Homophobia

I think the camp gay on television is just like any other television stereotyping, be it the attractive woman with perfect figure, or the white middle class successful man - it's just not a reflection of the real world, it is whatever brings in the viewing figures. I think the camp device is mostly to say 'this is the token gay' no? Else we might not notice and think they were 'normal' (which of course in the real world gay people are). Hence why I think mostly it is damaging but there you go.

It is like when you hear people say they are surprised when someone is gay, why should they be surprised at all about someone else's sexuality, other than they are applying silly television style stereotyping.

PS I wonder if 'camp' only annoys you blokes? It doesn't bother me at all!

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Originally Posted by BDunnell

You may as well ask this of anything, not just 'camp'. It's akin to me saying I don't like the taste of coffee — I can't explain it any further than that.

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You probably could if you tried. You could say you don't like it because it's too bitter, for example, if that is the case.

But I, too, digress. This is not particularly important. Just something that I find curious.

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Originally Posted by Sprocket

I think the camp gay on television is just like any other television stereotyping, be it the attractive woman with perfect figure, or the white middle class successful man - it's just not a reflection of the real world, it is whatever brings in the viewing figures. I think the camp device is mostly to say 'this is the token gay' no? Else we might not notice and think they were 'normal' (which of course in the real world gay people are). Hence why I think mostly it is damaging but there you go.

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Camp people aren't always gay, let's not forget. It's also an ancient theatrical tradition.

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Originally Posted by BDunnell

I was in complete agreement with your remarks until that one. 'All' gay people on British TV are exceedingly camp and annoying? Literally all?

Also, if that's how they want to be, so be it. Again, lack of acceptance is not their problem; rather, it's that of the people not doing the accepting. They are the ones who can't see past the stereotype.

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Okay my mistake, saying all was an exaggeration on my part. But there are loads of them - Alan Carr, Graham Norton, Paul O'Grady etc. who further exaggerate this stereotype. And I agree it's the problem of people accepting it, but there is still a problem there. This is my point throughout. There is a probelm with homosexuality and acceptance of difference. Why is a very hard question to answer though.

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Originally Posted by pettersolberg29

Okay my mistake, saying all was an exaggeration on my part. But there are loads of them - Alan Carr, Graham Norton, Paul O'Grady etc. who further exaggerate this stereotype. And I agree it's the problem of people accepting it, but there is still a problem there.

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What is the 'problem'? I don't particularly like the style of any of the performers you mention, but I wouldn't say they present a 'problem' any more than I'd say Jeremy Clarkson damages the image of straight men.

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Originally Posted by BDunnell

What is the 'problem'? I don't particularly like the style of any of the performers you mention, but I wouldn't say they present a 'problem' any more than I'd say Jeremy Clarkson damages the image of straight men.

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I guess the problem might be that if many people find camp annoying and gay people are thought to be camp, many people will find gay people annoying. Which doesn't help with the acceptance thing...

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Originally Posted by BDunnell

What is the 'problem'? I don't particularly like the style of any of the performers you mention, but I wouldn't say they present a 'problem' any more than I'd say Jeremy Clarkson damages the image of straight men.

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I think clarkson quite likes his image - it's a deliberate act he uses to see which of the chinless wonders will write in to complain next with their faux shock at what they have seen. It's a bit like the average Howard Stern listener, they listened despite not liking him to hear what he'd say next!

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Originally Posted by BDunnell

What is the 'problem'? I don't particularly like the style of any of the performers you mention, but I wouldn't say they present a 'problem' any more than I'd say Jeremy Clarkson damages the image of straight men.

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No perhaps not, but this is saying how it changes the image of gay people in general as these type of people are generalised to represent the homosexual community. The issue in this discussion is your unwillingness to accept there is a problem here - you've been lucky to avoid issues but your case is rare I'd suggest. I know a gay man who has had to have counselling due to bullying, I know another who has been beaten up for being 'too camp'. The problem exists, it's how we stop others having this problem.

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Originally Posted by EuroTroll

I guess the problem might be that if many people find camp annoying and gay people are thought to be camp, many people will find gay people annoying. Which doesn't help with the acceptance thing...

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Again, that's not the fault of camp people, nor gay people generally.

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Originally Posted by SGWilko

I think clarkson quite likes his image - it's a deliberate act he uses to see which of the chinless wonders will write in to complain next with their faux shock at what they have seen. It's a bit like the average Howard Stern listener, they listened despite not liking him to hear what he'd say next!

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The bigger problem, perhaps, is the way in which some people assume that any offence at what these people say can't possibly be genuine. But this is a separate topic.