Page 168 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

Gay, Lesb an, B sexual, Transgendered, and Queer Representat ons on TV | 1

In many ways, the 1990s seemed to overcome the long-standing “rules” for how
to represent varied sexual identities (especially homosexuality) on television. For
most of U.S. television history, producers and writers followed four general rules.
First, gay or lesbian characters must be restricted to one-time appearances in TV
series or one-shot TV movies. Second, gay and lesbian characters can never just
“happen to be” gay—instead, their sexual identity must be presented as a “prob-
lem” to be “solved.” Third, their problem must be explored in terms of its effect on
heterosexuals (that is, the focus is on straight people struggling to understand).
And finally, gay and lesbian erotic desire must not be represented on screen (Dow
2001). While there are certainly more GLBTQ representations than ever before on
television, they are not necessarily more progressive representations. For example,
GLBTQ characters are still more likely to appear in comedies than dramas (where
the line between “laughing with” and “laughing at” remains strategically ambigu-
ous), they are still typically played by straight (or not out) actors and marketed to
straight audiences (Ellen Degeneres on Ellen was a major exception), and depic-
tions of same-sex intimacy remain troublesome for the networks. In the words
of Larry Gross, “Same-sex kisses continue to be treated with all the delicacy and
attention required for high-risk medical procedures.”
What are the barriers to a more expansive representation of varied sexuali-
ties on television? One is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
which enforces the law that governs obscene, indecent, and profane network
television and radio programming. FCC guidelines, along with a TV network’s
Standards and Practices department, encourage the development of generally
conservative characters and storylines in an effort to avoid penalties (such as
warnings, monetary fines, or license revocation). Another potential barrier
is a program’s advertising sponsorship. While some cable channels (such as
MTV) have sponsors that support progressive or edgy programming, network
television in particular has a history of conservative sponsorship that impacts
storytelling possibilities (see “Selected Milestones in U.S. Television History”
sidebar); this barrier is more applicable to daytime than prime-time network
programming. A third potential barrier is the various lobbying groups that
monitor TV programming. While there are some high-profile groups advocat-
ing for more progressive GLBTQ representations (such as GLAAD, the Gay
and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), there are many powerful organi-
zations that believe that positive depictions of GLBTQ persons or lifestyles
violate standards of moral decency. While network producers struggle to ac-
commodate the often-competing demands of different lobbying groups, the
combination of this barrier with the others mentioned above tends to lead to
more conservative programming. Finally, genre matters in the types of charac-
ters and stories we see on TV.

seleCted Milestones in u.s. teleVision history
1971—All in the Family becomes the first network sitcom to feature a gay character.
1972—The Corner Bar is the first prime-time show to feature a recurring or regular gay
character.