I love discussing the seuxality of the characters and find it to be one of the greatest and most important aspects of Skins. It's so much more progressive than any other teen (or even adult) shows on television, that usually have a black/white prespective on sexuality, even when they're open to LG storylines (GG, Glee [ugh], PLL, etc). The characters on Skins are rarely identify as exclusive to one gender. The attraction has always been about the person and not the gender (bar Maxxie). This series of Skins has played with that more than any other and I hope they will continue to do that and I'll be really impressed if they manage to get off without putting a label on a single character this Gen.
It's so much more progressive than any other teen (or even adult) shows on television, that usually have a black/white prespective on sexuality, even when they're open to LG storylines (GG, Glee [ugh], PLL, etc). Yes, I agree! I can go on for days about how problematic Glee is (in most avenues) in terms of sexuality. The way they handled bisexuality disgusts me.
Honestly, I don't watch Glee anymore, I just read the re-caps when ~something important~ is happening or my friends tell me - so I don't want to sound like I'm talking out of my ass but, I swear that show is has to be one of the most sterotypical and offensive things I've ever seen. Kurt has to be one of the worst gay characters on television. I can't believe the actor won an Emmy and that show is recognized for outstanding writing. I wish more people and critics would realise that having a gay/lesbian character on a tv show doesn't necessarily make the show more open-minded or.. Shit, idk the word I'm looking for - it doesn't automatically mean it's a GOOD representation of LGBT people and should be taken as such.
Kurt has to be one of the worst gay characters on television. I can't believe the actor won an Emmy and that show is recognized for outstanding writing. OH MY GOD, YES. I feel like I'd get shanked for saying this elsewhere, but seriously he's the worst. Such a stereotype it's sickening.
Yes, in most cases they are: Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions.
A gay male character that has feminine attributes, a sassy way of speaking, bright sense of fashion, and a knack for singing soprano - is stereotyping. Taking an already sensitive subject like homosexuality and plastering pre-conceived notions people have is uncreative and ignorant. Kurt is boasted by the media as a gay character unlike any other, when really, if you look at him, he has every generalization that gay males are called out on, written all over him. Instead of giving people the opportunity to delve into a person's character, it only highlights what people already generalize about and assume as fact.
I didn't say stereotypes aren't horrible. They are. I said being stereotypical isn't.
People have been given more of an opportunity to delve into Kurt's character than most of the other Glee characters. If they still only see him as The (stereotypical) Gay Kid. It is because they are choosing not to look beyond that.
I get that having stereotypical characters can reinforce stereotypes. Which is why there needs to be lots of non-stereotypical characters. But on the other hand I hate the attitude of no one is allowed to have stereotypical traits. Like if you are stereotypically gay, you cannot have representation because omg what will the straight people think.
SERIOUSLY. I see shit commending Glee for shit that's on the show everywhere, and it pisses me off because 1) Degrassi has been doing it for WAY LONGER, and they do it better. I'm a huge Degrassi fan obviously. But Skins also does it better. MUCH better. But because Degrassi and Skins are less mainstream and cookie cutter, they don't get the attention they deserve.
I can go on for days about how problematic Glee is (in most avenues) in terms of sexuality.
There are a lot of things about that that bother me, but I can't really put my finger on all of them. Do you have any links to posts or articles discussing those aspects?
The way they handled bisexuality disgusts me.
Do you mean Kurt saying that bisexuals were just pretending to be bisexual and were really gay? (Or at least I think that's what he said; I don't remember exactly what it was.) Or did they do something else that I missed?
I don't follow, like, Glee reviews or anything, so I don't know if the social media really tore down anything Glee has done regarding this topic, but I personally am bothered with SO much about how the show handles things, most specifically the LGBT community and women.
That's the biggest thing that pissed me off. He said something along the lines of "guys who say they're bisexual only say it to hold girls' hands in the hallway" or something. And instead of the show making that a storyline and educating Kurt about bisexuality, they had Blaine say that he wasn't sure what he was, kiss a girl, and then say NO YOU'RE RIGHT I'M DEFINITELY GAY. They didn't even bother to address Kurt's problematic view on bisexuality. It was disgusting.
That's the biggest thing that pissed me off. He said something along the lines of "guys who say they're bisexual only say it to hold girls' hands in the hallway" or something. And instead of the show making that a storyline and educating Kurt about bisexuality, they had Blaine say that he wasn't sure what he was, kiss a girl, and then say NO YOU'RE RIGHT I'M DEFINITELY GAY. They didn't even bother to address Kurt's problematic view on bisexuality. It was disgusting.
I like Glee (as in I find it enjoyable - I don't actually think it's high quality TV lolol), but yeah, the bisexuality thing was disgusting. I don't see why they couldn't have made Blaine bisexual - he still could've ended up with Kurt as it was always obvious that's where things were heading - instead of brushing the issue under the table and basically validating Kurt's ignorance.
Pisses me off so much. They're trying to be ~groundbreaking or what the fuck ever, but things like that actually affect bisexual people A LOT. Being bi has such a stigma within the gay community, because people think it's... not real or something. Reinforcing that idea just hurts. You'd think they wouldn't do that, considering how they're trying to break some sort of ground with their gay characters. Whatever.
It was sad realizing how terrible the show is, when I did want to like it. Even if the acting SUCKS. But it is FOX, so why am I so surprised? I also hate the way they represent their female characters, for the most part. They're either fucking insane, completely bitchy and stereotypical, or so obsessed with boys that it impairs their functioning.
I love discussing the seuxality of the characters and find it to be one of the greatest and most important aspects of Skins. It's so much more progressive than any other teen (or even adult) shows on television, that usually have a black/white prespective on sexuality, even when they're open to LG storylines (GG, Glee [ugh], PLL, etc). The characters on Skins are rarely identify as exclusive to one gender. The attraction has always been about the person and not the gender (bar Maxxie). This series of Skins has played with that more than any other and I hope they will continue to do that and I'll be really impressed if they manage to get off without putting a label on a single character this Gen.
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Yes, I agree! I can go on for days about how problematic Glee is (in most avenues) in terms of sexuality. The way they handled bisexuality disgusts me.
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OH MY GOD, YES. I feel like I'd get shanked for saying this elsewhere, but seriously he's the worst. Such a stereotype it's sickening.
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A gay male character that has feminine attributes, a sassy way of speaking, bright sense of fashion, and a knack for singing soprano - is stereotyping. Taking an already sensitive subject like homosexuality and plastering pre-conceived notions people have is uncreative and ignorant. Kurt is boasted by the media as a gay character unlike any other, when really, if you look at him, he has every generalization that gay males are called out on, written all over him. Instead of giving people the opportunity to delve into a person's character, it only highlights what people already generalize about and assume as fact.
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People have been given more of an opportunity to delve into Kurt's character than most of the other Glee characters. If they still only see him as The (stereotypical) Gay Kid. It is because they are choosing not to look beyond that.
I get that having stereotypical characters can reinforce stereotypes. Which is why there needs to be lots of non-stereotypical characters.
But on the other hand I hate the attitude of no one is allowed to have stereotypical traits. Like if you are stereotypically gay, you cannot have representation because omg what will the straight people think.
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There are a lot of things about that that bother me, but I can't really put my finger on all of them. Do you have any links to posts or articles discussing those aspects?
The way they handled bisexuality disgusts me.
Do you mean Kurt saying that bisexuals were just pretending to be bisexual and were really gay? (Or at least I think that's what he said; I don't remember exactly what it was.) Or did they do something else that I missed?
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That's the biggest thing that pissed me off. He said something along the lines of "guys who say they're bisexual only say it to hold girls' hands in the hallway" or something. And instead of the show making that a storyline and educating Kurt about bisexuality, they had Blaine say that he wasn't sure what he was, kiss a girl, and then say NO YOU'RE RIGHT I'M DEFINITELY GAY. They didn't even bother to address Kurt's problematic view on bisexuality. It was disgusting.
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WOW.
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