Tell me your thoughts on todays ideals of gay men via mass media?

The same could be said for everybody- Especially women. Magazines are generally very biased toward young, slim, white people regardless of sexuality.

I do think the gay community is much more discriminating of appearance. I don't know if that's necessarily a new thing though and I think the reasons for it are more complex than media influence.

 

One of the prices you gotta pay for entering the mainstream.

 

This. You really think it´s different for straight people?

Also it´s only like that as long as they are young themselves. People over 40, no matter what their orientation is, seem to become milder in judgement. Or broaden their vision or however you wanna call it.

 

First, this is an interesting post and welcome. I thought of your town as more of a hetero, party school type of place, so that there's gay community is kind of surprising. Is it a large one? I don't know about the limitations you mention. It sounds like you're describing Will of "Will and Grace," though skinnier and a little younger. What about the fact that there is a market for guys who look like firemen, or are firemen, and sturdy corn-fed small town jocks who now might work for a package delivery company? I think the problem is to get sucked in by mass media, either in print or on the screen. If I saw "Men's Health" on someone's coffee table, I'd think "Wow, this person is looking for instructions on how to be a poster boy." I would never buy such a publication.

I think a much more pressing issue is the presentation of non-straights in the media, even today! I don't think it's positive. The mere inclusion of gay characters doesn't accomplish this. It seems like they're there to be poster children for stereotypes. I wasn't watching, but could hear "Modern Family" in the background. I heard this argument between two girls: "I don't think he's gayyyyyy." "Yes, he's gayyyyy." "No, he's not." Sickening, really. Whenever, the way gay is stretched out to gayyyyyy, that's degrading, because of the tone. Add to that characters who are kind of flaming. There need to be more characters who are regular guys, like Campbell Scott's character in "Longtime Companion" (90s movie, I think). People say there's all this progress, but I don't see it.

Yeah, and I agree. This same shallowness and pecking order exists among straight people, women AND straight men. Straight men come with a checklist as well, and it's used to pick their friends and adherence to the checklist also fetches more female attention for them. Good point.

 

It's just like anything else. The idea man, the ideal woman, they ideal gay couple, the ideal family... You just have to remember its just what society wants you to believe is normal, which is not actually the norm. And not ponder on it too much, because if you do, you start thinking you're the one who's not right, when you are.

 

I said it before and will keep saying it, those kind of TV series are sitcoms. Comedy... they overdo everyone and everything. Including straight people (and blacks for that matter).

I see plenty of perfectly normal gay characters in hospital series for instance.

It really depends what you are watching.

In movies you also way more often see gay people in serious roles.

So yeah, I see progress.

Funny enough I stumbled on this (gay actors whove played gay characters)just minutes ago...

 

Unfortunately, the media strives for everyone to try to look up to this "perfect figure" whether you are straight, gay etc etc. The media is always influencing the wants and ideas of society and it will continue to do so because people buy into the media and the media has a skill in which it grasps people's attentions' and is very influential. It is sad.

 

If that's what the magazine want to print, fine by me. That's what the magazine prints and we all know that isn't all gay couples.

Unless the only gay people are white thin males/females between the ages of 18-40, which is obviously not the case. I don't pay much attention to magazines anyways but if that's what sells for them, fine.

 

Media loves to portray the "perfect person". Like someone said, its mostly just young, skinny, in shape white people. From what I can tell, gay people are especially bad at what they consider attractive or perfect. "No blacks" or "No asians" or "No fats" are very common themes I hear about in the gay community. I know this isn't EVERYONE though.

Its also how we get portrayed in things like TV too. Stereotypes are strong. You know...the gay guys that are into fashion and love shopping and working out, etc etc...So if we get portrayed like that, of course the media and magazines are gonna print that stuff up, cause that's what everyone sees us as on TV everyday!

Its how the media works these days I guess. I do my best to avoid that stuff. Not my thing.

 

there's a reason I started avoiding mainstream media.. too much bullshit and inaccuracies

 

In all honesty, I don't think it's just gay males, it's everyone. White, conventionally attractive, and rich. It doesn't matter if you're male or female, gay or straight, if you don't fall into all three of those categories, then, to put it bluntly, you're fucked.

 

Huh?
Where exactly are you hearing this?

 

Your right, but most people aren't aware or don't watch those shows. That said, most of those actor's look extremely young even if they aren't, and while the culture among straight’s dose this also, considering are experiences, is not really the most helpful thing to emulate such a destructive system. However the bottom line is M O N E Y! Sex sells, it ties into alcohol, clothing, media, drugs etc.. (It's not Gay Culture, but American Culture)

 

I think the media portrays gay people according to the stereotypes because they want to make sure people know the person is gay. Otherwise, in the absence of dialogue or intimacy, the audience might not realize it. Let's face it, even in real life, unless you have told them, most people only know you're gay if you look and act according to the stereotype, and even then it's often not reliable, as we all know. I have a relative who acts more gay than me, but he's straight!

I too am bothered by the fact that the media seems only to be reinforcing the stereotypes but I give them credit for presenting gay characters at all. Despite the stereotypes, I think the more frequent inclusion and portrayal of gay characters on TV and in the movies has played a big part in increasing tolerance and acceptance during the past 15 years.

 

Ideals in magazines no way indicate ideals of reality. Yes a young, hot, rich guy would be sweet, but everybody needs love, and is capable of getting it from reasonable and caring people.

 

This is a pretty good assessment of the situation.