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PORTRAYAL OF HOMOSEXUALS ON TV.   Term Paper ID:29349 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Depictions of homosexual characters on two sitcoms.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Depictions of homosexual characters on two sitcoms. "Ellen" as a show based on the lead character-actress Ellen Degeneres "coming-out" as a lesbian. "Will and Grace" as the first example of gay mainstream subject matter. Discusses reasons for the popularity of "Will and Grace" and the cancellation of "Ellen." Paper Introduction: This research examines the portrayal of homosexuals in the mainstream mass media. The research will set forth the context in which the visibility of homosexuals in popular culture has presented issue fronts for analysis and then discuss audience response toward homosexuals as expressed by media ratings or other modes of social acceptance. In particular, the research will explore evidence that depictions of homosexual characters who are latently or potentially heterosexual are received more positively by the general public than are depictions of characters who are confirmed and unchangeable in their sexual orientation. The increased visibility of manifestly homosexual characters on television in recent years has brought to the fore the question of the impact of portrayals of members of a traditiona Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. 27) puts it: "The primary relationship between Will and Grace isbasically a love story, despite the fact that Will is supposed to beunabashedly gay." More generally, the physical attractiveness Will, as well as his beinga respected lawyer and all-round nice guy (Grace is an interior designer),makes for a socially attractive, hence erotically nonthreateningpresentation of a homosexual character that has been identified as adistinct "type" portrayed in movies and TV, the sexually "safe" (to women)queen whose engendered sensitivity is to be favorably compared to thestereotypically sexist insensitivity of heterosexual men toward women(Dreisinger, 2 ). Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Representation of homosexual men on television has been noted for ofits "ability to influence the beliefs associated with gay men and [] thesemediated images cultivate perceptions of gay men and their lifestyles moststrongly among viewers with little firsthand opportunity for learning aboutgay men in their own daily lives" (Hart, 2 , p. Retrieved from the World Wide Web 14 November 2 2 at http://willandgrace.tktv.net/Episodes5/.Hart, K. Rossman (Eds.). 121). This is a dangerous precedent to set (Horn & Rossman, 2 , p. 27). 8 ), using sitcom conventions that "read broad consensusamong the vast viewing audience." At most, Ellen Morgan's coming-out movedhomosexuality "toward the cultural center." What's more, Ozersky continues,in a paean to tolerance as a civic virtue: it doesn't break any new ground. Colombo, R. . Ipso facto thesane center had been irrevocably abandoned. Suman & G. (2 1). (2 ). The ABC show Ellen, which aired from 1993 to 1998, featured astory line in 1997 in which the lead character "came out" as a lesbian,"one of the most publicized pseudo-events in TV history" (Ozersky, 1997, p.8 ). Ozersky's hopeful point isthat Ellen's coming-out was meant to valorize her very normality and thatof others who share her sexual orientation. (2 , Summer). Disney steps out. Cullen, & B. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers. Pikurny points out that suchboycotts do not have a record of affecting real-world advertiser or viewerbehavior. this is helping the lesbian and gay community in its struggle for equality (Horn, 2 , p. Colombo, R. In the 2 2-2 3 season, a major line ofaction was that Will and Grace had indirect sex when Grace was impregnatedwith his sperm and they made a pact not to see other people. 3 ; 31 ).The affective power of social constructions leads to the importance ofrecognizing and sorting out meanings that derive from the interpenetrationof cultural cues and mediated representations of culture. Or, as Schenden (2 1,p. In that sitcom, multiple episodesdeveloped action in which the lead character Ellen Morgan discovered, thenrevealed, her lesbian orientation. 81). Whether that emphasis erred to the right or left of thesocial center may have had some effect, but the more telling issue seems tohave been one of developing a coherent voice. Suchinterpenetration has been discussed as an aspect of the multipleconstituencies that compose the culture as a whole and that seek influenceon the cultural mainstream; terms such as multiculturalism and diversityfrequently distinguish that discourse. Boston: Bedford/St. G. He also cites "studio and network support for Ellen's storylines" (p. TKTV. As of the late 199 s,manifestly homosexual characters have been cast in leading roles on seriestelevision. After that, general viewership fell off dramatically, tosome 1 million. Advocacy Groups and the Entertainment Industry. In that regard, homosexuality as an absolutecategory of interpersonal intimacy has not been represented in Will &Grace. To the degree viewersidentified with the safety of the sane center, they would be expected toretreat from the precipice of social risk. . According toSchenden, once Degeneres-the-real-life-person "was out, she couldn't ignorethe things that were important to her as a lesbian." Those "things" foundtheir way into the action of subsequent episodes that led to a shift ofcomedic emphasis. The difference between the rocky demise of Ellen and the continuedpopularity of Will & Grace may have as much to do with the evolution ofpublic sensitization toward homosexuality and homosexuals since 1997.Writing in 1997, Pela and Clinton touted the Ellen coming-out episode assignaling "the beginning of a more openly accepting era in film andtelevision." If Ellen was in the vanguard of respectability for the contentof Will & Grace, it was also the first casualty of the trend. Decency in America remains the path of least resistance. Will & Grace was not the first sitcom to depict a homosexual as a maincharacter. 73). Hart goes on tostate the obvious, that whereas negative portrayals of gay men fosterhomophobia and valorize hostile attitudes, positive portrayals can"decrease the stigma associated with homosexuality in American society andthe pervasive influence of heterosexism as a powerful ideological force inAmerican life" (p. There is more: Critics argued that the show turned "preachy" after its coming-out episode. So . Play it again, Ellen. Ozersky ntoed that the coming-out was by and large"a comedy of embarrassment, which played awkward pauses for laughs inalmost exactly the same way the old Mary Tyler Moore Show used to"(Ozersky, 1997, p. Interest groups and public debate. M., & Morgan, S. In that regard, Horn acknowledgesthe influence of the American civil rights movement of the 196 s inpromoting "awareness that the media should actively report on and reflectall different types of people." Horn continues: I don't think that the media would be listening to lesbian and gay concerns as much--if at all--if it hadn't been for civil rights movements and this burgeoning notion in popular culture that media, including television and film, should represent all Americans. The Journal of Men's Studies, 9, 59-74.Holleran, A. One view of what happened to the show is that its first seasonssuccessfully appealed to both gay and straight audiences but that "it wascriticized by both--a fact that hurt Ellen on a personal level--once thelead character came out" (Schenden, 2 1, p. 23-28.Ozersky, J. (2 2). Boston: Bedford/St. 81). But only temporarily. M. The difficulty of balance may also owe something to thedefinitiveness of the lead character's homosexual identity, which Katz(1997, p. Horn (2 ) deplores the fact that ABC TV aired so-called"advisories" before selected Ellen episodes as a "blatant double standard"that had the effect of stigmatizing homosexuals and homosexuality. There is a view that even well-intentioned, sympathetic portrayals ofhomosexual characters may valorize heterosexuality at the expense ofhomosexuality, hence perhaps unintentionally endorse discrimination,marginalization, or exclusion of homosexuals from the mainstream (Hart,2 ; Croteau & Morgan, 1989). R. Becoming members of society: Learning the social meanings of gender. But another way of looking atEllen's post-coming-out world is that what Ellen revealed, because anaspect of fundamental human nature, could not be renounced. [Part 1 of 2]. (2 ). They were "informing" audience members around the country that what they were about to see was far more "dangerous" than depictions of heterosexuals kissing or holding hands on television. If the decline in viewership straightforwardly explains thecancellation of Ellen, what motivated the decline is far from self-evident.Complicating the events surrounding the cancellation of the show was thatEllen Degeneres, the actress who played Ellen Morgan, publicly revealed inreal life what appears to have been the open secret that she was a lesbian. . Although Ellen was renewed by ABC for 1998's fall season,it was canceled midyear. The Gay & Lesbian Review, 7, 65-67.Horn, W., & Rossman, G. The Advocate, 37-9.Schenden, L.K. in a way that is completely unnecessary for its stability or its values (Weinrich & Williams, 1995, pp. External pressures appear to have influenced thefate of Ellen. This research examines the portrayal of homosexuals in the mainstreammass media. Suman & G. 27). Ellen bet on that; to her credit, and to ours, it appears she bet right (Ozersky, 1997, p. Suman & G. (2 , Spring. Advocacy Groups and the Entertainment Industry. The increased visibility of manifestly homosexual characters ontelevision in recent years has brought to the fore the question of theimpact of portrayals of members of a traditionally marginalized socialgroup on both society and members of that group. That Will & Grace thrives as a series while Ellen was canceled shortlyafter its coming-out episode may be a function of general program quality.But the theme of homosexuality is a highly charged one in contemporarypopular culture, and cultural discourse has it that sexual identity is verymuch a social construction: Our society makes the definition [of homosexuality] and shows concern only because it wants to differentiate and thereby control people who display variation in that trait . Rossman (Eds.). Advocacy Groups and the Entertainment Industry. Hart cites published reports that "a kiss will likely never be inthe cards between Will's character and another man" and that best-friend-Jack's character entered a sham marriage with a Hispanic immigrant toenable her to stay in the country. Strange customs, familiar lives: Homosexualities in other cultures. The research will set forth the context in which the visibilityof homosexuals in popular culture has presented issue fronts for analysisand then discuss audience response toward homosexuals as expressed by mediaratings or other modes of social acceptance. Combating homophobia in AIDS education. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers. The topics, though laced with humor, were often serious gay issues that pushed the show beyond the realm of mindless entertainment- -which is what many viewers want from their prime-time sitcoms (Schenden, 2 1, p. Hornimplies that showcasing difference in that way may have hastened the demiseof the show: While they felt they were providing a service, they were actually doing a disservice to the nation. The situation for Ellen, which Schenden says "paved the way" for Will& Grace and other shows on which homosexual characters were portrayedsympathetically, was rather different. (1997, April 29). Rossman (Eds.). Americans aren't inclined to seek beyond simply treating each other well. Social ethics in practice are a day- to-day business which is better expressed in ritual forgiveness of series characters at the end of sitcom episodes than in the labored moralism of the Christian Coalition and ACT UP. However, the fact that these plot lines haveboth straight and gay characters behaving as if they were conventionallyheterosexual can also be interpreted as tacitly asserting the possibilityof heterosexuality--and certainly adherence to heterosexual socialconventions--as the core of everyone's sexual being. can usually be counted upon to steer a reasonable middlecourse, veering away from the Scylla or Charybdis of swingers and puritans,dropouts and martinets" (Ozersky, 1997, p. ReferencesCroteau, J. (1997, July-August)."Coming out" in the middle of the road. In 1998, Ellen was canceled midseason. . Whatever the impact of external pressures, intrinsic creativechallenges were also implicated in the demise of Ellen. . Martin's. Martin's. 296-311. . . Then Grace meta new beau, giving Will, looking forward to becoming a father, variousattacks of jealousy (Gromco, 2 2). 115-22.Weinrich, J.D., & Williams, W.L. Cullen, & B. Lisle (Eds.). Homosexuals have been portrayed as both leading and supportingroles in motion pictures and fiction; however, as has been observed of theNBC-TV sitcom Will & Grace, which had a debut in 1998 and which continuesto air as of the 2 2-2 3 network season, that it was "the first exampleof gay subject matter going totally mainstream, for there is nothing somainstream--not Broadway, not movies, not novels--as The Box" (Holleran,2 , p. 73). M. 66). 4).High-profile advocacy organizations such as American Family Research, theChristian Coalition, and the Southern Baptist Convention have sought toorganize their memberships in boycotts against ABC and major advertisersthat for various reasons have "gay friendly" reputations (for example,Disney, which owns ABC offers medical insurance to same-sex domesticpartners of employees) (Pekurny, 2 1). Schenden attributes this in part to creativeproblems that surfaced once Ellen had "outed" herself: [T]hroughout its last two seasons, Ellen struggled to find its voice, as Ellen realized that once she was out, she couldn't ignore the things that were important to her as a lesbian. Evidence of audience acceptance of thisplot line can be found in the fact that the "coming-out" episode in theSpring of 1997 measured 36 million viewers--more than the top-ratedSeinfeld and ER--and the following two episodes more than 16 million(Pekurny, 2 1). M. 1 5-113.Pela, R.L., & Clinton, K. Will & Grace, 5th season, 2 2-2 3. 27).Some critics endorsed the social education embedded in the confluence oflife and art with Ellen. 35), writing in the immediate wake of "the episode," commentsthat Degeneres "renounced, for the time being at least, that sitcomcommandment she once knew so well: Thou shalt have the emotional maturityof an early adolescent." The novelty of Ellen's plot development, saysKatz, enabled the show to function as "an endearing primer on familytolerance." But consider what Ozersky suggests is another sitcomcommandment, that title characters are identified with "the sane center[and] . 244-252.Dreisinger, B. Journal of Counseling & Development, 68, 86-91.Devor, H. Advocacy groups in the age of audience fragmentation: Thoughts on a new strategy. (1995). (1989). Lisle (Eds.). Tikkun, 12, 8 -2.Pekurny, R. The proactive strategy of GLAAD [interview of Horn]. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 28, 2-11.Gromco. (2 1). Dreisinger (2 ) comments that "therule of the sitcom is that no relationship, other than that of the maincharacters, is permanent," in order to make the point that Will & Graceportrays the gay-male/straight-female bond as stronger than any mereheterosexual relationship. 27). Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers. By the time it was canceled in its fifth season, the show never quite found a balance between gay issues and the lighthearted comedy viewers expected (Schenden, 2 1, p. (2 , Fall). .slither past." Ellen, he says, "was kept in harness on a number ofoccasions" (2 1, p. Representing gay men on American television. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 1 9) which tend to nurture a certain collegiality in thecreative community; however, much in the vein of Horn as regards corporatebehavior, Suman remarks that Ellen was continually in the position ofhaving to satisfy network censors who, as a group, routinely enable "slimy,salacious, and sleazy [material in nonhomosexual-themed shows] . (1995). The queen in shining armor: Safe eroticism and the gay friend. In particular, the researchwill explore evidence that depictions of homosexual characters who arelatently or potentially heterosexual are received more positively by thegeneral public than are depictions of characters who are confirmed andunchangeable in their sexual orientation. The alpha queen. Curve, 11, 26-7.Suman, M. G. Thus, says Schenden: "By thetime it was canceled in its fifth season, the show never quite found abalance between gay issues and the lighthearted comedy viewers expected"(2 1, p. Such a presentation sidesteps direct presentation ofnonthreatening intimacy between homosexual men, which we have seen isconsidered a frontier not yet breached by Will & Grace. 25). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.