Zachary Quinto comes Out!

[PoorMansJB]

What I would like to see on movies and TV are just subtle, everyday things like maybe two actors in a restaurant scene holding hands or things like that, but I guess we are still in the phase of everything having to be highlighted or a ratings grab.

The recent and much ballyhooed Hangover-eque episode of Psych has just such a moment: While investigating the central crime, the team encounters two "partners" (something Lassi completely misinterprets). It's a very brief scene but nice in that the couple's status is obvious yet completely incidental -- beyond the fact that they're being gay effectively eliminates them as suspects in this particular incident -- and aside from having to explain to Lassi, no one otherwise makes any comment about them.

Oh, and I play for the other team but Saldana? Yes, SMOKIN'! As I like to say, "I may be immune, but I'm not blind."

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Star Trek Phase II got Gerrold to direct his "Blood and Fire" the way he wanted it to be scripted. Things are well handled, but even that episode sort of goes "Hey look at these guys...". What I would like to see on movies and TV are just subtle, everyday things like maybe two actors in a restaurant scene holding hands or things like that, but I guess we are still in the phase of everything having to be highlighted or a ratings grab.

[johnmiic]

Lucy Lawless even said the characters were a couple.

One of the female producers of the show, I forget her name, is a lesbian and she told the writers to incorporate the lesbian sub-text into the show.

Yeah, I remember being ticked off with ST:TNG--they would do suggestive Trill and hermaphroditic alien stories, but could they even in 10 Forward or in the back-ground show a same-sex couple? Evidently that was too alien, which is odd considering the setup of the ship.

And yet the gripe with TNG is, "too PC."

This is Rodenberry's Reach. Tho he promised there would be homosexual characters on ST-TNG he also prevented it from happening, with the involvement of his lawyer, Leonard Maizlish, as well, check out this inteview w/David Gerrold:

TVShowsOnDVD.com - David Gerrold Interview - Part 3

[PNGwynne]

Isn't it strange that people are Science Fiction fans, they like aliens and monsters and two-headed creatures, yet they feel awkward about someone being gay?

We can be so open-minded in fiction, yet narrow-minded in reality.
"I don't mind that he's from Alpha Centauri, as long as he doesn't kiss a man in public..."

It's a strange world...

Yeah, I remember being ticked off with ST:TNG--they would do suggestive Trill and hermaphroditic alien stories, but could they even in 10 Forward or in the back-ground show a same-sex couple? Evidently that was too alien, which is odd considering the setup of the ship.

And yet the gripe with TNG is, "too PC."

[Gorn Captain]

Isn't it strange that people are Science Fiction fans, they like aliens and monsters and two-headed creatures, yet they feel awkward about someone being gay?

We can be so open-minded in fiction, yet narrow-minded in reality.
"I don't mind that he's from Alpha Centauri, as long as he doesn't kiss a man in public..."

It's a strange world...

[johnmiic]

Then why did you???

JUST TO PIZZ ME OFF????????????

Shooting from the hip, dude.

[torgospizza]

The headline I saw was "Spock is gay"...

And thousands of slash fiction fans had their hopes confirmed.

[Werewolf]

Even though they are heralded by those who claim they were.

Lucy Lawless even said the characters were a couple.

AUSXIP Lucy Lawless | Lesbian News 2003

[bobws]

I Never thought Xena and Gabrielle were "That" kind of partners. Even though they are heralded by those who claim they were.

[Werewolf]

There was no thematic or social advocacy ground covered by Ellen which did not get trampled over by Will & Grace.

For all the hysteria the Ellen show caused at the time, the show itself was actually quite mild. An oddly enough I don't recall many people having problem with Xena at the time. A lesbian actress playing a one is too much for people but it's okay when its two straight actresses. Go fig.

[Dark Shadow]

I think Ellen lost her show because it became less funny because she partially made a advocacy platform out of it. First, she came out in real life and then she wanted to shift her fictional show from one where her character was straight to where she also comes out as gay. Such a decision was not motivated by the comic possibilities, it was motivated to send a message. And if the show's writers and other talent do not have the chops to artfully send that message in comedic form, people will be turned off to it. And the show, while pleasent enough, was not in that upper echelon to begin with (the All In The Family, Mary Tyler Moore show echelon).

Drop kicking "Ellen" from a confectionary fun comedy to a socially relavent comedy was not ever likely to work and that is what Ellen D. was trying to do.

I bet "Ellen" would've been fine for a few more seasons if Ellen the actress came out, but "Ellen" the show stayed the way it was.

I think that the backlash was more reality driven than fictional character/story related. Take a look at the success of Will & Grace which hit the screen just months after the demise of Ellen. Where Ellen attempted to offer a comic portrayal of a unique gay character portrayed by an equally unique gay individual, Will & Grace played upon sterotypes portrayed by (seemingly) straight actors. Ellen attempted to get the audience to laugh "with" the character while Will & Grace encouraged the audience to laugh "at" the characters. There was no thematic or social advocacy ground covered by Ellen which did not get trampled over by Will & Grace.

Incidentally, the actor who portrayed Jack on W&G, Sean Hayes, purposely concealed his own homosexuality from the public (all the way up until a little over a year ago) because he (and NBC) feared the same backlash.

[Hector]

I knew you wouldn't like it

Then why did you???

JUST TO PIZZ ME OFF????????????

[Hector]

I'm talking romantic leading roles...just like PNGwynne pointed out...

[johnmiic]

I don't know why some dudes () have the need to say she's not all that and that...lol.

I knew you wouldn't like it but it's just my opinion. (Not sure how you mean the use of the word "dude" tho).

(OK, Thandie Newton is NOT African-American, lol)

You're right and neither is Melanie Brown/Scary Spice. My mistake.

He's not a romantic leading man, (Ian McKellen).

Still an A-Lister tho. Magneto? Gandalf? Not romantic roles but extremely high visibility nonetheless.

[mego73]

I think Ellen lost her show because it became less funny because she partially made a advocacy platform out of it. First, she came out in real life and then she wanted to shift her fictional show from one where her character was straight to where she also comes out as gay. Such a decision was not motivated by the comic possibilities, it was motivated to send a message. And if the show's writers and other talent do not have the chops to artfully send that message in comedic form, people will be turned off to it. And the show, while pleasent enough, was not in that upper echelon to begin with (the All In The Family, Mary Tyler Moore show echelon).

Drop kicking "Ellen" from a confectionary fun comedy to a socially relavent comedy was not ever likely to work and that is what Ellen D. was trying to do.

I bet "Ellen" would've been fine for a few more seasons if Ellen the actress came out, but "Ellen" the show stayed the way it was.

I believe you are exactly right in your observation.

Youngsters who struggle with this particular form of self-identification do not usually have the luxury of immediate familial support & understanding which only serves to amplify their feelings of isolation & despair. And for some of these individuals, it can be extraordinarily intimidating to seek outside counciling of any kind. Sometimes, but unfortunately not often enough, having an admired real life "Hero" to relate to can help alleviate some of the associated pain, anxiety and fear.

****

I appreciate Quinto's matter of fact approach and do not see anything preachy about any of his statements. If it gets to the point where he's calling everyone who critiques him or disagrees with his opinions a "homophobe" or "bigot", that's when he loses my respect.

In regard to the status symbol comment, I'd like to see 5 examples of A-list celebrities who have "come out" and actually had their careers enhanced because of their public admissions? I can't even think of one. Although I do not consider her an A-List celeb, Ellen lost her prime-time hit show and it took several years for the dust to settle before she was able to return to TV.