Olly alexander

[GayLadUK]

Finished it yesterday, I struggled with the first few episodes a bit as the characters felt too much like cardboard cut outs and frankly some of them died too quickly to become invested in their story. But the last two episodes and the long play out of the final major death was powerful.

I'm ashamed to say I wasn't fully aware of the scale and horror of the UK pandemic in the 80s and 90s. But the series did bring back memories from my childhood and early adolescence in the 00s of the overwhelming associatied stigma of homosexuality with AIDS and the deep fears that left in many young queer people well into the new millennium. Memories that have been partially surpressed in society but shouldn't be forgotten.

I seemed to connect quite quickly to the characters. Even those who died early. I think it was meant to be like that. Sometimes you didn’t know someone too long before they died. Paths crossing all over the place and people sadly dying.

 

[essexman100]

Finished it yesterday, I struggled with the first few episodes a bit as the characters felt too much like cardboard cut outs and frankly some of them died too quickly to become invested in their story. But the last two episodes and the long play out of the final major death was powerful.

I'm ashamed to say I wasn't fully aware of the scale and horror of the UK pandemic in the 80s and 90s. But the series did bring back memories from my childhood and early adolescence in the 00s of the overwhelming associatied stigma of homosexuality with AIDS and the deep fears that left in many young queer people well into the new millennium. Memories that have been partially surpressed in society but shouldn't be forgotten.

It was originally written as a longer series - eight, or maybe 10 eps, so maybe we would have got to know them more. but i do think, that was possibly the point: you met someone and they were gone

 

[GayLadUK]

It was originally written as a longer series - eight, or maybe 10 eps, so maybe we would have got to know them more. but i do think, that was possibly the point: you met someone and they were gone

Agreed. I could have easily watched 5 more episodes but I do understand and can see 5 is perfect. Condensed down and more impactful. As much as I wanted more it wasn’t necessary. 5 episodes were perfect.

 

[nomameswey]

Seeing a femme queer boy in full command of his sexuality is so fucking hot.

 

[GayLadUK]

Seeing a femme queer boy in full command of his sexuality is so fucking hot.

Agreed. But it’s more common than not on tv. It’s extremely rare to find masculine gay guys on tv. Almost non existent in fact. I would love to see some of that represented on tv, especially where their sexuality is a barely there characteristic of their narrative, it’s known they are gay but it isn’t some huge driving force of their life. They are just a masculine gay guy and there’s not much more to say on their sexuality. That’s me and I just never see it on tv. Some may say that’s boring but there’s plenty you could write to make their life interesting, it just doesn’t revolve around them being gay. If that makes sense.

 

[nomameswey]

Agreed. But it’s more common than not on tv. It’s extremely rare to find masculine gay guys on tv. Almost non existent in fact. I would love to see some of that represented on tv, especially where their sexuality is a barely there characteristic of their narrative, it’s known they are gay but it isn’t some huge driving force of their life. They are just a masculine gay guy and there’s not much more to say on their sexuality. That’s me and I just never see it on tv. Some may say that’s boring but there’s plenty you could write to make their life interesting, it just doesn’t revolve around them being gay. If that makes sense.

It depends on what genre of entertainment you're in for. Sexuality can be put on the back burner in an action-adventure or children’s program for certain. But most shows geared towards adults, be they comedies or dramas or something in between, place sex and sexuality in the forefront. So yes, you can have a male gay character who’s just a dude but viewers are still going to want to see him in a relationship and/or naked and/or fucking. Otherwise, yeah, he’s be the boring character running the risk of being written off.

 

[GayLadUK]

It depends on what genre of entertainment you're in for. Sexuality can be put on the back burner in an action-adventure or children’s program for certain. But most shows geared towards adults, be they comedies or dramas or something in between, place sex and sexuality in the forefront. So yes, you can have a male gay character who’s just a dude but viewers are still going to want to see him in a relationship and/or naked and/or fucking. Otherwise, yeah, he’s be the boring character running the risk of being written off.

I watch all genres and never see what I’ve mentioned on anything. He can be in a relationship. He can be seen having sex. But what I’m saying that other than ‘his relationship and what other aspects of that are written into the story’ I never ever see it. They are usually camp or the ‘funny’ character. In fact I don’t even see a masculine gay guy that’s funny. They don’t even do that. You just don’t get masculine gay characters written into anything. Never happens.

 

[Barnet_boy]

I watch all genres and never see what I’ve mentioned on anything. He can be in a relationship. He can be seen having sex. But what I’m saying that other than ‘his relationship and what other aspects of that are written into the story’ I never ever see it. They are usually camp or the ‘funny’ character. In fact I don’t even see a masculine gay guy that’s funny. They don’t even do that. You just don’t get masculine gay characters written into anything. Never happens.

I feel like Captain Holt from Brooklyn 99 is kinda like this. And Randall's biological dad in This Is Us. What about the character that Russell Tovey played in Quantico? But these characters were honestly hard to think of, and you might have a different point of view, so in some respects, you may be right.

 

[nomameswey]

I watch all genres and never see what I’ve mentioned on anything. He can be in a relationship. He can be seen having sex. But what I’m saying that other than ‘his relationship and what other aspects of that are written into the story’ I never ever see it. They are usually camp or the ‘funny’ character. In fact I don’t even see a masculine gay guy that’s funny. They don’t even do that. You just don’t get masculine gay characters written into anything. Never happens.

It’s hard to make a masculine man interesting outside of making him a superhero or an antihero or placing him in some kind of peril. I admit that it’s low hanging fruit but the easiest way to make him interesting would be to put emphasis on his sexuality. Hopefully that’ll change one day soon.

 

[GayLadUK]

I feel like Captain Holt from Brooklyn 99 is kinda like this. And Randall's biological dad in This Is Us. What about the character that Russell Tovey played in Quantico? But these characters were honestly hard to think of, and you might have a different point of view, so in some respects, you may be right.

It depends on what genre of entertainment you're in for. Sexuality can be put on the back burner in an action-adventure or children’s program for certain. But most shows geared towards adults, be they comedies or dramas or something in between, place sex and sexuality in the forefront. So yes, you can have a male gay character who’s just a dude but viewers are still going to want to see him in a relationship and/or naked and/or fucking. Otherwise, yeah, he’s be the boring character running the risk of being written off.

If they were a stretch to think of that would tell me they were very insignificant characters that didn’t get the airtime or characters arch they deserved to make them memorable. Clearly a struggle for the writers without making them camp. I can’t comment on those I don’t watch any USA TV. I like my British tv and there’s non in any.

 

[GayLadUK]

It’s hard to make a masculine man interesting outside of making him a superhero or an antihero or placing him in some kind of peril. I admit that it’s low hanging fruit but the easiest way to make him interesting would be to put emphasis on his sexuality. Hopefully that’ll change one day soon.

Which is tragic if they need to rely on his sexuality to make him interesting. So goes back to my point there’s zero representation on tv for the gay man I am. It’s all the same type of gay which ultimately makes it onto tv.

 

[Barnet_boy]

If they were a stretch to think of that would tell me they were very insignificant characters that didn’t get the airtime or characters arch they deserved to make them memorable. Clearly a struggle for the writers without making them camp. I can’t comment on those I don’t watch any USA TV. I like my British tv and there’s non in any.

They weren't a stretch to think of because of whether they are memorable or insignificant - they were all important or main characters. But it's because, as you say, these types of gay guy are less seen on screen. I also find it annoying, because I wouldn't mind seeing somebody more like me on tv too. I rarely watch UK TV cause it's mostly just shitty reality shows, soaps and dancing competitions which aren't my thing.

 

[GayLadUK]

They weren't a stretch to think of because of whether they are memorable or insignificant - they were all important or main characters. But it's because, as you say, these types of gay guy are less seen on screen. I also find it annoying, because I wouldn't mind seeing somebody more like me on tv too. I rarely watch UK TV cause it's mostly just shitty reality shows, soaps and dancing competitions which aren't my thing.

It’s a shame the representation of gay guys all tend to be of the same ilk. I understand and respect that a lot of gay guys are of the kind of guy that’s shown. However, we aren’t all the same yet they seem to find it easier to write about a certain type of gay guy. We aren’t all the same. It’s a shame that’s never explored and shown. I live in hope.

 

[Mickey Finn]

Agreed. But it’s more common than not on tv. It’s extremely rare to find masculine gay guys on tv. Almost non existent in fact. I would love to see some of that represented on tv, especially where their sexuality is a barely there characteristic of their narrative, it’s known they are gay but it isn’t some huge driving force of their life. They are just a masculine gay guy and there’s not much more to say on their sexuality. That’s me and I just never see it on tv. Some may say that’s boring but there’s plenty you could write to make their life interesting, it just doesn’t revolve around them being gay. If that makes sense.

Yes, it makes perfect sense. I long to see that too. I bet a lot of guys would like to see that. Tv always lags behind the real world. Black people, and those from other minority ethnic groups, face the same problem. Their 'blackness' tends to be foregrounded, or they are cast in order to illustrate some social issue.

I like to imagine the opening scene of some TV drama where one of the lead characters is introduced and shown going about his life as just a masculine guy, maybe even in a masculine job, like the police or a car mechanic, then we see him going home to his partner, who is also a guy like that, they embrace, kiss, have dinner, and it's just there, in the background, it's not the focus of the drama, or an "issue" to be dealt with. It's just there.

 

[GayLadUK]

Yes, it makes perfect sense. I long to see that too. I bet a lot of guys would like to see that. Tv always lags behind the real world. Black people, and those from other minority ethnic groups, face the same problem. Their 'blackness' tends to be foregrounded, or they are cast in order to illustrate some social issue.

I like to imagine the opening scene of some TV drama where one of the lead characters is introduced and shown going about his life as just a masculine guy, maybe even in a masculine job, like the police or a car mechanic, then we see him going home to his partner, who is also a guy like that, they embrace, kiss, have dinner, and it's just there, in the background, it's not the focus of the drama, or an "issue" to be dealt with. It's just there.

Exactly. Exactly that. I don’t even care if he’s a hairdresser. Just be masculine and not promiscuous.

 

[essexman100]

Exactly. Exactly that. I don’t even care if he’s a hairdresser. Just be masculine and not promiscuous.

I get what's being said, but it's very clear that Colin was NOT promiscuous: indeed that might have been his only sexual partner

 

[GayLadUK]

I get what's being said, but it's very clear that Colin was promiscuous: indeed that might have been his only sexual partner

I watched it with the understanding that was his only partner he’d had. Which is why he said ‘football shirt’ in hospital. He knew full well who’d have given it him and we also saw the lads mother go into hospital straight after Jill said ‘don’t go looking for a villain’. She walked in immediately after that comment. So it was certainly him.

 

[Micky1991]

Agreed. But it’s more common than not on tv. It’s extremely rare to find masculine gay guys on tv. Almost non existent in fact. I would love to see some of that represented on tv, especially where their sexuality is a barely there characteristic of their narrative, it’s known they are gay but it isn’t some huge driving force of their life. They are just a masculine gay guy and there’s not much more to say on their sexuality. That’s me and I just never see it on tv. Some may say that’s boring but there’s plenty you could write to make their life interesting, it just doesn’t revolve around them being gay. If that makes sense.

What about Patrick from Schitts creek ?

 

[GayLadUK]

What about Patrick from Schitts creek ?

Yeah. He’s fairly masc but such a minor almost insignificant character unfortunately. But certainly a start.

 

[bigrawtop]

The need for masc gay characters instead of embracing the queerness of the characters. How much insecurity with our sexuality does that make.