BuddyTV gives Kalinda the thumbs up
John Kubicek on BuddyTV wrote an interesting rebuttal to the recently released GLAAD Network Responsibility Index that claims that CBS Once Again Receives a “Failing” Rating for Lack of Inclusion of the LGBT Community. He makes the argument that Kalinda alone is enough to redeem the network because quantity is not quality.
Thoughts?
Here are a few highlights from his article:
Why GLAAD is Wrong to Fail CBS and Praise the CW
[...]
Homosexuality shouldn't be an issue, it shouldn't be a quota that needs to be filled. CBS was given a failing grade for its lack of gay characters, but the truth is that a network full of crime procedurals with very little character development can hardly be criticized for such a thing.
Furthermore, GLAAD seems to ignore the fact that the single best portrayal of the complexity of human sexuality came from CBS: Kalinda on The Good Wife. Archie Panjabi earned an Emmy nomination for her work as the sexually ambiguous character who believes that her personal preferences are nobody's business but her own.
But GLAAD missed the point entirely. In their report, they encouraged CBS to bring Kalinda out of the closet, expressing frustration that The Good Wife "never directly addressed [her sexual orientation] and left the audience to guess if her character may have shared a kiss with a woman." I guess GLADD thinks that a person's sexual orientation is everyone's business and that if you choose to keep your private life private, you're living a lie.
Kalinda is a remarkable character who is worth five random token gay characters on any other network. She represents the idea that sexuality is a personal matter, not a public one, and that being labeled or put into a box isn't necessary. Kalinda should single-handedly earn CBS a passing grade from GLAAD because she represents everything the organization should be about.
[...]
If the organization really wanted to further its cause, it would look more at the quality of the portrayals and not just on sheer volume. One fully-formed, three-dimensional, complex gay character is worth a lot more than 20 thinly-drawn stereotypes.
Source: BuddyTV.com
You can read the Press release for the Network Responsibility Index on GLAAD's website or download the NRI here.
Thoughts?
Here are a few highlights from his article:
Why GLAAD is Wrong to Fail CBS and Praise the CW
[...]
Homosexuality shouldn't be an issue, it shouldn't be a quota that needs to be filled. CBS was given a failing grade for its lack of gay characters, but the truth is that a network full of crime procedurals with very little character development can hardly be criticized for such a thing.
Furthermore, GLAAD seems to ignore the fact that the single best portrayal of the complexity of human sexuality came from CBS: Kalinda on The Good Wife. Archie Panjabi earned an Emmy nomination for her work as the sexually ambiguous character who believes that her personal preferences are nobody's business but her own.
But GLAAD missed the point entirely. In their report, they encouraged CBS to bring Kalinda out of the closet, expressing frustration that The Good Wife "never directly addressed [her sexual orientation] and left the audience to guess if her character may have shared a kiss with a woman." I guess GLADD thinks that a person's sexual orientation is everyone's business and that if you choose to keep your private life private, you're living a lie.
Kalinda is a remarkable character who is worth five random token gay characters on any other network. She represents the idea that sexuality is a personal matter, not a public one, and that being labeled or put into a box isn't necessary. Kalinda should single-handedly earn CBS a passing grade from GLAAD because she represents everything the organization should be about.
[...]
If the organization really wanted to further its cause, it would look more at the quality of the portrayals and not just on sheer volume. One fully-formed, three-dimensional, complex gay character is worth a lot more than 20 thinly-drawn stereotypes.
Source: BuddyTV.com
You can read the Press release for the Network Responsibility Index on GLAAD's website or download the NRI here.