Gay relationships in children's entertainment

[Pyper]

A thread on the General Board about a woman who was having a difficult time explaining homosexuality to her son because there were no homosexuals in his family or community got me thinking about the presence of homosexuality in the other main focus of children's life: the media.

At present, I can think of no Western children's shows that portray alternative relationships. In cartoons, movies, and even puppet programs, the archetypal relationship is always heterosexual. On the other hand, the children's shows of other cultures such as Japan involve gays and gay relationships quite frequently, which are always censored out if the cartoon reaches America.

Do you think that it's a problem that children are not exposed to homosexuality in their entertainment? Do you think that if they were, it would affect their attitudes toward homosexuality? Did the entertainment industry ever give you the feeling that you were different because you did not see people like you on TV or in movies? Given that gay characters have started appearing in mainstream adult entertainment, is it only a matter of time until we see the first gay superhero, or is this something that is only in the far future?

 

[MzChrista]

Theres already been gay superheroes in comics but not on TV.
Its probably a matter of time.

 

[SweetCherry]

I think it can be difficult to express homosexuality to children. I can't say I was actually away of exactly what homosexuality or bisexuality was until I was about 10 or so, and then it wasn't anyone I had met, but something I overheard in the news. I didn't realize at that age exactly what it was.

My own kids came across it purely by accident while watching tv shows that I enjoy, such as Dawson's Creek and Drew Carey. They might not be the best shows for kids to watch, I suppose, but thru them, my kids now konw what "fag" means and that some boys like to kiss and hug boys and some girls like to kiss and hug girls, and that yes, in some places boys marry boys and girls marry girls. They also konw that some people in the world think that this is a bad thing, but that it's really NOT. It's just different than what they're used to.

Part of the way tho, I've raised my kids to accept differences in ALL people, be it skin color, physical differences, mental differences, whatever. I've taught them that different isn't bad. It all matters how open minded a person is, and the level of education the kids get. My own 2 are highly inquisitive and aren't afraid to ask me anything. I spose I'm lucky. My kids are being educated by me and will have the benefit of seeing an "alternative lifestyle" firsthand, because of my girlfriend.

 

[Pyper]

Theres already been gay superheroes in comics but not on TV.
Its probably a matter of time.

But those were more late-teen/adult comics, no?

 

[MzChrista]

But those were more late-teen/adult comics, no?

I dont know, Marvel superhero type comics are read by pretty young kids too.

 

[Pyper]

I dont know, Marvel superhero type comics are read by pretty young kids too.

True. (I, personally, wasn't reading comic books until my early teens.)

What I'm thinking, though, is that if children were exposed to homosexuality in their very early years-- say if, I know this sounds funny, but if there were a gay Sesame Street character or a gay lead in a Disney film-- they would grow up thinking that it was perfectly normal.

Years ago, only white characters appeared in children's movies, TV, and books. Now we have branched out to include racial minorities. I think it would be great if the same thing could happen with gays, but at the same time the cynical part of me thinks there needs to be a major shift in the country's attitudes before this happens.

 

[MzChrista]

I think youve got a good point. Maybe we ought to go along with Jerry Falwell saying that one of the Teletubbies is gay.

 

[SweetCherry]

I think youve got a good point. Maybe we ought to go along with Jerry Falwell saying that one of the Teletubbies is gay.

LMAO I always liked to stick with the idea that Bert and Ernie were gay, and not just room mates.

 

[Pyper]

I think youve got a good point. Maybe we ought to go along with Jerry Falwell saying that one of the Teletubbies is gay.

He's not gay, he's just British.

 

[glamorilla]

The character of "Clayface" was originally intended to be gay in the first season of the Batman Animated series~They didn't come right out and say it but ove he couse of the two parter he was shown in the copany of a male partner who cared very deeply for him. Ufortunately this litte spin was written out later but it was kidof neat to watch.

Thre are lots of gay and lesbian chracters in mainstream comics and just as many in ons aimed at a mature audience.

try www.gayleague.com if youre interested for a god who's who list and for som cool reading trythe Enigma miniseries which is basically th story of a mas coming out. Very good.

Before the series got rebooted the "Legion of Superheroes" had not one...but three openly gay couples in its cast that were written very honestly (I think youd like Vi and Ayla Mz.) and the team of Aollo and Midnighter are one of the reasons the Authortyremains one of DCs top selling titles.

As far as acual childrens programming the closest i can think of are select few after school specils that deal with the subject that aired back in the eighties.

 

[MzChrista]

Personally I think PeeWee Herman was serving up the ass to Cowboy Curtis on a regular basis.

 

[glamorilla]

Personally I think PeeWee Herman was serving up the ass to Cowboy Curtis on a regular basis.

who wouldn't?

 

[MzChrista]

who wouldn't?

Well me for one. Id be out behind the playhouse tying up Miss Yvonne.

 

[SweetCherry]

And here I thought I was the only one who watched that show religiously.

I kinda had a thing for Rita the mail lady. Wasn't that her name? I can't remember and I'm mildly drunk right now.

 

[destinie21]

I think it's kind of harc to expose children to homosexuality. Not wrong mind you just hard. I mean most kids know that woman and men have relationships but exposing them to homosexuality might mean exposing them to sexual explanations earlier on.

 

[MzChrista]

And here I thought I was the only one who watched that show religiously.

I kinda had a thing for Rita the mail lady. Wasn't that her name? I can't remember and I'm mildly drunk right now.

Reba

 

[SweetCherry]

Yeah, that's it. Reba. Too much trouble to think that much.

 

[Pyper]

I think it's kind of harc to expose children to homosexuality. Not wrong mind you just hard. I mean most kids know that woman and men have relationships but exposing them to homosexuality might mean exposing them to sexual explanations earlier on.

This I disagree with.

I don't think it is any more difficult to explain to a small child that men love other men or women love other women than it is to explain that men love women. Why would you even need to go into the sexual part of it?

 

[destinie21]

unfortunatly we still live in a society where being gay isn't normal but kids are very curios now and they have lots of questions about anything new that is presented I have a five year old niece and I can't imagine men love men and woman love woman being a satisfying answer she's already asking where babies come from and she knows it's not the stork or the cabbage patch she stopped beliving that 2 yrs ago when she saw a pregnant lady she looks right at her and says why's he so fat ? the lady tells her then she says ha I knew a stork coouldn't carry a baby in it's beak

 

[deliciously_naughty]

As I was watching I love the 80's, they pointed out the homo erotic tendencies of He-man..don't know if I buy it, but thought it was amusing to point out.

Beyond that, I don't see why introducing our kids to homosexuality is or should be difficult. Just explain that just as there are married couples of men and women, explain that two men or two women can have the same type of relationship. You don't have to go into the current legal debate over gay marriage or anything, but it gives them a great frame of reference. There are also plenty of great kids books, like Heather has two mommies.

I do think it would be great if we could see openly gay characters on kids shows, but I doubt it will happen soon. The major media powers are all very conservative (Disney being arch conservative) and I doubt that they would risk offending the right by doing something so controversial as this, right now. In the next 5-7 years? I certainly hope so.

 

[BlueSugar]

There are subtle things in everything, and i believe the teletubbies were asexual, it was all baby talk and rambeling and hugging and sharing nonsence, so one of them was a purple/triangle. Purple is unisex, along with all the other colors, green, yellow, red... i think the teletubbie debate was stupid, it was some silly children's show ::shrugs:: and what do adults care if it was a purple triangle... people over analyze too much.

I would like to point out that most disney toons don't have both parents. The lion king and before that, can you name 2 other toons that had both parents present in the movie? ((i'll post them a little later to keep the guessing))

They also changed xmen around, most of the characters weren't african american, asian, hispanic.... and now they are.
I think it is wonderful that they changed the origionals (even though it goes against the origionals...) I also like the controversy and conversation that Dawson's Creek...Queer as Folk has started ... its time that alterna lifestyles hit mainstream... even just to educate and get the conversation rolling, just to make people aware... ::shrugs softly::

i love this board ::hugs all::

 

[Angel]

Mr Smithers was never subtle about wanting Mr. Burns to lay him the pipe.

I for one, would have liked to see the feelings reciprocated.

 

[SweetCherry]

Mr Smithers was never subtle about wanting Mr. Burns to lay him the pipe.

I for one, would have liked to see the feelings reciprocated.

Heh. I thought Smithers was just an ass kisser. How could I have missed that?

 

[Pyper]

I would like to point out that most disney toons don't have both parents. The lion king and before that, can you name 2 other toons that had both parents present in the movie? ((i'll post them a little later to keep the guessing))

They also changed xmen around, most of the characters weren't african american, asian, hispanic.... and now they are.

The thing about characters having only one parent (especially just a father) isn't something that originated with Disney. It's a common trope in traditional stories in all cultures, and has to do with deep socio-psychological reasons that I just don't have the time to go into here.

Also, as far as I know (because I refuse to watch X-Men Evolution), only one black character was added to the original X-Men for the new show. No one's race was changed-- black, Asian, and Native American characters are present in the original comics.

 

[Temptress_1960]

THere are kids' books, though, like that one, I think the title was "Daddy's Roommate," and another was "Heather Has Two Mommies."