And you know what that means! Time to name and shame all the terrible representation of LGBT people in TV programing (or therefore lack of it).
GLAAD's report is pretty good, it goes through all the different types of network, streaming, etc, then through gender, race (which is then has spreads for each race after), disability, then a look at bisexial and "bi+" characters specifically etc. It's a very detailed report but isn't so detailed it becomes bogged down and boring.
Obviously this is only USA centric but I feel because we consume so much american media and that america is a media powerhouse it's very important to look at.
I mostly focused on LGBT women due to my dissertation and own personal interests but reading the report but it is all very interesting. (For example needing more trans men characters.)
A thing GLAAD brings up themselves is that the numbers for lesbian and bisexual women aren't reflective completely. 25+ lesbian and bisexual women characters have been killed in their respective shows this year. On broadcast networks over half of all lesbian characters have been killed. (and that doesn't even count the deaths of LGBT women in cable or streaming). In the introduction, GLAAD's CEO Sarah Kate Ellis calls it a "toxic" trend and point out that these deaths were mostly used as a plot device to further narrative for straight, cisgender characters. She calls for LGBT people to have their own stories and not just be stepping stones for cisgender, straight characters. A lot of these characters that died are included in the graphs, so really next year (unless a lot of LGBT women are added which I find unlikely) we'll see a severe drop in the segments representing LGBT women.
The general trend of having more men than women on TV continues here too. (With the exception of trans men) I feel the gender imbalance of having more LGBT women on the streaming services is probably down to Orange is the New Black, which has a lot of LGBT women, and if that show was taken out of counting the gender imbalance of having more LGBT men would remain the same as it does for broadcast and cable.
Not sure I can use these things in my dissertation but it's very relevant and also a personal interest so I thought I might as well blog it anyway.
GLAAD's report is pretty good, it goes through all the different types of network, streaming, etc, then through gender, race (which is then has spreads for each race after), disability, then a look at bisexial and "bi+" characters specifically etc. It's a very detailed report but isn't so detailed it becomes bogged down and boring.
Obviously this is only USA centric but I feel because we consume so much american media and that america is a media powerhouse it's very important to look at.
I mostly focused on LGBT women due to my dissertation and own personal interests but reading the report but it is all very interesting. (For example needing more trans men characters.)
A thing GLAAD brings up themselves is that the numbers for lesbian and bisexual women aren't reflective completely. 25+ lesbian and bisexual women characters have been killed in their respective shows this year. On broadcast networks over half of all lesbian characters have been killed. (and that doesn't even count the deaths of LGBT women in cable or streaming). In the introduction, GLAAD's CEO Sarah Kate Ellis calls it a "toxic" trend and point out that these deaths were mostly used as a plot device to further narrative for straight, cisgender characters. She calls for LGBT people to have their own stories and not just be stepping stones for cisgender, straight characters. A lot of these characters that died are included in the graphs, so really next year (unless a lot of LGBT women are added which I find unlikely) we'll see a severe drop in the segments representing LGBT women.
The general trend of having more men than women on TV continues here too. (With the exception of trans men) I feel the gender imbalance of having more LGBT women on the streaming services is probably down to Orange is the New Black, which has a lot of LGBT women, and if that show was taken out of counting the gender imbalance of having more LGBT men would remain the same as it does for broadcast and cable.
Not sure I can use these things in my dissertation but it's very relevant and also a personal interest so I thought I might as well blog it anyway.
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