? Not because they’re trying to break stereotypes by showing that men come in all shapes, but because it keeps them desexualized. If they had been two more conventionally handsome men with gym bodies,who paraded around in skimpy and/or tight outfits, it would be less likely to believe that they weren’t sexual with one another like it may be with Cam & Mitch.
lauraspencer
@KuKu:
If you want to break stereotypes by showing that gay men come in all shapes check out the list of characters I provided above or the characters on the shows that Blackout referenced. They are quite different than Jack or Cam/Mitch. Kevin and Luke on BROTHERS & SISTERS which ran for 4 seasons were an attractive, professional couple who were passionate about one another. Brad (an Asian doctor) & Lucas (hottie doctor) on GENERAL HOSPITAL have been seen in bed numerous times. Paul (Asian) on DAYS is a professional baseball player who is about to come between one of the show’s most popular couples, Will & Sonny.
Let’s not forget QUEER AS FOLK with the original version running 1999 – 2000 an the Showtime version being the mid-00s. Most of the men on that show were not the stereotypes that Tuc thinks Mitch and Cam to be. And Kuku, they weren’t desexualized.
Even back in the 1980s Steven Carrington wasn’t a stereotype and neither were any of his boyfriends, Ted, Luke, et. al.
Or back in the 1970s when Phil Carey played a gay character on ALL IN THE FAMILY. Archie was shocked because he thought he was just like one of his boys. He couldn’t tell he was gay because he didn’t fit the stereotype.
If you look at the history of gay characters on TV the Cam/Mitch/Jack types definitely fall into the minority compared to the majority of non-stereotypical portrayals.
Chris
Well, the BBC (Torchwood) and HBO (6 feet under) and other media have and continue to portray diversity among gay men. Yeah, we could always do better. But we’ve come a long ways and not all gay portrayals are stereotypical.
dhmonarch89
WELL SAID, Tuc!
Eminent Victorian
I went to high school with Tuc Watkins, and this was in Kansas in the 1980s, so I can understand where he is coming from with some of what he has to say about how he grew up; it was *not* a welcoming or safe environment. The reactions he has about the gay couple on Modern Family are the very reasons I don’t watch the show after having tried. It’s not that such couples may not exist in real life somewhere; it’s that way too many of my well-meaning straight friends come to me with what they see on that show as though that couple is what we’re all like. I know: hooray difference. Lamenting that the gay couple on Modern Family comes off to some of us as minstrelsy isn’t always already evidence of self-loathing or thinking queenier representations are less-than as people. It’s that the decision to represent the gay couple that way is unoriginal, in my opinion.
This is all similar to the debate/ argument going on in the thread about Robbie Rogers wanting to be portrayed as masculine in his yet-to-be-made show. Statements like that can read as self-loathing/ uninformed, yes. But he’s also saying simply that he’d like to see himself in more depictions of gays in media, that he’d like to see people with whom he identifies as well. His statements don’t have to mean that he, or Tuc, view less masculine, or less masculine-seeming men as somehow unworthy.
Arconcyyon
Our CCongrattulleiton is vídeo writte text the author TUC WATHIS ASKS ! Holly Day City Cine Film Holly end the film ! City País Beache Buinees ! Hollywood and Hollywood ant GAYS AND GAYS .
bobbyjoe
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Tuc Watkins played a character on “Desperate Housewives” who was lucky to have three to five minutes of screen-time on any episode he was in, and his purpose on those episodes was usually to: A) provide some sort of legal advice to the heterosexual female leads; B)to be part of some fleeting minute or two of”humor” on the show; or C) to stand in the background at a party or gathering as some sort of token. Tuc’s character almost never had his own storyline of any sort, and I can’t remember any in the entire history of the show where he got anything close to the amount of screentime as even one of the heterosexual husbands on the show.
His tv husband, played by Kevin Rahm, got more screentime than Tuc, but Rahm played a character who was bitchy and gossipy and anything but some divergence from the stereotype Tuc is pretending to decry.
Meanwhile, on Modern family, the gay characters Tuc criticized usually get the same amount of airtime as the straight characters. They have their own stories. They aren’t any more exaggerated (since it IS a sitcom) than the roles played by Ty Burrell, Sofia Vergara, or Julie Bowen.
I often wonder if Tuc’s real criticism is that the characters he was a part on with “Despearte Housewives” ultimately didn’t amount to much and weren’t in any way groundbreaking, while the gay characters on “Modern Family,” by simply being treated like all the other characters on the show, have helped make the idea of “gay” and “family” normalized to multitudes of primetime American viewers.
Alan down in Florida
@bobbyjoe: ABC has improved by taking baby steps. Once upon a time they took a lot of flak for showing two gay men sharing a bed (but not being allowed to touch in any manner) on an episode of Thirty Something. Tuc and Kevin Rahm’s role on Desperate Housewives was more of an attempt to push the boundaries by showing a “housewife” (which is a term that has lost all meaning by now) could in fact be a man – and Americans for the most part didn’t freak out and switch channels. You could make the case that were it not for Tuc and Kevin’s admittedly small roles gave ABC the courage to take the chance to partially build around a gay couple within the greater context of a family.
As it is Cam & Mitchell are the stereotypical gay jesters/eunuchs but everyone else in the Modern Family universe are also massively damaged human beings as well so they really are no worse than anyone else in the family. Surely you can see that Sofia Vergara and Ed O’Neil’s characters are also stereotypes. Interestingly enough the only real non-stereotypical character is Manny who shows all of the outward signs of being a gay teen while at the same time is completely straight.
wpewen
Hey,as a born and raised Angeleno I will say: it’s first and foremost a business. People often forget that. I agree, most of what they show of gay men sucks. That’s just what they think people want to see. Because they personally know Will and Grace in their NY/LA media world. Make sense?
TVC 15
I don’t know who this Tuc guy is, but he looks hot in the pic.
Anyway, to add to the lists of shows with non-stereotypical queer characters: “Battlestar Galactica” (Admiral Helena Cain, Lieutenant Felix Gaeta, Lieutenant Louis Hoshi), and its spinoff “Caprica” (Sam Adama, and his husband Larry).
Sam Adama in Caprica was fucking awesome. Sure, he was a gangster and assassin, but he was a loving husband, and fiercely protective his family.
TundraMichael
I suppose it was those gay stereotypes that prevented Tuc from coming out until about a year and a half ago.
level75RDM
@Alan down in Florida: You said it yourself, that was about three decades ago. Portrayals have greatly expanded, as have the high profile coming out stories. It doesn’t serve anybody to keep being hung up on old problems instead of dealing with new ones.
@KuKu: And two more conventionally handsome men with gym bodies, who parade around in skimpy and/or tight outfits, isn’t a stereotype? There is more than one gay stereotype, and the image you described couldn’t get any gayer.
The straight acting, masculine gay has become its own stereotype that isn’t hard to parrot: “Sure, I’m gay. But not that kind of gay. I don’t like fashion, or pop music, or interior decorating, or any of that other girly stuff. I drink beer, watch sports, listen to rock music, and go to the gym! And I’m not being defensive at all!”
If anything, we have an overabundance of gay men who are portrayed as white, young, affluent, metropolitan, perfectly amiable boy scouts who have coming out issues. Because coming out seems to be this big, gay fixation people can’t get over. What about a gay guy experiencing job discrimination? Or newly diagnosed HIV? Or homelessness? Or in a poor, inner city culture?
Alan down in Florida
I agree completely. I find it interesting that so many guys here ignore Looking as the perfect example of the expanding the images of gay men. They’re not all white, young, affluent, perfectly amiable boy scouts who have coming out issues. Richie is probably the anti-stereotype gay man on a current TV show. Glad he’s a regular this season. And hopefully Scott Bakula can find the time away from NCIS New Orleans so that his character and Dom’s romance can be explored more fully.
The baby boomer generation of gay men are currently faced with a new world of what being gay means with no handbook to help them through things that they never dared to dream would one day become a reality. Looking would be a much better show if they used their platform to show how the dynamics of gay life are changing so fast, too fast for some of us older timers to keep up with.
level75RDM
…On second thought, a self-conscious, overly defensive masculine gay guy on a sitcom would probably be hilarious.
http://www.nuklearpower.com/2001/11/16/episode-095-black-belts-got-a-problem/
level75RDM
@Alan down in Florida: That would actually make for a very interesting show.
SteveCampsOut
I’m sorry, but once we’re truly comfortable in our own skins, we’ll stop being bothered by how others are behaving in theirs. There’s nothing wrong with portraying swishy gay men on TV any more than there is something wrong with being one. If you want room at the table for your “Type” of gay men, be more vocal about what your type is and the fact that you are a gay man. “Straight Acting” men don’t get to cry about Swishy Gay Stereotypes if they’re not promoting their own types as being something just as gay!
Zenguy
I feel some are missing Tuc’s point. His message essentially is just pointing out that personalities and characteristics should not be mutually exclusive to one’s sexuality. The media and society has a tendency to generalize and perpetuate stereotypes.
The tide is finally turning, as more and more people come out. The general public is starting understand that gay people are just the same as straights; we share the same diversity, with different morals and choices in lifestyles. Sexuality should never be defined exclusively as lifestyle. We’re are much more dynamic and multidimensional than that. And it’s not so much a preference; most people don’t consciously choose to be straight either.
There was and will always be portrayals of flamboyant gay characters in movies and on TV, just like any outrageous left field character. Don’t misconstrue Tuck’s intentions. He just wants to debunk all the myths and ignorance that perpetuates among the ignoramuses and religious wing nuts. They generalize all of us as a scourge on humanity. They feel better about themselves when they can single us out as inferior.
As a marketing professional, I always thought that gay rights promotions consider sometimes featuring men and women that shatter the stereotypes; people who don’t have any overt mannerisms or appearances that would immediately set off the gaydar. It would do a lot to show that we are more alike than not. I believe that this is what Tuc is conveying.
But the amazing thing is, this is now happening naturally, as more high profile people are stepping out — actors, CEOs, sport stars, teachers, and others in all sectors of society. People have, and always will find reasons to have bias and hate a certain classes of people for various reasons – race, religion,region, social/financial status etc… Sexual orientation is one of many traits that make up their character, and often it isn’t the one that defines them.
Queer4Life
I get exactly where Tuc is coming from. Over the past decade there has been an uptick in the number of non-queen queers on TV and in movies. Everyone is absolutely right about that. What some are ignoring though is the number of Queen’s to non-queen’s is still disproportionate. I consume a good bit of queer media from all over the world and can tell you honestly that the US is horrible about its continuation of the sterotype.
Outside of the US queens play a very small role in TV and movies. I think this is due in large part to the movie “A Beautiful Thing” (UK) that was produced in the 90’s. It had a great reception among European audiences and so it set a tone for commonwealth and European countries.
The same cannot be said for the US however. It’s an observation I have made several times on this site. Queens have dominated media for the past fifty years of American media. The reversal didn’t begin until 2000 with Queer as Folk (Showtime). Very slowly non-fem queers have been trickling out from prime cable channels, to standard cable, and then to the big three (ABC, NBC, CBS).
It is going to take a long time for people like myself who were children in the 90’s to get over our resentment of queen’s on TV. As Tuc said “I appreciate that the stereotype in question may have helped someone else. It did not help me.” instead of helping the fact that queens so heavily dominated TV and movies hurt me a lot.
When I realized other boys didn’t like boys the way I did and I understood that the queens on TV were gay I recoiled. Yes I liked other boys, no I was not like that. It would have been one thing if there were other kinds of gay characters on TV. It would be one thing if most of the gay characters portrayed today were not queens. It was something completely different to be told (even if not explicitly) “you are gay therefore you will behave like this, no exceptions will be permitted”. It would be something completely different if the message being conveyed today weren’t “Okay you can have a few exceptions but the majority of queers still act like queens”.
This is not to say that I approve of the “hetero-izing” of queer relationships. One of the great beauties of being queer is the diversity in our relationships, not just the standard monogamous model. What I find disgusting is the attempt to paint queer relationships as “hetero just with two people of the same sex.”.
Point is queens have had their day. It’s time to give us a break and take a step back. Stop being (no pun intended) such a drama queen and give the rest of us a chance on stage.
gandalf74
Every time a gay man makes a comment on how they do not see themselves in the effeminate gay mold, there is always something wrong with him, or he is denying something in himself,etc. I myself do not relate to that image. My interests, actions and hobbies etc. Do not line up with that, nor do my partners. If your on the more feminine side..then go for it, and if your not, that is fine. I just think there are a lot of gay men who could give a shit less about pop divas , fashion etc. You really dont see it that much. You can be gay and not care about all that, as you can be gay and swish out all you want. I just think people think just because you dont relate to it, your saying its bad..I dont think so, I just people would find it boring because it doesnt like up with the over the top, affectations they usually show.
SteveDenver
T-Wat just wants Pottery Barn queens like him on TV, who have designer dogs and argue about the shape of an ice sculpture at their commitment ceremony.
As for “his gay roles,” I doubt he had much to do with deciding on the direction of the characters. I suppose he exploded gay stereotypes with big hairless pecs and soap opera affluence.
“Bully for me”? What a true moron and ego freak.
T-Wat is a jackass.
SteveDenver
@gandalf74: I love your comment. It’s popular for butch queens to bully fem or flamboyant queens. But I guess T-Wat wants to change the world, when he’s not tanning and waxing.
DogCollarPistolWhip
Ugh. The whole “queen vs queen” thing.
Masculine men avoid the greater “gay community” because it is littered with insecure losers who insist on disparaging the masculine at every turn. As men who love men, how about building up and embracing the masculine in each other rather than enviously clawing at it like a bunch of feral cats.
jason smeds
Acting like a queen is not “sexuality”, it’s “personality”. Sexuality is what you do in the bedroom, personality is how you present yourself to the public with your mannerisms etc.
The problem is that Modern Family has given ridiculous personality traits to two men with a homosexual orientation. It’s associated a drama queen-type personality with homosexuality. That’s where it has failed us.
Say what you like but I don’t consider acting like a drama queen and rolling your eyes to be a good personality trait.
jwtraveler
Stereotypes are in the eye of the beholder. Those of you who are talking about TV characters who are not stereotypes like the Modern Family guys are merely expressing a preference for a more contemporary gay stereotype: attractive, well-built, professional, 30-something white men with impeccable taste, living in fabulous homes…oh… and now they HAVE TO be married, or planning to marry. That’s the new gay stereotype; where’s the diversity?
BTW the only thing I find offensive about the gay characters on Modern Family is that Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cam, NEVER misses an opportunity to remind the audience on every talk show that he’s straight. It’s cool to play a gay character, but MUST REMIND EVERYONE THAT I’M STRAIGHT.
Zenguy
@Queer4Life:
Your post is a great read, and a little more to the point than my verbose post. I feel that queens always deserve to have their day – just make some room to share with everyone else.
AtticusBennett
Tuc Watkins was, and is, the worst gay stereotype – the insecure wimp who mistakenly believes that he was effectively passing for straight.
grow a pair. you came out a freakin’ YEAR ago! sit down, shut up, and realize that you’re still crippled by a fear of ignorant bigot’s baseless linkings of stereotypes to pejoratives.
AtticusBennett
@DogCollarPistolWhip: no, they avoid it because they’re insecure wimps who still want their shitty dad’s to think they’re “still real men”
i’ve never met gay men who hate “masculine men”. i’ve never met masculine gay men who hate perceived-effeminate gay men. i’ve only ever met insecure gaybro wannabes who hate “fems” because their own dads were ashamed to have gay sons.
AtticusBennett
@Queer4Life: i call your bluff. NOBODY has to “take a step back”, especially when guys like you, frankly, refuse to stand up to be counted.
you’re a strong non-fem guy who wants people know gay men like you exist? prove it. show yourself.
thing is, guys like you so often DON’T. you complain about how you’re seen, then are the first to give excuses to not represent yourselves. over and over again. that’s why you think you’re not “represented” – you’re all too busy giving excuses to remain semi-closeted.
AtticusBennett
here’s a challenge – those of you who are just oh-so-grump about “stereotypical fem gays” or whatever…. can you show who you are? post the URL, to your youtube page perhaps, so we can see this staggeringly masculine example of a man you want people to think that you are.
ten bucks says none of you can.
level75RDM
@Zenguy: With the amount of entertainment out there, exposure and representation are hatdly zero sum games. Video games are starting to show a very diverse range of gay characters. Even a cartoon primarily geared towards kids like “Legend of Korra” was revealed to have features lesbian (or at least bisexual) characters all along. Some of the bigger coming out stories of recent memory are athletes. But people keep selectively targetting shows like “Glee” or “Modern Family” because somehow the burden falls on these particular representations to tone it down.
MisterDemand
God, there are some people with some real issues here…
Cam
My issue with Modern Family has nothing to do with the feminine or masculine portrayal. IT’s that the character of Cam had the chance to be a very well rounded character that to a certain extent could break new ground. The character started off as a very feminine character who also played football, and looked like it was going to stick their finger up in a big FU to people that thought they know how a gay person act.
And what happened? The character became a complete ripoff of Nathan Lane’s character in “The Birdcage” which was already dated because THAT was a ripoff of a character from the movie “La Cage Aux Falls” which came out in the early 70’s.
Every story-line involving Cam became “What will Cam go into angry hysterics about today?”. And when it was rightfully pointed out that the gay couple was the only couple that not only never showed each other one ounce of affection, but also never showed each other one ounce of kindness what was the response from “Modern Family”? Gays were told “You’re lucky we even have a gay couple”.
So yeah, I think that the character of on Modern Family is Hollywoods typical lazy portrayal of gays, they don’t like gays to be real, they only like it when gays are “Theoretical”.