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The butt of all jokes?

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  • 17-06-2010 3:10pm
    #1
    GalwayGuy92
    Closed Accounts Posts: 106 ✭✭


    I was just wondering if anyone else finds that in films etc. LGBT people become the butt of most jokes if they feature in a comedy film? I noticed this last night during Wedding Crashers on Film4. I did find it funny how the gay brother was shown as a lunatic but I think maybe thats because I know he isn't actually there as a representation of all gay men but solely as a parody of the stereotype.
    This, I think could be missed by others who don't actually interact/have first hand knowledge of gay people, leading them further away from what being gay actually is. I'm not saying they are uneducated or that my interpretation is correct here but obviously the character isn't supposed to be taken seriously.
    I think this is the same in quite a lot of movies, Bruno and Borat both spring to mind, they are funny, hilarious even but I have noticed that many people tend to take their potrayal of gay people at face value. Maybe I'm reading waaaay too much into this but it has been on my mind quite a bit.


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    #2
    Aard
    Registered Users Posts: 4,905 ✭✭✭Aard


    I wouldn't worry about things like that. Shows like Will and Grace are more concerning.


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    #3
    Dr. Baltar
    Registered Users Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭Dr. Baltar


    The media will always use stereotypes. Hence why an Irish person in the simpsons will talk like a leprechaun ect.
    Films do not have the purpose of educating the masses but entertaining them.

    EDIT: The "butt" of all jokes. Poor choice of words? :P


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    #4
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    Dr. Baltar wrote: »
    EDIT: The "butt" of all jokes. Poor choice of words? :P
    It just isn't fair, it's really driving me round the bend. :pac:


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    #5
    antidark777
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭antidark777


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    It just isn't fair, it's really driving me round the bend. :pac:

    No one ever said life would be fair


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    #6
    GalwayGuy92
    Closed Accounts Posts: 106 ✭✭GalwayGuy92


    Dr. Baltar wrote: »
    EDIT: The "butt" of all jokes. Poor choice of words? :P
    Not really I managed to catch your eye! :p;)


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    #7
    anotherlostie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,722 ✭✭✭anotherlostie


    I'm sure some fat people are equally affronted by jokes at their expense. While most of them laugh it off. Comedy often offends - look at someone like Joan Rivers. I certainly don't lose any sleep over it unless the comedian is unfunny.


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    #8
    !!!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 329 ✭✭!!!


    This is definitely something gay people notice.

    Even for example, "the salon" last night, that Brian guy was only shown doing really camp things - they even said something like "brian feels a bit queer" or something at one stage :eek:

    They do it for the novelty. People actually genuinely believe gay people are like this, especially the people who live in the countryside and stuff, haha!

    Sh1tty.


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    #9
    wonderfulname
    Registered Users Posts: 3,943 ✭✭✭wonderfulname


    !!! wrote: »
    People actually genuinely believe gay people are like this, especially the people who live in the countryside and stuff, haha!.

    I'm ignorant because I'm a culchie? Or I'm straight because I'm a culchie? Cop on to yourself.

    And I haven't seen The Salon but I can say with about 90% certainty that Brian is propagating that image intentionally for the good of his career.
    Men like Brian are in shows like The Salon because a lot of women absolutely love the gay best friend idea.

    To be honest I couldn't care less, most people know things aren't real just because they saw them on d'tele, they do indeed view people like Brian as novelty acts, i.e. something they wouldn't see in real life.


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    #10
    Chuchoter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,306 ✭✭✭Chuchoter


    I think the difference is that, while I'm all up for laughing at myself, it would be nice if there was say, more than 2 shows where gay characters have a larger purpose than comic relief.


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    #11
    wonderfulname
    Registered Users Posts: 3,943 ✭✭✭wonderfulname


    crayolastereo wrote: »
    I think the difference is that, while I'm all up for laughing at myself, it would be nice if there was say, more than 2 shows where gay characters have a larger purpose than comic relief.

    Emmerdale
    Corrie (And no I don't mean the shane? guy I mean the young pair)
    Growing up gay
    At home with the braithwaites (Ok maybe it ended a long while back and was a comedy but..)
    The OC
    Ooh Fair City, how could I forget
    Buffy
    Skins
    Eastenders
    Glee
    Greys Anatomy

    Ok I have to confess I didn't think I'd come up with this many, you may have noticed I was clutching at straws at the start, I could probably come up with more now though..
    I think its easier to notice something when you think its taking the mick out of you than when it conforms to your world views.


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    #12
    theredletter
    Registered Users Posts: 301 ✭✭theredletter


    wonderfulname wrote: »
    I'm ignorant because I'm a culchie? Or I'm straight because I'm a culchie? Cop on to yourself.

    And I haven't seen The Salon but I can say with about 90% certainty that Brian is propagating that image intentionally for the good of his career.
    Men like Brian are in shows like The Salon because a lot of women absolutely love the gay best friend idea.

    To be honest I couldn't care less, most people know things aren't real just because they saw them on d'tele, they do indeed view people like Brian as novelty acts, i.e. something they wouldn't see in real life.

    Here here!

    That Dublin snobbery really irritates me.
    I'm a culchie as well... but somehow it doesn't affect how I view the rest of the world.


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    #13
    Dr. Baltar
    Registered Users Posts: 1,252 ✭✭✭Dr. Baltar


    crayolastereo wrote: »
    I think the difference is that, while I'm all up for laughing at myself, it would be nice if there was say, more than 2 shows where gay characters have a larger purpose than comic relief.

    Watch "Caprica" - the gay guy in it is a badass assassin who kills people with knives. Definately one of my favourite gays of all time!


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    #14
    Goodshape
    Registered Users Posts: 8,488 ✭✭✭Goodshape


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Little


    </thread>


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    #15
    Chuchoter
    Registered Users Posts: 4,306 ✭✭✭Chuchoter


    wonderfulname wrote: »
    Emmerdale
    Corrie (And no I don't mean the shane? guy I mean the young pair)
    Growing up gay
    At home with the braithwaites (Ok maybe it ended a long while back and was a comedy but..)
    The OC
    Ooh Fair City, how could I forget
    Buffy
    Skins
    Eastenders
    Glee
    Greys Anatomy

    Ok I have to confess I didn't think I'd come up with this many, you may have noticed I was clutching at straws at the start, I could probably come up with more now though.
    I think its easier to notice something when you think its taking the mick out of you than when it conforms to your world views.

    Ok I don't watch half of those shows but I guess you're right. Although in Glee, though Kurt does have serious storylines....I do feel like he's kind of there to be made fun of some of the time. Maybe I'm just taking it too seriously but they play on the gay thing a lot.

    In any case you can hardly say we're not made fun of in the vast majority of cases.


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    #16
    kisaragi
    Registered Users Posts: 404 ✭✭kisaragi


    crayolastereo wrote: »
    Ok I don't watch half of those shows but I guess you're right. Although in Glee, though Kurt does have serious storylines....I do feel like he's kind of there to be made fun of some of the time. Maybe I'm just taking it too seriously but they play on the gay thing a lot.

    In any case you can hardly say we're not made fun of in the vast majority of cases.

    They play on the gay thing a lot but it is a major part of his (or any young gay's character). It's a big part of your life coming to terms with who you are and coming out to your family etc.

    I quite like the way the Glee writers portray Kurt... He is pretty much the stereotypical gay guy, but there's sensitivity in his storyline and the way his dad acts towards him (as well as the rest of the cast) is great, especially in the later episodes.

    The one bad thing I could say though is that I don't really like the whole "trying to convert your straight friend" thing.


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    #17
    GalwayGuy92
    Closed Accounts Posts: 106 ✭✭GalwayGuy92


    kisaragi wrote: »
    They play on the gay thing a lot but it is a major part of his (or any young gay's character). It's a big part of your life coming to terms with who you are and coming out to your family etc.

    I quite like the way the Glee writers portray Kurt... He is pretty much the stereotypical gay guy, but there's sensitivity in his storyline and the way his dad acts towards him (as well as the rest of the cast) is great, especially in the later episodes.

    The one bad thing I could say though is that I don't really like the whole "trying to convert your straight friend" thing.

    +1!

    But I think Kurt is more in lust with Finn than trying to convert him, and just pines after him in an obvious way?


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    #18
    wonderfulname
    Registered Users Posts: 3,943 ✭✭✭wonderfulname


    GalwayGuy92 wrote: »
    But I think Kurt is more in lust with Finn than trying to convert him, and just pines after him in an obvious way?
    Agreed Kurt is a very well formed character, he's not just some 2D vehicle for innuendos. I think he just has a pretty big crush and he can't help how obvious he makes it. Either that or its obvious because subtlety and American television are two things which don't go well together.

    And although Glee does play up the gay thing massively, it also plays up the disabled thing, the foreign thing, and the young mother thing too. Its a show about misfit teens.


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