Poll: Should There be Gay Characters in Kid's Shows/Films?
- Thread starter interspark
- Start date
For the most part childrens characters do not display any outward sexuality. Some are best friends with their own sex some the other way round. There is no outward sexuality and that's the way it should be. Girlfriends/Boyfriends are usually presented as "icky" and that seems to work just fine. That sort of chemistry is already working across and between genders. Bert and Ernie are just as homosexual as any typical childrens heterosexual "couple."
Terrible idea. It would infect our children. All butch manly characters on kids TV. Definitely. Mehhhhhhh.
The far more important question, in my mind at least, is why kids shows need to be talking about any kind of sexuality in the first place.
I agree with this.SilentCom said:
Traditionally kids shows have almost no sexual themes what-so-ever and you could argue that all the characters are asexual in the context of the show.
I don't think that sexuality should be a part of kids' shows at all.
However, I remember back when 'Arthur' had an episode where they had a little girl that had two moms. That's fine, and should be treated as exactly what it is: equal.
However, I remember back when 'Arthur' had an episode where they had a little girl that had two moms. That's fine, and should be treated as exactly what it is: equal.
How young is the target audience. If pre-puberty, why the hell are you putting something that doesn't need to be there (physical attraction) in the first place, hetero or homo? Now if the audience is middle schoolers and the producers of the show deals with the issues of the conflict of homo vs. hetero in todays society maturely, ie doesn't make a fuss about it, then they should. If they want to add a gay character just cus and mess their personality up or do it awkwardly because they want deniability when FOX News comes after them then no. If they're willing to make a believable gay character and stand by their work when conservatives go after them then it's ABOUT... DAMN... TIME! Seriously, best to teach tolerance at a younger age so we get less WBC bigots in future generations.
I don't care at all if there are any homosexual characters in anything, even children's TV. There are actually more such characters out there on kids channels than you might think. The big problem is that older viewers are noticing it and making a big deal about it, when it was merely meant to be just another characteristic to fill their personality.
See.. what gets me is a lot of people see gay or sexual orientation and immediately think about sex... Sorry but being gay is not all about sex. Not anymore than being straight is. No, kids shows are not the place to be talking about sex.. but what's wrong with one of the characters having two moms instead of a mom and a dad? Just don't make a fuss about it, but show non-heterosexual couples do exist and they are not all strange and freaky.
In older kids shows when you've got the subtle flirting stuff going on between characters, it is always between a boy and a girl... why not two boys or two girls? Or heck, a love triangle with one of each? Why not introduce a character who's in mid transgender transition? Sadly media, especially media for children, is still stuck in the hetero-normative and cisgender-normative mindset. There's nothing wrong with showing the majority of people being straight or cisgender.. that's the way life is. But there are a lot of LGBT people out there too.. Ignoring that they exist, or worse using negative stereotypes when they are shown isn't very realistic and hurts those who are LGBT, since all they see are examples of what is 'normal', ie, straight and gender-conforming.
Of course, if gay or trans character would show up in children's media then the fundamentalist conservative crowd would be up in arms about 'corrupting and brainwashing the youth with their perverted agenda'. Despite the fact that you know... the entire history of media has been mostly pushing being straight and gender conforming as 'normal'... In other words, they think the only influencing agenda that should be shown is the one they believe in.
In older kids shows when you've got the subtle flirting stuff going on between characters, it is always between a boy and a girl... why not two boys or two girls? Or heck, a love triangle with one of each? Why not introduce a character who's in mid transgender transition? Sadly media, especially media for children, is still stuck in the hetero-normative and cisgender-normative mindset. There's nothing wrong with showing the majority of people being straight or cisgender.. that's the way life is. But there are a lot of LGBT people out there too.. Ignoring that they exist, or worse using negative stereotypes when they are shown isn't very realistic and hurts those who are LGBT, since all they see are examples of what is 'normal', ie, straight and gender-conforming.
Of course, if gay or trans character would show up in children's media then the fundamentalist conservative crowd would be up in arms about 'corrupting and brainwashing the youth with their perverted agenda'. Despite the fact that you know... the entire history of media has been mostly pushing being straight and gender conforming as 'normal'... In other words, they think the only influencing agenda that should be shown is the one they believe in.
No.
Reasons why:
It's a kids show. That thing that makes homosexuals different from heterosexuals is romance related. The subject of romance is not neccerily suitable for a kids show. Mainly because most kids don't give a toss about romance. Also, sex would be highly unsuitable and would promote the wrong message to young 'uns of "shag yourself happy".
Secondly, if the kids show is a "teen" show, cardboard homosexuality wouldn't be a good idea. Everyone goes through hormonal shifts as a teenager and they find themselves sexually attracted to anything. Teens who'd relate themselves to the characters would think they will forever be gay. What would be better would be "bicuriosity". The concept of homosexualiy imo is too black and white anyway (for a start, what would be the evolutionary benefit for a few members of a species not wanting to reproduce).
Third, outside of love and sex, the only characteristics that says "THIS CHARACTER IS GAY" is stereotypes. This is a bad role model. Not only does make the negative stereotype view bigger (It really annoys me that gay men are portreyed as always flamboyant and feminate). But also alienates people who do swing that way. "I'm gay but I don't like fashion and other girly things that America Teen dramas think I should like, I'm confused...".
How do you know that characters in existing kids shows *aren't* gay? You don't need a cardboard stereotype to check the "have atleast 1 homosexual character" Politcally Correct list. Gay people can be "noraml" (or what ever society dictates as the 'norm'). Just because of your sexuality doesn't mean your personality must follow the stereotype.
*Edit* You don't want to give ideas to idiots who are easily influenced by what they see on the TV. Actually, forget that. Thoes idiots deserve to be owned.
**Edit II** I don't think many young kids would care. Alot of children's characters/presenters are flamboyant as it is.
***Edit III*** I don't mind if a character in a kids shows has "two mummies" or "two daddies" as long as thier parents don't define the character. Otherwise is another form of subconscious bullying. The character has no characteristics except for their gay parents and that is how the character will be refered as constantly in discussion.
Reasons why:
It's a kids show. That thing that makes homosexuals different from heterosexuals is romance related. The subject of romance is not neccerily suitable for a kids show. Mainly because most kids don't give a toss about romance. Also, sex would be highly unsuitable and would promote the wrong message to young 'uns of "shag yourself happy".
Secondly, if the kids show is a "teen" show, cardboard homosexuality wouldn't be a good idea. Everyone goes through hormonal shifts as a teenager and they find themselves sexually attracted to anything. Teens who'd relate themselves to the characters would think they will forever be gay. What would be better would be "bicuriosity". The concept of homosexualiy imo is too black and white anyway (for a start, what would be the evolutionary benefit for a few members of a species not wanting to reproduce).
Third, outside of love and sex, the only characteristics that says "THIS CHARACTER IS GAY" is stereotypes. This is a bad role model. Not only does make the negative stereotype view bigger (It really annoys me that gay men are portreyed as always flamboyant and feminate). But also alienates people who do swing that way. "I'm gay but I don't like fashion and other girly things that America Teen dramas think I should like, I'm confused...".
How do you know that characters in existing kids shows *aren't* gay? You don't need a cardboard stereotype to check the "have atleast 1 homosexual character" Politcally Correct list. Gay people can be "noraml" (or what ever society dictates as the 'norm'). Just because of your sexuality doesn't mean your personality must follow the stereotype.
*Edit* You don't want to give ideas to idiots who are easily influenced by what they see on the TV. Actually, forget that. Thoes idiots deserve to be owned.
**Edit II** I don't think many young kids would care. Alot of children's characters/presenters are flamboyant as it is.
***Edit III*** I don't mind if a character in a kids shows has "two mummies" or "two daddies" as long as thier parents don't define the character. Otherwise is another form of subconscious bullying. The character has no characteristics except for their gay parents and that is how the character will be refered as constantly in discussion.
LCP said:
BreakfastMan said:
DarkRyter said:
Gunner_Guardian said:
DuctTapeJedi said:
Why do all of you assume that this has anything to do with sexuality?Ensiferum said:
A wonderful example of a gay character, as noted by DuctTapeJedi, is when a character has "two moms" or "two dads". That's all we're talking about here - introducing the idea that gay people are a normal part of society.
As I mentioned above, I was already an adolescent and already struggling with being bisexual when I first learned that gay people even existed. If I had known that liking girls was okay (that there wasn't anything wrong with me) then I would have been far less freaked out by it at the time.
I was harmed by the lack of gay characters in children's programming. It isn't about sexuality, it's about saying that gay people exist. It's as simple as "two mommys".
Edit: fixed a typo
Edit 2: And no one said "every" show - just some. Parents (or teenaged flirtations) are the best way to handle this - if neither exists in the show, then it doesn't matter. The issue is that, when there are parents or flirtations, they are always hetero.