True Blood, set in the fictional town of Bon Temps in Louisiana, tells the story of society after vampires have come out of hiding due to the creation of synthetic blood that can sustain them.
Several characters in True Blood represent different minorities, with two of the main protagonists being African-American. Lafayette, one of these characters, is also gay.
Being that True Blood is set in the deep south, several factors come into play concerning the portrayal of Lafayette. Deep-seated racism, which is very much still alive today in this setting, is compounded with the discrimination that gay Americans experience across the country, but much more so in these historically conservative and religious locations.
Lafayette represents a certain sect of homosexual culture, wearing makeup and revealing clothing, but at the same time possesses very masculine traits, physically defending his friends and loved ones when necessary. Experiencing racist remarks in the restaurant where he works, Lafayette does not stand idly by, but instead confronts those patrons and forces them out the establishment. He is praised and supported for these actions, as the discriminatory behavior is looked upon as ignorant and unacceptable.
While Lafayette could be considered stereotypical in many respects, his character is shown to possess great mental and emotional strength; he is intelligent and caring. His femininity is not shown to be negative or a drawback in any way, which goes against many portrayals of gay characters in mainstream media.
Alan Ball, the creator of True Blood and Six Feet Under before it, is openly gay. This certainly must contribute to the creative choices made during the filming of the series, but it doesn't negate the fact that True Blood helps to reinforce the acceptance and celebration of strong minority figures. To be black and gay in America is not easy, but television shows like this one will no doubt assist in bringing greater knowledge to areas of the country that are otherwise unexposed and inexperienced with these cultures.
Nate, it's good point about the social role of shows, as in reaching isolated gay males who may have little or no exposure to a culture that accepts homosexuality. Also raises the question for me again -- does portraying utopian worlds of acceptance on TV help bring them to the real world or just cover up injustice? (though i'm not sure if this question applies to this show)
ReplyDelete