“The ‘gay closest friend’ trope is homosexuality on right people’s terms. We deserve better. “
Gays! They’re every-where these full times: inside our houses, within our groups, inside our politics, and flocking together like tropical birds on our truth television shows.
With regards to television representation, we’re doing much better than before. We’ve got gay wizards, homosexual superheroes and homosexual teenage detectives on our displays. We’ve got trans and sex characters that are non-binary a few tv shows, such as for instance Orange may be the brand brand New Ebony and clear. But as heartening since it is seeing people that are LGBTQI display screen, showrunners still have actually a responsibility to ensure these figures are far more than easy ticks in a field.
We deserve figures that fulfil more function than merely being gay and on-screen. We deserve much better than the storied and‘gay that is egregious friend’.
Where There’s A Will (And Grace) There’s A Way
The homosexual closest friend is a television basic for many years now. If there’s a lady on television having intimate dilemmas, you better think there clearly was a sassy homosexual label offering her wise yet arch advice. Think Stanford Blatch from Intercourse as well as the City, who had been defined by the hunger that is endless Carrie’s non-stop drama and bad relationship choices. He had been the template for the homosexual closest friend — the Platonian ideal.
George from Julia Robert’s film that is best My Best Friend’s Wedding was another notable person in the GBF (Gay closest friend) vanguard.
They constantly be seemingly males also, aided by the few types of lesbian closest friend handling to fall beyond your traits for this trope. That is most likely because lesbian presence on tv is significantly smaller than homosexual males (imagine if Buffy began a trope of lesbian close friends whom like to flay men with dark secret).
The homosexual companion is finally defined by exactly how much of an accessory he could be into the right protagonist. He’s basically only pulled down for unique occasions, whenever some body requires an ear that is sympathetic a shopping montage, or simply some gossip in a cocktail club. In Intercourse therefore the City’s heyday, the homosexual friend that is best became an indication of status for the cultured, inner-city woman — because essential as a couple of Manolo Blahniks or a Cosmopolitan.
“It’s homosexuality on right people’s terms. ”
The issue with this specific trade in stereotypical homosexual males is the fact that it implicitly describes exactly just exactly what an ‘acceptable’ kind of homosexuality seems like — plus in television, that is defined by what’s commercially viable. Although the GBF is inherently bound up in notions of sex, these are generally hardly ever regarded as sexual beings. The work of homosexual sex continues to be tip-toed around on plenty of tv, particularly commercial systems which can be directed at ‘families’. This can even extend to displays of homosexual affection in some cases.
While nevertheless being represented, the homosexual friend that is best becomes concealed behind an outdated pair of actions and behaviours, cloaked by appropriate, non-threatening stereotypes.
Most of the response that is conservative homosexuality is approximately ‘not forcing it down people’s throats’. Aside from as an overtly intimate terminology, this is exactly the type of homophobia that the GBF trope usually plays into. It is homosexuality on right people’s terms, as opposed to real representation of exactly exactly exactly how homosexual individuals reside.
Once the just person that is gay a show is offered unequal time due to their love — or their love life is also addressed because the comic relief, we’re overtly being told that straight people’s love isn’t just more crucial, but additionally the standard. We’re being told that homosexuality is significantly diffent, the ‘other’. Both Will and Grace had been the primary characters inside their very own show, for example — but since revolutionary as which was during the time — we positively heard much more about Grace’s love life.
Too Gay To Work
It is a trope that includes gradually been placed out to pasture, but it is specially interesting to analyse with a lot of programs through the golden age of GBF now getting reboots. The SATC that is short-lived spin-off Carrie Diaries had a unique precursor to Stanford Blatch, Gilmore Girls rebooted having a partner for Michel, and certainly will and Grace is on its far too.
It feels like new shows are taking more care in developing new gay characters although I don’t want to be complacent. The club is raised therefore high with gorgeously three-dimensional homosexual figures and their complex homosexual romances in programs like Sense8 or Please that it shines a stark contrast on shows that aren’t putting in quite the same effort like me.
This current year, Netflix’s new teen-drama Riverdale features a homosexual character when you look at the blandly handsome Kevin. Kevin has also been homosexual when you look at the Archie comics from where the show ended up being based, although he was an addition that is late just joining the gang this season (which obtained the comics a GLAAD honor during the time). But i will be viewing the television type of him such as a hawk.
At the moment, whilst the show shows an enjoyable self-awareness into the homosexual closest friend trope
— also referencing the out-of-date cliche by title in a slick burn by syrup heiress Cheryl Blossom — they nevertheless have actually prioritised not just all of the right individuals romances http://camsloveaholics.com/dxlive-review over his very own, but also Archie’s never-ending quest to play ‘Wonderwall’. Whenever a bro’s love of electric guitar is prioritised on the one queer love in a show, I have dubious.
Everyone’s fave that is problematic Girls, has additionally ignited conversation associated with the trope. Though he’s been the main topic of criticism in past times, Hannah’s companion Elijah was handed a lot of development when you look at the show’s final periods.
He was also given space to grow through a complicated and full relationship (with full on-screen sex) as well as a standalone episode that focussed on a potential career path while he was always a go-to for support, bitchy gossip, and coke-fuelled nights out. Elijah may possibly not be the primary focus for the show — maybe not being among the titular Girls — but he’s definitely characterised as the full and person that is real problems and arcs, whom lives outside of Hannah’s dilemmas.
Narratively, it is well worth having this variety of romances — by restricting the GBF to a staid supporting role, we’re limiting the range of y our very own tales. We’re restricting the worth of y our representation on display screen, forcing people that are queer impractical moulds. And we’re restricting what amount of men that are hot reach see kissing, and that we won’t stand for.
Patrick Lenton is a journalist and writer. He tweets at @patricklenton.
