Stereotypes concerning gender, race, and sexuality have always been used in the media to reflect society's "acceptable" standards. In other words, the media attempts to show us realities, such as the lifestyle of a gay person, but in a comic and exaggerated manner in order to supposedly make it "easier" for us to understand what is not yet completely socially acceptable in today's culture.
Gay people, especially homosexuals, are usually portrayed in the media in a very suitable manner. For instance, how many times have you seen a gay person as a woman's best friend on TV or movies? Probably much more than you think. "My Best Friend's Wedding", "Will & Grace", and "Sex in the City" are just some of the many examples of how media shows a gay person as the friend who is always understanding, sensitive, and loyal to the main character who is always a female.
 http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/18/julia-roberts-clive-owen-business-media-duplicity_slide_5.html |
| Julianne and George from "My Best Friend's Wedding" |
 http://www.popculturemadness.com/Entertainment/2009/Best-Of-Will-And-Grace.html |
| "Will & Grace" |
 http://www.dawgsports.com/2008/6/19/555257/a-last-minute-look-at-the |
| Carrie and Stanford from "Sex in the City" |
"Sassy Gay Friend"
This portrayal of the "sassy gay friend" is viewed by most of today's society as very unoffensive and acceptable, which is why we don't question this defined role.
This Teen Vogue article highlights the role of gay men in our present society. The article portrays them as the new accessory for a teenage girl, demeaning them to the standards of the new "thing".
The Side We Don't Want To See
In the movie "Brokeback Mountain", we see two gay men participating in an intimate relationship. However, this story contrasts with how gay men are depicted in the media. The characters in the film are very masculine accentuated by their "cowboy" quality, and our society is used to seeing the over-feminized quality of homosexual males. For these reasons, this movie was censored in some countries because of the controversial content.
This Superbowl Snickers commercial exhibits society's uneasiness with the notion of homosexuality. This is also assuming that gay men lack masculinity, and subsequently the mechanics must "prove" their gender.
No comments:
Post a Comment