The Modern Homosexual

In this week’s discussion we talked about homosexuality and its representation in the media. While we discussed how usually homosexuals are misrepresented in the media as often extremely feminine and over exaggerated or just the complete absence of them in general, I decided to take a look at newer shows that have been actually representing homosexuality in a less abrasive way and much not as stereotypical.
While shows like Will & Grace have shown homosexuality as sometimes stereotypical and reality television shows like The Real Housewives have used gays as a way of comic relief and sidekicks, other shows have attempted to go against this mode. Examples include Gossip Girl with Serena’s younger brother being gay and having a boyfriend, while neither is stereotypically homosexual, and his character’s conflicts on the show are not completely centered on his sexuality but he is instead treated as a real well rounded person. Melrose Place has Ella’s boss as a homosexuality but the way he came out was so nonchalant that it made it seem all the less important that he was gay. Finally, reality shows like The Real World have also helped with their wide range of homosexuals each season, while one season the individual may be extremely feminine and stereotypical, the next season the individual may be masculine and less exaggerated. While the media may never correctly represent homosexuality, thanks to shows like Real World, Melrose Place, and Gossip Girl the issue of homosexuality in the media has improved tremendously.