Gays not represented well on TV, study finds

Los Angeles Daily News ^ | Aug. 22, 2006 | GREG HERNANDEZ

[Dubya]

LOS ANGELES - If not for scheming teen Andrew Van De Camp on ABC's megahit Desperate Housewives and Dr. Kerry Weaver on the long-running ER on NBC, the only regular gay or lesbian character on a returning broadcast network show this fall would be a closeted accountant named Oscar on NBC's The Office.

[camle]

"Mister Humphreys - are you freee?"
"I'm freeeeeeeeee!"

[Froufrou]

That's the one. Blech.

[Calpernia]

bump

Real men are an endangered species.

[Tired of Taxes]

Obviously they're not watching much Bravo Channel, where it's wall to wall gays.

Or LOGO - it's a cable channel devoted to gay, all-gay all-the-time. The article is talking about network television only, but the LGBTs have a monopoly on cable TV.

[oldleft]

There are actually three on South Park! Jethus Christh!

[hellinahandcart]

And there's an even worse channel than Bravo, but I've forgotten what it is.

HGTV? :D

[Sensei Ern]

You mean they aren't enough self-serving egotistical feminant men on TV?

[frogjerk]

You can't turn on the tv without seeing a homo, or getting homo inuendos shoved in your face!

What is poetic justice is that the movie "Brokeback Mountain" was supposed to "break down barriers" and stereotypes about homosexual relationships.

But in the end (no pun intended), the word "Brokeback" has only become an adjective to mock latent homosexual behavior in general. The word "Brokeback" is used in almost every homosexual joke.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

The frickin Sapranos this season had a gay storyline! Ruined the whole season. But I should of suspected that sooner, than later, Homo Box Office would do it.

Including a scene were a mobster is making out with a guy dressed like the singer from Judas Priest in a grassy field.

[So Cal Rocket]

Oh... and don't forget that EVERY Reality Show (Survivor, The Amazing Race, etc...) has at least one gay player or team every season.

[ChadGore]

lavender mafia l o l

[rjp2005]

How well are strong, rational, confident and caring head of household Fathers represented on TV?

[longtermmemmory]

Have you noticed how when successful slightly conservative directed shows will twist far left when it is certain they are going to go off the air?

It is like they don't care about reruns or DVD sales.

[TexasPatriot8]

AWESOME comment! THAT says it all. Strong practicing evangelical Christians represent about 20% of the American population, and that's bare minimum, not counting the ones that maybe don't go to Church each week, but if push came to shove, they'd be in that category with the other 20%. But I'll say 20% just to be on the low side, well that outnumbers gays in the country by 15 to 1 MINIMUM, so there should be at least 15 evangelical Christians on TV shows for every one gay. And I mean REAL Christian characters, not joke characters mocking Christianity and all believers, like the supposed "Chistians" in Book of Daniel, or the ditsy female T.V. Show Christian that was to appear on Queer and Grace that time. REAL Christians that aren't the punchline, but are represented as serious Christians in the world, and not always with people trying to get them to stumble and sleep around or drink or smoke or do drugs. There is NO character that represents that on TV shows. NOT ONE, but the networks never fail to pander to one of the smallest minorities in the country, gays, and that's a minority of choice.

That's right, choice. STILL no gay gene, but they have found how men and women are different at a genetic level even in the womb. Shocker! :) Anyway, awesome comment. I just had to expand on it. Thanks! :)

[proust]

This after shoving "Will and Grace" down our throats for years, and continuing to do so in syndication?

[frogjerk]

My wife used to watch "A Baby Story" on TLC. Until every "couple" was either a lesbian surrogate or unwed "couple". Aren't there any normal married people they could find?

Of course TLC is owned by the NY Times so I guess I answered my own question...

[traditional1]

"There's always Shep Smith."

Good point! LOL

[Spiff]

Huh!?? It seems like every show on TV from drama to action to sitcom has at least one gay character. That trend has even been the object of some jokes and parodies I've seen. This study is garbage.

[HamiltonJay]

Funny, seems every damned show I watch seems to have a token fruit in it, for generally no real reason at all other than to have a fruit in the show/movie/etc....

What I find most amusing is, nearly all the shows with single women now a days have to have the token gay friend... who they all go to for advice on trying to get a man... Of course none of them seem to realise, what the hell good would the advice of a GAY many be about getting a straight man???? For crying outloud.. that's like going to a poor person for financial advice.

No wonder they are all single, frustrated and miserable.. .they are just too damned stupid. Maybe go to church and skip the next "fabulous" party and stop spending $600 on pairs of shoes and you might be able to have a relationship with a guy who doesn't know more about interior decorating and fashion than you do.

[pissant]

Girls from the L-word show. Seems to me they are represented beyond well here.