Why, Hollywood?
So I've been thinking (a dangerous pastime, I know).
Why does bisexuality not exist on TV? Or rather, why does it exist but no one is willing to acknowledge it?
There are two examples that I'm thinking of particularly. Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Callie from Grey's Anatomy.
Both started out the series they were in as apparently heterosexual. They crushed on men, were in relationships with men. They were portrayed as often perfectly happy in these relationships, and at no point during time did either express alternate desires or a sense of un-fulfillment. In other words, these were not portrayed as women using 'beards' to convince themselves they weren't gay. They were actually happy with men.
And then both women ended up dating women. Totally fine by me.
But from that point on the writers, show runners, fans, and even the characters themselves refer to themselves as gay.
But they're not. You don't switch sexual orientation. They were happy with men, and then were happy with women. That's the definition of bisexuality. In fact, Callie on Grey's even had a line of dialogue on the show where she said she still likes sex with men just as much as sex with women. They were not straight at one point and then turned gay. They were always bisexual, just dated men first. And yet no one uses the term bisexual. Why? I don't get it?
Furthermore, once women (I can't think of any male examples, sorry) 'go gay', they never go back. Again, why? Is it because the writers think it'll appear offensive to have the gay person turn straight (even though that's not how it works AT ALL)? I mean, I'm not saying they should go back to men at some point. But it never happens on TV.movies, and it does in real life. Someone needs to give us a little more diversity on that angle.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we're at least getting some alternative versions of sexuality represented in mainstream media. But just as there isn't just one version, there aren't just two either. Having the straight/gay population represented is great, but there's also bisexuals, transexuals, asexuals, intersexed individuals...Hollywood still has some work to do, and they could start by acknowledging the bisexual characters who already exist.
Why does bisexuality not exist on TV? Or rather, why does it exist but no one is willing to acknowledge it?
There are two examples that I'm thinking of particularly. Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Callie from Grey's Anatomy.
Both started out the series they were in as apparently heterosexual. They crushed on men, were in relationships with men. They were portrayed as often perfectly happy in these relationships, and at no point during time did either express alternate desires or a sense of un-fulfillment. In other words, these were not portrayed as women using 'beards' to convince themselves they weren't gay. They were actually happy with men.
And then both women ended up dating women. Totally fine by me.
But from that point on the writers, show runners, fans, and even the characters themselves refer to themselves as gay.
But they're not. You don't switch sexual orientation. They were happy with men, and then were happy with women. That's the definition of bisexuality. In fact, Callie on Grey's even had a line of dialogue on the show where she said she still likes sex with men just as much as sex with women. They were not straight at one point and then turned gay. They were always bisexual, just dated men first. And yet no one uses the term bisexual. Why? I don't get it?
Furthermore, once women (I can't think of any male examples, sorry) 'go gay', they never go back. Again, why? Is it because the writers think it'll appear offensive to have the gay person turn straight (even though that's not how it works AT ALL)? I mean, I'm not saying they should go back to men at some point. But it never happens on TV.movies, and it does in real life. Someone needs to give us a little more diversity on that angle.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we're at least getting some alternative versions of sexuality represented in mainstream media. But just as there isn't just one version, there aren't just two either. Having the straight/gay population represented is great, but there's also bisexuals, transexuals, asexuals, intersexed individuals...Hollywood still has some work to do, and they could start by acknowledging the bisexual characters who already exist.