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Homosexuality on Prime Time TV

post #1 of 44
10/23/09 at 4:25am
Thread Starter 
Recently I have seen two wonderful coming out scenes on prime time TV shows. A few weeks ago on Glee, Kurt came out to his jock father and the scene was really heartwarming and wonderful with the father telling his son that he'd known since the child, at age three, asked for "sensible heels" for Christmas. Last week on Gray's Anatomy there was a big fight between Callie and her father where they threw biblical verse back and forth, then at the end of the show, Callie's father approached her and accepted her for who she was.

I really find this recent acceptance in popular culture to be pretty amazing. Has anyone else noticed this? Have you seen any other examples of this anywhere?

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post #2 of 44
10/23/09 at 4:30am
ABC's new show FlashForward has a lesbian couple.
post #3 of 44
10/23/09 at 5:13am
I've been watching "Modern Family" on Hulu. No coming out, but the gay couple adopts a baby, and there are lessons of acceptance from the father of one of the guys.

Though I have to say by far my favourite example of acceptance in popular culture (on TV) is on HGTV. Sometimes the people on their shows, IE House Hunters, are straight, and sometimes they're not, and there's no hoop-dee-doo or special show for the gay people, kwim? It's just like anything else. There's no highlighting it or make is 'gay couples edition' or some such BS.
post #4 of 44
10/23/09 at 7:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Viola View Post
ABC's new show FlashForward has a lesbian couple.
I guess I got so used to L Word, etc on cable (even teen canadian show Degrassi) that when the kiss on FF happened last night and DH said something to the effect of "good for them (them being ABC)" I said, "huh?" and then realized it was ABC (owned by Disney, right?)
post #5 of 44
10/23/09 at 7:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjorker View Post
I've been watching "Modern Family" on Hulu. No coming out, but the gay couple adopts a baby, and there are lessons of acceptance from the father of one of the guys.

Though I have to say by far my favourite example of acceptance in popular culture (on TV) is on HGTV. Sometimes the people on their shows, IE House Hunters, are straight, and sometimes they're not, and there's no hoop-dee-doo or special show for the gay people, kwim? It's just like anything else. There's no highlighting it or make is 'gay couples edition' or some such BS.
Yep, HGTV is very matter of fact - this is just life. But I do love Modern Family! Not just the gay couple, but all of them
post #6 of 44
10/25/09 at 12:39pm
I have been enjoying this lately. Disney's always been great about this sort of thing. Well, great for a big old media company. I loved the Kurt episode (not only b/c I have students JUST like and I'm glad they can find themselves on TV just like their friends) and last night we watched the beginning of USA's White Collar and instead of making the obvious move of the hot young partner going for the hot young reformed criminal, she's a lesbian I feel like women are underrepresented when it comes to gay characters, who are already scarce. And I had noticed that about HGTV-- very cool
post #7 of 44
10/25/09 at 4:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Holiztic View Post
I guess I got so used to L Word, etc on cable (even teen canadian show Degrassi) that when the kiss on FF happened last night and DH said something to the effect of "good for them (them being ABC)" I said, "huh?" and then realized it was ABC (owned by Disney, right?)
I love Degrassi!
post #8 of 44
10/25/09 at 5:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuburbanHippie View Post
I love Degrassi!
I am happy to hear you say this! My DH teases me endlessly that I watch a show about teenagers! Wait, you're not 17 are you?
post #9 of 44
10/26/09 at 10:36am
LOL. Nope! 29! My DH teases me too. My little sister (21) turned me onto the show last year and thanks to The N's constant marathons I have watched every episode.
post #10 of 44
10/28/09 at 12:28am
Thread Starter 
I love Degrassi. Anytime we go visit DP's mom for the weekend, I stay up watching Degrassi marathons.

I DID start watching it as a teenager though....
post #11 of 44
10/28/09 at 12:47am
ITA with all of this! i was on bedrest for 2 months and watched HGTV almost around the clock, and it is refreshing how they cast gay/straight/interracial couples with no fanfare or malice. AND i caught the White Collar premier (that guy is HOT!) and liked the twist. hopefully more stations and shows will follow suit.
post #12 of 44
10/28/09 at 12:51am
I was also thinking about Flash Forward, since it's on network TV (that and DH has mentioned the couple twice today )

Not prime time, but my soap OLTL has a gay men love triangle storyline that has been going on for a bit.
post #13 of 44
10/28/09 at 1:07am
This is why I love Mothering. If you hang out at any of the network forums for the different shows, everyone is always in an uproar over Hollywood's so called gay agenda.

So annoying.

I miss the L Word. Love Kurt on Glee!
post #14 of 44
10/28/09 at 10:32am
I forgot to mention Heroes on NBC. Very main character Claire just started college and there was this freaky girl "stalking" her. Yeah, I was worried about where that was going. BUT they turned it into a set up where the girl is not freaky or stalking Claire, just likes her. They kissed 2 weeks ago. Claire (straight so far) reacted perfectly. Unsure, a little intrigued, but not at all flipped out.

Last episode they had the girl who set up Gretchen (Claire's friend) trying to kill her (Gretchen). DH and I said "oh, that's the easy way out of having a same sex relationship on the show, they got the shock factor of the kiss but don't have to write an actual relationship." But Gretchen survived, and when she said to Claire "I know, you like me, just not that way" Claire got a little (sweet) smile on her face and said something to the effect of "don't be so sure about that"

Hmmmmm.....
post #15 of 44
10/28/09 at 10:54am
It wasn't that long ago (well, maybe I'm older than I thought, sigh) when Ellen came out and people weren't really comfortable with it.

I consider Ellen coming out to be kind of the pivotal moment, because after people had time to get used to it (a few years I think) they kind of changed their minds. Ellen is back in business, and other actors and characters come out and it's kind of standard.
post #16 of 44
10/28/09 at 5:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by seashells View Post
It wasn't that long ago (well, maybe I'm older than I thought, sigh) when Ellen came out and people weren't really comfortable with it.

I consider Ellen coming out to be kind of the pivotal moment, because after people had time to get used to it (a few years I think) they kind of changed their minds. Ellen is back in business, and other actors and characters come out and it's kind of standard.
I remember when Ellen came out (I'm sorry, I have to tell you how old I was for the context of the story) everyone in my school was in a total tizzy. The other kids were saying pretty hateful things that I'm sure they were getting from their parents (4th graders don't make that stuff up) but my house was very anti-pop-culture so we didn't really discuss it. I do agree that it was absolutely a pivotal moment though because 4th graders NOW, 12 years later, don't think gay and immediately jump to "Ellen" like we did. Now it's something that is considerably more accepted which is NOT to say that there is not more work to be done- there always is!!
post #17 of 44
10/28/09 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Holiztic View Post
I forgot to mention Heroes on NBC. Very main character Claire just started college and there was this freaky girl "stalking" her. Yeah, I was worried about where that was going. BUT they turned it into a set up where the girl is not freaky or stalking Claire, just likes her. They kissed 2 weeks ago. Claire (straight so far) reacted perfectly. Unsure, a little intrigued, but not at all flipped out.

Last episode they had the girl who set up Gretchen (Claire's friend) trying to kill her (Gretchen). DH and I said "oh, that's the easy way out of having a same sex relationship on the show, they got the shock factor of the kiss but don't have to write an actual relationship." But Gretchen survived, and when she said to Claire "I know, you like me, just not that way" Claire got a little (sweet) smile on her face and said something to the effect of "don't be so sure about that"

Hmmmmm.....
I thought that I was going to hate this storyline because it seemed like real gaysploitation the way they were advertising it and playing it up but I am actually starting to like it. I think it's kinda cute.
post #18 of 44
10/28/09 at 7:32pm
"Brothers & Sisters" has a gay brother who is planning on starting a family with his husband.

I love this show- it's my "Sunday night show"!
post #19 of 44
10/28/09 at 7:47pm
My parents refuse to watch any show ever again if there's even a hint of homosexuality on it. Pretty soon they're going to have to give up TV!!!
post #20 of 44
10/28/09 at 7:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by miasmommy View Post
"Brothers & Sisters" has a gay brother who is planning on starting a family with his husband.

I love this show- it's my "Sunday night show"!
Love Brothers & Sisters

Last year they were constantly making out and jumping in bed. I did appreciate their commentary of Gilles Marini this week
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