WILL & GRACE…. homosexuality portrayed through the media
Will and Grace is a popular television show but it’s become a bit outdated. It’s a really funny show that includes four main characters, Will, who is gay but not so flamboyant lawyer, Grace, Will’s best friend but once girl friend for a long time, Jack, who is also gay but very flamboyant constantly switches jobs and lastly, Karen, Graces’ assistant/best friend who barely works because she is married to a millionaire who has never appeared in an episode and she constantly drinks. I’m choosing two characters, both Jack and Will because Jack reinforces the common stereotypes that are portrayed through American media and Will on the other hand defies these stereotypes.
*When a person uses some kind of an expression for example, “That guy is acting gay.” What characteristics and/or tendencies are attached with the term “gay.” How does someone act gay or is seen as gay?
The media portrays gay men as girly, likes to shop, higher pitch voice, eccentric, outgoing, talks a lot, etc. etc…Jack from Will & Grace has majority of these generalized traits. Most non-ignorant people are aware that this is completely untrue and that’s where Will’s character comes into play throughout this TV show. Most of these traits do not relate to him although in the end they are equally as gay as one another haha. If the audience was unaware of Wills’ sexuality I don’t think people would be quick to assume that he is gay. Why is that? Jack’s role reinforces the common stereotypes that are made of a gay man in society. Why is it that the qualities Jack has is what the general public relates to homosexual men and majority of the time if there is a gay man on TV the media tends to attach these characteristics to a character to distinguish or depict that this person is gay and not straight
*Is that the reason why the media has a stereotype of a gay man? because these qualities distinguish the difference between gay and straight?
I personally think it's great that this show provides the viewers with both the stereotypical "gay" guy and an average person whom is a homosexual. Why does it even matter to anyone else what sexuality a person is?
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ReplyDeleteAnother way to read Will against Jack is that Will provides an example of how to "pass" as straight.
ReplyDeleteI would agree this show does not provide diverse representations of gay men and would add "gay men who are not rich" to Raphael's list.
Interestingly, there is a self-identified group of not hairy, burly, bearded gay men calling themselves "bears" or "bear culture". I encountered many representations of bear culture at an art gallery I went to and was interested in how even though it seemed the images were reacting to more mainstream portrayals of gay men, there was almost no diversity within the types of men who were chosen to embody bear culture.
I agree with that too, but it was just an example of how the producers stereotype the "typical" gay man aka Jack and the as you say "passable" as a straight man aka Will. Although yes of course their are definitely gay men that are big burly men that work construction and are 350 lbs. But overall throughout my experience in watching TV or people's over general idea of stereotyping i come across a lot of characters that are portrayed as Jack. for example in family Brian's cousin who he lives with in California i forgot his name, they made him out to be a very flamboyant stereotype. There are many, in south park as well one of the characters is portrayed that way.
ReplyDeleteI love Will and Grace . I love Jack especially. I agree with you for pointing out about the stereotypes of gays in social upfront. I think we stereotype what we know to reaffirm with the little knowledge we have about a certain group of people. Stereotype has essence of truth but not all completely true.
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