I remember reading about Page’s situation before seeing the ‘coming out’ episode in Umbrella Academy. I was really happy to see how they handled it in the show, including what seemed to echo some of his own issues with people who had trouble accepting him. Hollywood seems to have taken on the “token gay person” in nearly every show, but very few actually take the time to explain any of the problems faced in the daily lives of those who transition.
And Hollywood’s gay character is ALWAYS the same: “gay” voice, fashionable, sassy, uptight, obsessive, but no real emotions or depth. It’s like someone once told them what gay men are like based on a 90s stereotype and they just stuck with it.
And lesbians are always ugly and butch
Honestly I’m really tired of it. OK cool, some story lines benefit from having gay characters, or their universe is broad enough that yeah you’re going to run into them at some point… But Hollywood seems to have decided that EVERY show must have a gay character, no matter how forcefully or awkwardly you had to add them to the cast. Great, you’ve openly embraced the LGBTQ community, we get it. And yes there are a lot more of us than most people realize, but the larger percentage are NOT out, not immediately accepted by all of their friends and coworkers, and most certainly not safe to show their true nature in general public. I mean it’s cool that Hollywood wants to show an ideal world where those things are possible, but it seems to me that if they really wanted to make an impact then they should be showing what really happens, how people are getting hurt physically and emotionally, how children are being disowned by their families… Show the real-life drama that is driving people to suicide and give us shows that actually make people think about their actions towards the community. I know, it’s really too much to hope for because -GASP- it might hurt their ratings.
This is so interesting to me because for the longest time, the only queer stories ever told in Hollywood were the tragedies - happy queer characters are relatively new, and I think space for both is so important. Hollywood can absolutely be doing more in showing some of the current issues our communities are actually facing, but there’s huge benefit in showing possibility models - especially for young people and their parents. So many parents are terrified of what their kid’s life is going to be like, because how they think of queer people has been influenced by decades of tragiqueer storytelling - those positive stories can help a lot.
Hmm I guess I hadn’t thought about it as role models. It’s certainly a good thing to show that LGBTQ’s are regular people too, and acceptance is a beautiful thing, I just feel like they’re over-doing it and they are just going to drive away the people who actually need to hear this message. I hear complaints about “woke being shoved in everyone’s face” and this is the sort of thing that comes to mind. Fortunately I’m starting to see some shows like the new Quantum Leap where gender-nonconformity isn’t the central theme but rather the character just are who they are, nobody makes a big deal out of it, and there might be some episodes that deal directly with their trauma. I feel like this is a better way to send a message without immediately scaring away those who are reacting negatively against people being themselves – basically a Conservative tactic where you sneak things in a little at a time so people don’t notice.
Regardless, I really hope we’re reached a turning point where the next generation won’t be so damn focused on gender roles being black&white. Hopefully we find a balance somewhere that lets everyone just start getting along with each other.
Oh absolutely- I feel like the best representation we have is characters who just happen to be part of the rainbow community, rather than it being a focus of the plot. Queer-specific stories are important and useful, but it’s so important for everyone - us, allies, young people, general public - to see rainbow characters just living their lives in tv and movies without it being a huge part of their character or storyline.
Ask them what “woke” actually means.
People are generally pretty lazy, uncreative and easily influenced - you show more of the exaggerated ideal on screen because society lacks imagination. They can handle little to no nuance.
So while I understand your frustration, there is also the reality that if you show that all people get disowned by their family, then you normalize/perpetuate that behavior even further (especially in less experientially diverse areas). It becomes and remains “one of the steps” of the process of coming out our meeting outed.
Basically, if someone comes out on a generic, middle of the road CBS TV show like the big bang theory or something… and the out character is building up fear about a pending negative interaction with the parent character, and the parent ends up saying, “we knew all along… And we just love you as long as your safe and happy” - well then that interaction actually imprints something on real life grandma in Missouri. She sits with that for a bit and processes, discusses a bit with friends at the salon maybe, and when her granddaughter, who she loves, tells her that she likes girls one day, grandma (who is caught off guard and doesn’t have much imagination) reaches and finds that big bang theory moment as an example of what a “good grandma would do” and she repeats a version of it.
So again, I understand your frustration, but the above is (a portion) of the motivation to show those influencing “examples” in media.
Yeah that does make a lot of sense. And while I was reading your reply another thought came to mind. I do actually process the shows I watch, but I bet a lot of people just ‘absorb’ what happened and move on without really thinking about it. However it’s still in the back of their mind, and it still provides a fresh path for the brain to take when an unknown situation comes up.
“A Man Called Otto” handled it pretty well I think
I always think of Brooklyn 99 to counteract those stereotypical characters.
I was happy to see he’s currently on the cover of People magazine. I live in a pretty conservative neighbourhood, so it was cool seeing some representation waiting in line at the grocery store (even if its just a little bit). :)
Yeah and the first chapter of his memoir is available on the People website
I thought the same when i saw it in my grocery store in Texas. but i do live in houston and not the really really maga areas.
Good for him.
Also, reading the sexual harassment comment from the “unnamed A-list celebrity” made my jaw drop. I completely get why Elliot can’t name who it is, but damn, I wish there was a safe way to leak it so we know who that bastard is 🤮👿Well, you’re an actor. Just put on the f–king clothes.
I bet they say this to vets who don’t want to play military roles that might trigger their PTSD and shit too, right? …right? Like, is it that difficult to understand that people have different experiences, and that it’s completely reasonable for actors to avoid roles that relate to their past and present trauma? (No, of course it’s not that difficult to get: it’s just the transphobia.)
Not only that, but I’m sure actors turn down roles for literally any reason all the time and it is never controversial.
Them: Hey wanna be in our movie?? Elliot: Nah. Them: BUT- BUT- BUT- 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 insults you rather than asking ANYBODY else
Really can’t imagine it going that way for anybody else.
I fully relate to his statement fr, if I had to dress like a boy again I’d feel the same way tbh
It’s weird. There was a time when I would desperately read any trans memoir I could get my hands on, and then by the time my transition was “done” (inasmuch as we can ever call transition “done”), I had moved to really not caring about other people’s trans narratives, especially as they tend to be written for cis consumption. But I actually do want to read this one. Perhaps because he’s roughly my age.
Good for him.
I loved some of his earlier work before his name change and all associated with that. While I haven’t watched anything he’s made recently, Umbrella Academy is supposed to be good, but I haven’t set aside any time to watch it yet, I hope that he continues to find success and finds material he wants to be in and which matches his talent as an actor.
just my 2 cents, but honestly, UA was only very good for the first season. the second was okay, but the third (beside elliot’s bits about his character being trans) reaaaally dropped the ball. characters doing terrible things and being brushed off as well as VERY out of character actions to name a few glaring points.
i wouldn’t personally recommend it unless they really clean up their act in the final season.
He’s a little older than me, and his transition (especially since he was so public performing womanhood for so long) hit so close to home for me as I began mine. I’m really excited to read his book and consider him something of a personal hero; for the most part I don’t really care about queer narratives much, but this I do.
Understandable-
How could he play feminine roles onscreen when the role he “played in [his] personal life was suffocating [him] already.”
