why i believe mlm-centric media is more popular then any wlw-centric media
(DISCLAIMER!!! I am not in ANYWAY discrediting any of the media i use as an example, i personally enjoy almost all of the shows mentioned and am merely trying to prove a point, i am glad we are at a point in society with ANY LGBTQ+ representation and I hope we only further it from this point on)
okay, so i’ve been thinking about this for the past couple of days, some examples of what i mean are as follows
Media that features mlm relationships (Heartstopper, Young Royals, Red, White & Royal Blue), is almost always in a “realistic” scenario. (i’m not saying that YR and RWRB are realistic, however it is not set in a fantasy setting)
Media that features wlw relationships (First Kill, I Am Not Okay With This), are almost always in “fantasy” type settings.
Why do I believe there is a correlation? I think it’s because of the fetishization of LGBTQ relationships.
For example, Heartstopper.
While yes, it does have a lesbian couple as well, Tara and Darcy aren’t the main characters. I think the reason Heartstopper was such a success is because it is realistic, and straight cis women think its cute. i am in no way saying that straight-cis people can’t enjoy gay media, but it becomes alarming when their whole personality revolves around the fact they like gay couples. If you think “Oh, there aren’t people like that!” Yes there are.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end, straight cis men don’t want to watch wlw couples be cute and fall in love because “ew thats weird and gross.” so there isn’t as big of a fanbase, straight cis men aren’t the ones who make the fan-works, and even if the LGBTQ+ community does like a show, they need the most possible appeal and they won’t find that with cis straight men.
Plus, straight people don’t want to see their own gender being with each-other. The ratio of straight cis women obsessed with wlw relationships to SCW obsessed with mlm relationships is like one to ten, and we’ve already established that SCM aren’t involved in fandom as much as SCW.
another disclaimer because i can already feel people attacking me for this, this is not a call-out post, merely me stating things i’ve noticed, i don’t care what you do lol.
If you have any other points you’d like to add, let me know :)
1. Confronted by ghost in bathroom, the moment before screeching ensues
(I love how absurd this pose is)
2. “This boy is up to no good” look. Dimples
(This dynamic appears frequently in the movie and I am living for it)
3. Courtesan-style lounging in front of his own memorial tablet
(Glam in death)
4. Possessed by the ghost/husband he pissed off. Yeah he’s dancing in his birthday suit in front of a policeman
(I am mesmerised by the flow of his movement in sync with the song he is humming. It’s extra bizarre because it’s one of my childhood songs. Never gonna be the same again)
5. The right way to do a princess carry
(From an extra on YouTube. The movie is focused on fast-paced plot, I fully approve of that, but I am starved of softer things and this extra fed me a teeny tiny scrap)
"The Boys in the Band" (1970), written by Mart Crowley, directed by William Friedkin, starring Kenneth Nelson, Leonard Frey, Cliff Gorman, Laurence Luckinbill, Frederick Combs, Keith Prentice, Robert La Tourneaux, Reuben Greene, Peter White. The play premiered 1968 with the same cast and was also written by Mart Crowley.
hey everyone frustrated with how the media prioritizes romance and who loves the platonic soulmates trope! go watch The Half of It and Straight Up, both on Netflix
they’re not perfect, and they won’t be for everybody, but I found them so refreshing and they made me cry