Week 14 is all about shitty representation*: whether it’s fake, plays too much into a trope, or is just plain wrong isn’t of too much importance today. What matters most with this classification is that we see harm being done to the community or misconceptions being perpetuated.
For the first post of the week let’s talk about a dangerous trope: The GBF
Will & Grace is typically lauded as a trailblazer in queer representation in mass media, and it did pave the way for queer love stories on primetime American television. However, as does come with the territory, the show contains some tropes, namely the (relatively) sex-less gay best friend, whose main job seems to be delivering pep talks to his hetero- female best friend regarding sex, love, marriage, and anything else that takes the attention off of his personal life. He is there to be a punchline (whether it be as the comedian or as the butt of the joke) and that’s pretty much it. Think of Will & Grace without Jack. Funny? No. Does the show still go on? Absolutely. Jack is extremely effeminate, and as can be seen from this ethnographic evidence, not all gays are with it.
When responding to the question of: “what bothers you the most about LGBT representation in TV/Film?
Even though the inclusion may be a step in the right direction, it can be damaging, especially to queer youth who may otherwise identify with the character (bar the negative/stereotypical traits). In “Redefining Realities through Self-Representational Performance,” author Jama Shelton writes, “An affirmative sense of identity is one in which a person feels safe, nurtured, and recognized: ‘It is very difficult to grow up with a positive self-image when one’s identity carries a stigma. People who are unable to conform to the standards society calls normal are disqualified from full acceptance” (72).
This unfortunate trope has been included in more than just W&G but nearly any contemporary show that contains a gay, male character. Here’s an ethnographic definition.
Here are some more examples of the gay dude who’s just there (mainly) to be a support to the cis, hetero woman who cannot seem to keep a man. Get it together, sis.
Though not a screenshot from Glee, (this one’s from RuPaul’s Drag Race), this GIF shows Chris Colfer, who portrayed Kurt Hummel on Ryan Murphy’s smash-hit Glee. While Glee, just like Will & Grace, did break many barriers, it did so with stereotypes, and Kurt as a GBF could be seen as one of these tropes.
George in My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
I still consider this work contemporary (for me) because I can remember actually sneaking watching this film when my mom purchased it on VHS.
Most notable for the most memorable moment of the film (another ode to the GBF), George is Julianne’s (Julia’s) gay best friend who advises her all about the trappings of her straight best friend getting married to a much younger woman. Helpful? Eh. We did get the gay-led version of “I Say a Little Prayer” though, so there’s that.
*The reason I call the GBF trope fake is because the trope posits that the gay man’s sole purpose is to be an omniscient sexual, spiritual and romantic advisor. He is also typically very effeminate and can check off many boxes in the gay male stereotype. (He’s SO fashionable, trendy, aloof, etc.).
