Star Wars Needs More Gays
#1
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Star Wars Needs More Gays
From Dark Horizons:
"Star Wars" needs gay or lesbian characters introduced into the franchise according to a recommendation in anti-defamation group GLAAD's studio responsibility index report.
The annual survey of depictions of LGBT characters in major studio releases has given both Disney Pictures and Paramount Pictures black marks this year due to them not featuring any gay or lesbian characters at all in any of their films last year.
Of the 126 major studio releases last year, only 22 of them (17.5%) featured LGBT characters. That was the same percentage of characters that appeared in films in 2014. Over 77% of films with LGBT characters featured gay men, 23% had lesbians, and 9% included bisexual characters.
Only one film had a transgender character that was deemed inclusive, and the LGBT characters that did appear were not racially diverse - in fact the number of LGBT characters of color went down with from 32% to 25% in a year.
No studio earned a 'good' rating for LGBT character inclusion - the best were Fox, Lionsgate, Sony and Universal which all earned 'adequate' ratings. Kevin Hart in particular was called out for both of his comedies "Get Hard" and "The Wedding Ringer" trading on 'gay panic' humor.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has been praised for featuring both a female and an African-American protagonist, but the lack of gay characters in the screen universe has become a sore point with some fans. In regards to "Star Wars" inclusiveness, the report says:
"As sci-fi projects have the special opportunity to create unique worlds whose advanced societies can serve as a commentary on our own, the most obvious place where Disney could include LGBT characters is in the upcoming eighth 'Star Wars' film. 2015's 'The Force Awakens' has introduced a new and diverse central trio, which allows the creators opportunity to tell fresh stories as they develop their backstory. Recent official novels in the franchise featured lesbian and gay characters that could also be easily written into the stories."
Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII" is currently shooting in London.
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"Responsibility Index Report"? Oy vey.
Anyone else just sick to death of all the constant PC stewarding being reported in the media every day?
I work in Hollywood. Trust me, gays get PLENTY of work even if gay characters don't.
Also, for any gays we have on the forums, does this actually bother you? Do you feel it's an issue?
Gays make up 3% of the U.S. population, so if anything the 17% of gay characters is over-representing. Reports like this only further the studio agendas of forcing in gay/female/trans/racially diverse characters rather than allowing them to be organically written into stories.
"Star Wars" needs gay or lesbian characters introduced into the franchise according to a recommendation in anti-defamation group GLAAD's studio responsibility index report.
The annual survey of depictions of LGBT characters in major studio releases has given both Disney Pictures and Paramount Pictures black marks this year due to them not featuring any gay or lesbian characters at all in any of their films last year.
Of the 126 major studio releases last year, only 22 of them (17.5%) featured LGBT characters. That was the same percentage of characters that appeared in films in 2014. Over 77% of films with LGBT characters featured gay men, 23% had lesbians, and 9% included bisexual characters.
Only one film had a transgender character that was deemed inclusive, and the LGBT characters that did appear were not racially diverse - in fact the number of LGBT characters of color went down with from 32% to 25% in a year.
No studio earned a 'good' rating for LGBT character inclusion - the best were Fox, Lionsgate, Sony and Universal which all earned 'adequate' ratings. Kevin Hart in particular was called out for both of his comedies "Get Hard" and "The Wedding Ringer" trading on 'gay panic' humor.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has been praised for featuring both a female and an African-American protagonist, but the lack of gay characters in the screen universe has become a sore point with some fans. In regards to "Star Wars" inclusiveness, the report says:
"As sci-fi projects have the special opportunity to create unique worlds whose advanced societies can serve as a commentary on our own, the most obvious place where Disney could include LGBT characters is in the upcoming eighth 'Star Wars' film. 2015's 'The Force Awakens' has introduced a new and diverse central trio, which allows the creators opportunity to tell fresh stories as they develop their backstory. Recent official novels in the franchise featured lesbian and gay characters that could also be easily written into the stories."
Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: Episode VIII" is currently shooting in London.
***************************************
"Responsibility Index Report"? Oy vey.
Anyone else just sick to death of all the constant PC stewarding being reported in the media every day?
I work in Hollywood. Trust me, gays get PLENTY of work even if gay characters don't.
Also, for any gays we have on the forums, does this actually bother you? Do you feel it's an issue?
Gays make up 3% of the U.S. population, so if anything the 17% of gay characters is over-representing. Reports like this only further the studio agendas of forcing in gay/female/trans/racially diverse characters rather than allowing them to be organically written into stories.
#3
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
I'm tired of everything having to go through a PC filter, it's fucking annoying.
#7
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
#8
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
As for the article, who's to say Force Awakens doesn't already have tons of gay characters? I don't recall the orientations of Ben/Kylo, Rey, Finn, Poe, Phasma or Hux coming up. I understand the bigger picture of what GLAAD is saying, but it seems silly to single out a film where you don't know whether 99% of the characters appearing on screen are gay or straight because it never factors into the story.
#9
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
#10
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Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
Yeah. You'd have to be a dumb fuck to want a perfect trio of things in VII. Rey slaps her vagina w/ another woman for fun. Or Finn sucks some dick.
Or Poe takes it in the ass from Finn or vice versa.
Either way... it doesn't matter what sex a character is.
Or Poe takes it in the ass from Finn or vice versa.
Either way... it doesn't matter what sex a character is.
#11
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
I think we know that Finn is straight. Wasn't he asking if Rey has a boyfriend? I'm pretty sure he wants to hit that.
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
This whole thing is stupid. Not everything has to have sexual orientation to it and to push the matter only drives those that are already against it, because of the sexuality, further away than getting them to at least being accepting of a lifestyle that is different than their own.
#15
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Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
Yeah, and I'm sure when old Ben had his late-night visits from a Jawa now and then, they were just talking about the price of moisture vaporators.
#16
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
I kind of get a lesbian vibe off of Rey.
I hope they give her a black girlfriend so facebook and twitter will implode.
I hope they give her a black girlfriend so facebook and twitter will implode.
#17
DVD Talk Legend & 2021 TOTY Winner
Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
#22
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#25
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Star Wars Needs More Gays
Not everything has to be same in the Star Wars universe as in our reality. This is probably an offensive thing to say to some people, but maybe homosexuality just doesn't exist in the SW universe. We don't have the Force in our world, or at least we haven't discovered it.