(quote from David)
But then, where was all the outrage with "Will & Grace"? That show regurgitated decades old gay stereotypes every single week. Will and Jack? Give me a break. Jack the flaming queen and Will the preppy compulsive "neat freak". I guarantee you Will & Grace was a show that offended many gay Americans; myself included.
What about "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"? Another offensive show to many gay people. Carson Kressley? That man flames like a welding torch. He IS the typical gay stereotype. Where's the anger?
Ever since I was little, I have always sat in the chair nearest the door whenever I watched television.
When I was five, it was the scary parts - my family could say whatever they liked about all pretend, it was too too real for me. I had to know I could escape if I had to. And now it's the cringe-inducing parts. I watch very little television. And the less you watch television, the less acclimatised to all that tripe you are, so you are even more sensitive to the things that cause cringing. There are a lot of programs I have been curious about but have only been able to take random samples of. Whenever I could stomach wandering back into the room. And I judged these programs harshly on deliberately spotty evidence.
Far too much humor on TV is written by people who make us think they have a boring nine-to-five job writing humor.
And a lot of people turn on certain shows and laugh on cue because they just planned to have that release at that set time and damn it, insipid writing isn't going to spoil their plans.
The very best humor is a sudden totally fresh flash revelation of what it is to be a person in the world. There is definitely a certain social convention involved, a mental setup for being amused because you expect that of a certain show or author or funny friend. But you are not disappointed if they are good, they come through with something you would never have anticipated. The customary support of the normal beliefs you normally sit on is knocked away and you are there shaking helplessly on the floor instead. (And I do literally slip off the couch or bed sometimes and do that).
I agree with others that small-scale unoriginal unfunny humor making fun of groups of people does huge harm in the world. That was a memorable phrase Hannah Arendt came up with, the 'banality of evil.'
Sometimes I deliberately expose myself to a show I know is supposed to be perpetuating stereotypes, just to see if I have been stereotyping it! I watched Queer Eye once, early on in the first season. Although Carson Kressley was trying hard to succeed and be accepted by being stereotypical, the others were just rather intent on their tasks, to set up a special evening in which their subject, John, would propose to his girlfriend. John was a handsome goodnatured young man who responded rather gracefully when Kressley made a stupid, totally fake pass at him. As the culmination, a elaborate pavillion for two lavishly strewn with rose petals was raised in the courtyard. And then the last thing I expected happened. In spite of all the distractions and frivolities of the filming, this was clearly a very important day to John. And when he was suddenly allowed to see the magical pavillion, he suddenly got a catch in his voice. The hokeyness and commercialism of the show suddenly disappeared for a few seconds and you felt his intense gratitude for these five generous strangers who were doing their utmost to make his marriage proposal memorable for himself and his future wife, these men who expressed with their extravagant designs the hugeness of what he felt for her but could not have found a symbol for by himself.