The word queer and media have a very close connection. For many years, media only portrayed heteronormative depictions of daily life and promoted traditional norms of gender roles and sexuality. Queer, in its most basic definition, is a sort of catch all term for any sexuality that is not considered to be heterosexual. Queer media is media that breaks down heteronormativity and shines light on norms for queer people. Viewing media with a “queer lens” allows us to look for how the LGBTQ+ community is or isn’t represented. It helps us to look critically at media and make sure people of different gender expressions and sexual orientations are being represented fairly and accurately. Modern Family is an example of a queer lens into family life. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ actors and portrayal of non-traditional family constructions help viewers break down biases they may’ve had about family structure. For LGBTQ+ viewers, the show offers representation and acknowledgment of realities that they may be experiencing each day. For someone that has never consumed media with a queer lens, this representation may be unusual at first, but over time, it no longer becomes a focal point. Breaking down these norms is important for more inclusive media and representation of the LGBTQ+ community.
3 thoughts on “Queer Keyword – JT Windle”
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I agree that this representation is important because just as in anything in media people always gravitate towards things that relate to them, so that representation helps people that identify as queer to resonate in characters as they normally are not able to because of underrepresentation. The modern family example makes sense because it was one first very popular shows that showed a queer family. It was met with criticism at first but then the show became very popular.
I like the example of Modern Family which provides a queer lens into family life. Since people started to break the norms you mentioned above, more and more queer media has appeared to the public. Directors use different themes and patterns to show how the LGBTQ+ community lives the society. They reflect the problems they faced in real society, and show how more people began to understand, accept, and support them. It’s happy to see mainstream TV series include the queer lens to support more people find their identities in their real life. Let’s continue to break down these “norms” and embrace the diversity of society.
Your introduction of the portrayal of heteronormative life in media reminded me of the Looney Toons conversation we had in class, specifically about Buggs Bunny’s cross dressing. However, I feel like you could improve your post’s introduction by asserting when media changed to include a more queer media or clarify the period of media you are referencing at first. I thought your interpretation of a “queer lens” was an interesting take away by examining if the media you are consuming is queer or not. The example of Modern Family (a fantastic show) also reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows: Schitt’s Creek. In that series, David and Moira Rose became queer icons. Though the actress nor the character was gay, many queer fans found Moira’s outfits to be an iconic piece of queer culture. I highly recommend the show to anyone who wants a good laugh and some wholesome content.