why does TV insist on showing all gay men as softly spoken girly camp characters?

Question

i know some gay men and they are just like anybody else, why is it that if a gay man is on tv then he has to sort of "act" gay
for example the man on the friday night project, alan carr he hsa been chosen because he is a stereotype of what people would assume to be gay,
can a gay man still be funny if he dosent act so camp

thank you for your answers


xxx

Answer 1

Because they are scared to admit the reality of the fact that the average gay man is actually *normal* just like them.

Answer 2

Softly spoken? Look at Matt Lucas from Little Britain and you have a guy who likes bum-fun without being stereotypical - unless of cause he plays a stereotype like Daffid. But Matt is certainly not softly spoken and not the least girly.

OK, that might be the exception that confirms the rule, so lets see... Stephen Fry or Sir Ian McKellen?

You might refer to actors who are actually hetero but are playing gay and using the described behaviours because they think that the stereotype can be best and easiest understood?

Answer 3

because in a sense gay guys are girls since they have low testorone count. Think about it why do gay guys want guys because their chemicals in there brains tell them they are in a sense women.
the chromosomes x and y only desifer sex boy or girl not sexual orientation. Straight women have high estrogen and very low testosteron. Straight women who are more sexualy active have a little more testosteron in them. Just like girly gays like to be ressesive have lower testosteron than manly gay men who like to be aggressive have higher amounts of testosteron. The manly gays are at the boarder of being straight but prefer guys than girls. This is usually where bisexuality comes in when manly gays are confussed. Then there is a straight male who buy women are called the "nice guy" because he respects them and is a little sensative and has some emotions. Then their is the "jerk" who has the most amount of testosteron this guy loves to **** some ***** all the time and has little to no emotions and can't really pick up any body elses emotions. This is the coolest guy who usually gets all the women and makes all the other nice guys really jealous. So orientation is not a choice and it doesn't need to be "cured" cause its not a disease. However, anybody who really wants to change can, its a matter of chemicals in the body.
To answer the other question girly gay guys are funny, in a postive way, and it is the steryo type just like how asians are good at math or irish like to drink or the greeks are loud, white people only care about themselves and how blacks are suppose to be gangstas none of this is true.

Answer 4

Because the truth is a lot of middle-england still finds 'real' gay people offensive. I doubt Graham Norton would be presenting on the BBC if he didn't make comments about how being gay is so different every 5 minutes. People don't like seeing someone who they can empathise with who is also gay.

And a lot of gay men who behave in a passive way don't actually mention that they're gay unless there's a situation which calls upon it.

Answer 5

Because TV programmes don't have the time or resources to explain in detail the background of any character; They have to use stereotypes so that the viewer can identify who, or what, the character is supposed to be.
A 'softly spoken girly camp' gay man is instantly recognisable as gay, whereas a more 'normal' (whatever that means) looking, acting and speaking gay man wouldn't be so easily identified by the viewers.

Answer 6

It is a way of getting gay men to be accepted as mainstreme... the fact that the guys have to portrayed as femanine is what makes their characters so appealing and fun to watch... ie: look at Jack from Will & Grace. He was exceedingly popular... though that hardly makes that kind of stereotype right... or even accurate.
Queer as Folk was an excellent show that portrayed all type's of gay characters and despite being labled as a show full of stereotypical characters, it was a show that blossomed with diversity. Another good show that offered an grounded look at a gay couple was Six Feet Under. Those shows were on HBo and Sho-time so the mainstreme TV shows ahve yet to get past the ideal "camp" a gay man is supposed to bring to the show and just make them be like everyone else.

good question.

Answer 7

Something I have wondered about I notice that reality TV programs such as Big Brother get the campest gay men they can find to go on the shows It's nowonder they are stereotyped

Answer 8

It's stereotyping rearing its ugly head.

It doesn't help that the more camp variety of gays do get a lot of attention, because they are so different from the "norm".

People like being able to identify gayness. It freaks them out that there could be gay guys who actually aren't all pink feather boas and high hysterical laughter.
Then people would have to admit that gays aren't all that different from themselves! A very scary thought to some of them.

Answer 9

nicely Milk is a super one . try the Ellen instruct ( earlier she grew to alter right into a communique instruct host ) whilst she got here out on the instruct . South of Nowhere , they are all little ones accepting the gay couple , not probable being concerned . isn't somebody on 90210 gay ? The L be conscious , haha extensive one . all people's nice , the character performed with the aid of Drew Barrymore is gay .

Answer 10

Not all tv does but a large percentage does. I agree. Yet the program 'Skins' here in england gives a very fair potreyal of a gay teen which surprised me in its maturity.

Answer 11

because those are the ones that women like to hang out with and men don't usually watch those kind of shows so they make the program fit the viewer

im gay and nobody can tell untill im around a girl that likes me and my families there then im in trouble