Homosexuality in Television

618 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Portrayal of gay men in tv

Beginning in the 1900s, American culture has significantly affected the representation of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender characters, and the treatment of gay subject matter on television. American culture will be defined, as the presently accepted Western American way of materialistic, moral, ethical, and racial norms. One of the mediums by which this cultural shift has continually happened is through television. Not only does culture affect choices made by those in the television industry, but popular series and talk shows, whether intentionally or not, name what culturally acceptable regarding many social issues. Television, TV for short, is referring to the telecommunication medium by which ideas are transmitted into moving pictures. The Television industry will be defined as the group of brains behind the creating process of a television show of any genre. Genres each have their own purpose and effect on the audience; talk shows mean to engage, while sitcoms, drams, mini-series, and television comedies are meant to entertain. Regardless of its intentions, each genre of TV has an affect on the people who internalize what they are watching. Sexuality as a theme and as character identification has been intrinsically incorporated in American television since the beginning of film. Television programing from 1954 to present day includes references, content referencing and characters portraying gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people and their actions. When referencing homosexuality it is meant as the association of one to the attraction of the same sex. The above definitions of culture, television, and homosexuality will be utilized throughout this historical investigation. The Disney Channel origi... ... middle of paper ... ...isney Channel – a trend that will be almost impossible to stop.” They asked families to appeal to Disney to change this “trend”, and have gotten ample negative attention from news agencies such as Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and more. Because of the response of One Million Moms, news agencies now affiliate Christianity with “not wanting gay people in our homes”, as if Christians did not need more help telling the world they despised the gay community. Works Cited Sasson, Eric. "How Disney Channel’s ‘Good Luck Charlie’ Out-Rapped Macklemore on Gay Rights." The Wall Street Journal. N.p., 29 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2014. Tropiano, Stephen. The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV. New York, NY: Applause Theatre & Cinema, 2002. Print. Wildmon, Tim. "AFA Journal." American Family Association (2003): n. pag. Feb. 2003. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Out of the Dark: A History of Radio and Rural America by Steve Craig

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fiske, John. Television Culture. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1987: Chs. 10, 11. Print. 5

    Read More

  • Homosexuality In The Glee

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    I reached many other people since last week, some of them did not show much interest in doing the interview when they heard it was about homosexual representation analysis; the other people were unable to do the interview because the lack of time or other reasons. Anyway, diverse interviewees were picked to convey a considerably fair research for the attitudes toward the homosexual representation in the show Glee. These three chosen interview subjects not only vary in race (Both my boss and my roommate are Asian-American and my friend’s sister Lily is Caucasian) but also in gender (My boss is male and the other two are female). Because the main focus of the show Glee is about daily life of a group of high school students who attend their school glee club, the audience’s age range is unavoidably narrow. Despite the fact

    Read More

  • America's Moral Decline

    2003 Words  | 5 Pages

    That attitude Americans used to embrace was one that promoted strong morals. Racy material was a rarity, but more importantly, an attitude of acceptance of this material was even more scarce. Comedians on television did not rely on obscene language and movies did not rely on graphic sexual content for an audience. The media has become “the monster from which the decadence, violence, and rampant sexuality emerged”(Bouza 6).... ...

    Read More

  • The Help and Shameless

    1351 Words  | 3 Pages

    For the media viewing paper I decided to focus on two separate obstacles. From watching and analyzing the movie The Help, I focused more on the racial differences that existed between blacks and whites. Although it was more prominent in the 1960s in which the movie took place, many differences still exist between the two races. The Showtime series Shameless, focussed more on homosexuality and how the lower-class lives in the current time period in which we live. I enjoyed writing this paper because I felt as though connecting the many concepts we discussed in class to a movie and TV series made learning more enjoyable.

    Read More

  • Amy Zimmerman

    612 Words  | 2 Pages

    An example the author gives is movie Dodgeball which is a relatively older movie and at that time, the bisexual community was not as open as much to speaking their mind and demanding respect, so the fact that a comedy like this may show some sort of disrespect toward the bisexual is no surprise. The surprise is, is that the author would use such an outdated example and one that is not completely relevant. The reality is, even the LGBT characters are getting more and more roles in television today and not always as a fancy cliché for example the show Modern Family, the gay couple on the show are not portrayed as a very flamboyant couple they are portrayed as a normal couple. The author blames the world of television too much and maybe one degree to high, saying the writers and producers lack creativity. Today people are still fighting for a change in a lot of areas, areas like gender equality, and sexual orientation rights a lot of this new respect is coming for the LGBT community, who did not have respect before. The world around us is constantly changing and the television networks are now at this time in a learning

    Read More

  • TV MYTHS

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...al values of society must keep up with the changes that occur constantly. The irregularity of television only emphasizes the mythological effect that television shows attain, especially the power of change. Using television as a medium of projecting history and culture, also gives opportunity for technology to dictate our lives. The social standards of our culture are represented through the glass or LCD or plasma screen of a rectangular box. It can reinvent our entire culture, as indicated through the obvious change of family structures, fashion and lifestyle requirements, and teenage ideology. Be that as it may, television functions our way of life.

    Read More

  • Gay and Lesbian Visibility in Movies and Television

    1335 Words  | 3 Pages

    The family unit has always been a treasured and revered dynamic on television and in movies. Dating all the way back to I Love Lucy, storylines focused on the relationship between man and woman. Ozzie and Harriet introduced us to the quintessential American family—father in a suit, mother in pearls, and two exceptional children. It wasn’t until the 1970s that gay characters and lifestyles began to emerge. In 1973, An American Family, a PBS series featured one of the family’s sons revealing his homosexuality. In 1977, the television show Soap costarred Billy Crystal as an openly gay man. In the 1980s, it became trendy to feature gay and lesbian characters in ensemble casts. If you watch reruns, you can always find the token gay, that is, the really flaming homo or the butch lesbian gym teacher. The motion picture Mannequin, starring Andrew McCarthy and Kim Catrall, featured Meshach Taylor as Hollywood, an eccentric, finger-snapping homosexual. Many stereotypes such as these continued until the early nineties.

    Read More

  • Non Hetero Dominant Tv Show

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    The topic for this research essay will be how non-hetero dominant TV show represents homosexuality especially in relation to stereotypes. As the society is becoming more tolerant and accepting, gay characters/personalities are shown more prominently than ever before. This study will focus on how gay people are represented not in mainstream TV shows such as “Modern Family” and “Supernatural” where most of the main characters are heterosexual. In this study, however, the main focal point will be the stereotypical representation found in gay-predominant TV shows, particularly, RuPaul’s Drag Race. Theoretical research including scholarly essays and examples from the show as well as online surveys/questionnaires will be used as methods. The hypothesis will be that

    Read More

  • Gender Norms Research Paper

    1864 Words  | 4 Pages

    I would argue that the television we watch says a lot about who we are, not only as individuals, but also as a society. So, what do the most popular TV shows have to say about the history of our society and its gender norms, and is it possible to identify these norms when watching the most popular sitcoms of each decade? Discovering this will not only provide insight on how our ideas of gender have evolved,

    Read More

  • Gendered Identity In Soap Operas

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    This essay discusses the role television soap operas have in generating discussion about the issues of gendered identity and sexuality. It is based on the study conducted by Chris Baker and Julie Andre, who argue that because soap operas draw huge audiences and centre on the sphere of interpersonal relationships and sexual identity, the talk generated from them will reflect such aspects (Andre and Barker 21). The discussions generated from the study show examples of working through, gender differences, and add evidence to the ‘active audience’ concept discussed in early media audience studies and research, as opposed to research that proposes a ‘media effects’ orientated argument.

    Read More

  • Intercultural Communication Case Study

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    When taking in media such as television it is a very targeted intake of information that a director has formulated to send a message into my eyes and ears, the viewers eyes and ears, it sends a cultural message that is designed to impact me. A clear example of this is the show The Goldbergs it is a targeted effort to familiarize America with the life experience of a classically Jewish family living in suburban America. The show communicates the challenges that impact the life of a Jewish family, the Goldbergs, how they overcome their challenges and how their culture affects their day to day lives in America. Through using television as a channel of communication the director is able to create a narrative that taps into the average viewer and send the message that Jewish families have cultural differences from many Americans. It makes the viewer sympathetic to the challenges that the Jewish community faces from issues of religious discrimination and the constant attempt to minimize their cultural traditions. But, because it is done through a comedic narrative and the characters have universally relatable features it draws the individual into the culturally diverse world of Jewish Americans. Channel can manifest itself in other forms of communication such as social media, which impacts me personally on a daily basis. I am constantly updated on how the day to day lives of people in different cultures

    Read More

  • Gender Stereotypes In American Culture

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    “[Queer culture is] a creative energy reflecting a consciousness that is different from the mainstream; a heightened sense of certain human complications of feeling that spring from...social oppression” (Padva 61). American culture prides itself on liberty, equality, and many other freedoms no other country has. Queers have the same freedoms, yet they are continually looking down upon and labeled as social outcasts. Less than 50 years ago, homosexuality was considered a mental illness and today children get sent to conversion therapy. Embracing and celebrating queer culture will further American’s acceptance of LGBT and make everywhere a safe place for them to

    Read More

  • Gay Culture Research Paper

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    The purpose of this project is to examine the progression of the gay culture and how things such as drag balls and the Pansy Craze affected it. Drag balls were one of the several ways the gay community was allowed to grow. It provided a safe and fun place for homosexuals, female impersonators, and heterosexuals to intermingle and celebrate gay culture. Drag balls were one of the factors that helped push New York down a progressive path of change. Many of these changes occurred during what is know as the Pansy Craze. The Pansy Craze was an era in New York that the LGBT community began to blossom.

    Read More

  • Psychology Of Television

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    In today’s society the public is interested in the detailed information about the content of television. Persons who work in the media are often concerned with what the television portrays and why it portrays the way it does. Even though they know that their shows are representative to their viewers tastes and not that of the “real world.'; Although this information is not acknowledged as fiction or non-fiction it is still portrayed and processed information by the viewer. One must be able to realize, “How this information is different from everyday life?'; By mocking a family, situation, or community, distortions and biases occur on the television when these subjects are compared to “real life.'; Still unsure of these problems the majority of humans watch even when they don’t understand – why?

    Read More

  • LGBT Community and Discrimination.

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... Works Cited Adam Sharpiro, Megan Schultz, Christina Roush, Cassandra Schofar, Emily Shilling, Tawnia Simpson, Natalie Sampiller. Portrayal of Homosexuality in Media. 26 March 2014 http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/tcom103fall2004/gp16.pdf>. Huegel, Kelly.

    Read More

More about Homosexuality in Television

Open Document