Gay characters in children's cartoons

[RaNDM G]

So, when my future kid walks up to me and asks me why spongebob and patrick can't get married but spongebob and sandy can, what do I say?

That it is impossible for squirrels, starfishes, or sponges to get married. Duh.

 

[Antari]

When the majority has the same view, then the change takes place. In this particular case there's only so much change that can be taken. Your not going to convert the whole planet. Unless our species is about to blink out like a light and stop reproducing.

...you do know that one doesn't have to be gay to disagree with the special-treatment argument, right? And that gay people do have kids (albeit with third-party assistance), right?

True, but in this particular instance your just not going to convert the whole planet. There's more than 2.5 billion people on the planet and the most of them tend to disagree on alot less personal things than sexuality. You've got a better chance at winning 5 lotteries in a single day ...

 

[chowderface]

So, when my future kid walks up to me and asks me why spongebob and patrick can't get married but spongebob and sandy can, what do I say?

That it is impossible for squirrels, starfishes, or sponges to get married. Duh.

No, you say, "Because Spongebob is so busy pining for his heteronormative love that he's blind to the connection sitting right in front of him.

Also, Patrick is too dumb to understand love, or the concept of being in it.

It's quite a tragic relationship when you think about it."

And then it's just a matter of going back in time to when the solution to a crying baby was to pour heroin down it's throat, because this is gonna be a doozy.

 

[Farseer Lolotea]

I think it wouldn't go amiss to have more gay characters, but I also think it's important that the RIGHT characters are gay. It's all well and good to have gay characters but stereotypical ones are just doing more damage than good.

Agreed on this count. Again, the best way to handle it is probably just the usual infatuation subplot with the crush genderflipped.

So to continue the MLP comparison, Rainbow Dash is entirely the wrong character for teaching kids about homosexuality BECAUSE she behaves in a stereotypically lesbian manner. I would probably choose Rarity or Fluttershy, or both, instead (this has the bonus of matching up with my own life experience; I've met one lesbian, ever, who was in any way notably masculine, the others were quite girly).

Now, I haven't actually seen the show. But from what I've heard, Rainbow Dash really isn't all that butch.

True, but in this particular instance your just not going to convert the whole planet. There's more than 2.5 billion people on the planet and the most of them tend to disagree on alot less personal things than sexuality. You've got a better chance at winning 5 lotteries in a single day ...

So...what you're saying is that because bigotry is inevitable, we should all just humor the bigots instead of trying to do anything about it. Gotcha.

Sorry, but I don't buy that.

 

[Top35]

I'm indifferent to gay characters in TV shows, as long as the show isn't throwing the fact that that they are gay in your face over and over. Being gay is one thing, but flaunting about bragging/showing off that you are gay is stupid and annoying.

^This, as long as the fact that they are gay is handled like any other romantic interest in the show it could work but if the show's creators decide to go overboard with it the situation just becomes over the top.

Secondly I don't know how I'd feel if Rainbow Dash was revealed to be gay. For the most part I just think of her as a little tom-boyish and I know plenty of chicks like that who aren't gay, so what to do =P

 

[Knusper]

Why not have them in kid's TV? One can't deny that there is homophobia in todays society. The best way to stop it is by introducing the concept to children at an early age so they don't call it 'weird' or 'unnatural' - two things which being of any sexuality is not.

 

[Hristo Tzonkov]

My opinion is that children's shows don't need forced material.It usually comes off as very racist or sexist.Sometimes having a gay character is just necessery as he best fits the plot.Like in Time Squad.How would you better fill Larry's shoes?The cartoon has a perfect balance of the cast and that's the way it should be.But that's not to say it would work in another show.Your primary concern should be making the show good.Imagine if every show was forced to have an ethnic cast and people with different sex orientation.It would just come as even more stereotypical.

 

[Farseer Lolotea]

Why not have them in kid's TV? One can't deny that there is homophobia in todays society. The best way to stop it is by introducing the concept to children at an early age so they don't call it 'weird' or 'unnatural' - two things which being of any sexuality is not.

I believe this has already been pointed out earlier, but that's exactly why the self-proclaimed moral guardians wouldn't want it to happen. Treating it as commonplace would make it more difficult to teach kids to hate.

My opinion is that children's shows don't need forced material.It usually comes off as very racist or sexist.Sometimes having a gay character is just necessery as he best fits the plot.Like in Time Squad.How would you better fill Larry's shoes?The cartoon has a perfect balance of the cast and that's the way it should be.But that's not to say it would work in another show.Your primary concern should be making the show good.Imagine if every show was forced to have an ethnic cast and people with different sex orientation.It would just come as even more stereotypical.

But no one's talking about forcing anything.

Why do we want sexual preference expressed in children's cartoons?

Because it already is, as long as it's hetero.

Also: why do you assume all the current characters are heterosexual? Is it because none of them fulfill a stereotype?

Because while there's of course no actual sex in a kid's show, there are often G-rated romantic subplots. And unless I missed some, they're invariably boy/girl.

 

[Antari]

I think it wouldn't go amiss to have more gay characters, but I also think it's important that the RIGHT characters are gay. It's all well and good to have gay characters but stereotypical ones are just doing more damage than good.

Agreed on this count. Again, the best way to handle it is probably just the usual infatuation subplot with the crush genderflipped.

So to continue the MLP comparison, Rainbow Dash is entirely the wrong character for teaching kids about homosexuality BECAUSE she behaves in a stereotypically lesbian manner. I would probably choose Rarity or Fluttershy, or both, instead (this has the bonus of matching up with my own life experience; I've met one lesbian, ever, who was in any way notably masculine, the others were quite girly).

Now, I haven't actually seen the show. But from what I've heard, Rainbow Dash really isn't all that butch.

True, but in this particular instance your just not going to convert the whole planet. There's more than 2.5 billion people on the planet and the most of them tend to disagree on alot less personal things than sexuality. You've got a better chance at winning 5 lotteries in a single day ...

So...what you're saying is that because bigotry is inevitable, we should all just humor the bigots instead of trying to do anything about it. Gotcha.

Sorry, but I don't buy that.

A study of human history basically will equate to equal rights meaning, "We won't hunt you down and burn you at the stake." Expecting much more than that is .. well wishful thinking. As progressed as the world may seem, it really isn't. Nuclear power is just an extension of the steam engine, we're just not using coal to heat the water anymore. Society is the same way. Don't think its progressed farther than it has. I know we'd all love to live in Star Trek, but unfortunately we're quite a ways off yet.

 

[chowderface]

Now, I haven't actually seen the show. But from what I've heard, Rainbow Dash really isn't all that butch..

Well...compared to, say, butch lesbians from less sensitive shows, or that one friend of mine I mentioned, no, in the grand scheme of things, she's not all that butch. But she's aggressive, loutish, and impulsive, and not spectacularly girly either, which makes her far more butch than the other ponies, so people identify her as a lesbian.

 

[Flippincrazy]

With many children's cartoons I don't think they could achieve the depth in character essential enough to accurately portray a homosexual character. In the majority of cases I would think they would just be made fun out of by the target audience (old habits die hard in children).

That said, if the writers did manage to pull off a realistic and not sterotypical homosexual character, I could see no harm in it. The results would be interesting to observe in the least. Hell, if we're going to indoctrinate the younger generation through television, we may as well indoctrinate them into more permissive and tolerant practices.

On another note, I highly doubt that they will make Rainbow Dash actually homosexual, it wouldn't ruin the character for me, but it just seems like a bit of a bold move.

 

[Hristo Tzonkov]

But no one's talking about forcing anything

Sorry if I've misunderstood but I thought that the topic was about a colored cast being essential for a show.

 

[Remleiz]

I grew up on Bugs Bunny. People seem to forget how often he crossdresses, and how often he kisses male characters. And there are a few Loony Toons cartoons featuring Sylvester getting a white stripe down his back and becoming an object of affection for Pepe Le Pew.

It can be done. People are just so focused on new things changing that status quo that they forget the obvious examples that already exist. And if things like that are so easy to miss, are they really so bad?

Yes i have to agree on this, remember seeing some of those cartoons when i was a kid and didnt think it was 'weird' or 'abnormal' i just remember being a kid, seeing it and being entertained, cuz it was looney toons, thats all kids care about really, they wouldnt care if a character is gay, sure they may ask a question or 5 but really they'll only care what slapstick situation happens to the cast of characters next

 

[Hlain]

Why do we want sexual preference expressed in children's cartoons?

It's not about sex, it's to show that kids that boys can like boys etc. There's no need for the character to go out and say "I'M GAY!". In many shows, the focus is on the children characters, so just changing someones parents to women is all that is needed.
That would also make it easier for children with same sex parents.

 

[Farseer Lolotea]

A study of human history basically will equate to equal rights meaning, "We won't hunt you down and burn you at the stake." Expecting much more than that is .. well wishful thinking.

You know...last I checked, while straight white men still had some degree of privilege, it was, in fact, possible for women and non-white people to hold positions of authority. Or for two people of the same sex to openly have a romantic relationship, for that matter. That's a bit beyond "we won't hunt you down and burn you at the stake." It's also a significant improvement on how it was only a few decades ago.

 

[Charli]

Yeah it would be fun to see some more homo-inclined (not sexual) implications in characters in American cartoon animation and I think we'll see it eventually once people finally see a line between the puppy-love-crush kid stuff, and the "Wooo Sex"-driven crap that no one under the age of 14 should even really have any comprehension of.

Like alot of people have said there are certain nuances to some characters that hint at their preference and don't intrude on character development or step on anyone's toes. It would just be nice to see it in a plot point one day.

There used to be alot of teen animated shoes that dealt with issues about growing up, I don't see why if this trend ever made a reboot, that this issue couldn't be explored some. I'd applaud the first animation producer to ride in to the challenge and take the bad and the good that comes with it.

 

[Farseer Lolotea]

So? I don't see an issue here. I've never once seen or heard of a bisexual subplot, or a subplot involving someone that is sexually attracted to feet or worms. Hell, I'm attracted to transsexuals. I've never even seen that in an adult television show.

While you may have a point when it comes to bisexuality or transsexuality (although there is the fact that those would both be a lot trickier to handle)...please tell me that you didn't just compare being gay to having a worm fetish.

I think the issue is more you personally taking issue with something that isn't an... issue. (Note to me: read a thesaurus)

To me, sexual preference is a non-issue. Same with race; if there was a show that had all green people, I wouldn't write in demanding more black and white people.

My 2cents, for all it's worth.

Sexuality may be a non-issue to you. But the very fact that people can argue that opposite-sex romance/infatuation subplots in cartoons are okay, but a same-sex one is special treatment? That says that socially speaking, it is an issue.

Sexual preference is sex -- heterosexual people find the opposite gender sexually attractive, while homosexuals the same. Lots of same sex characters live together. In fact, I think you'd find it easier to point out same sex characters living together than different.

Who's to say any of them aren't homosexual (or non-sexual, or bisexual)?

Because, again: every time there's a romantic subplot, it's boy/girl. It's all very G-rated, but even so.

You can dismiss it, or derail into talk about fetishes, all you want...but the fact that that's the only such subplot that's considered acceptable is culturally significant.