Problomatic Queerbaiting and LGBT Representation
Jul 24, 2017 6:24:17 GMT
steelgrace and ashildr90 like this
Post by revanstar on Jul 24, 2017 6:24:17 GMT
As a budding baby gay, back before I knew there was a word for why I had crushes on my female teachers. - Because this was the late 90s/early 00s, and 'Gay' was a old timy word used in christmas carols and the Flintsones theme song. - I saw an episode of Star Trek DS9 titled "Rejoined"
Star Trek has a history of tackling modern day issues, and pushing the envelope. Playing host to the first on air interracial kiss between a white man and black woman in the 60s, having a black man as a lead role in DS9 and a woman as captain in Voyager. So its no surprise that over its history its touched on homosexuality as well. At the time I saw this episode I was relatively new as a startrek fan, only having gotten into it a year or two prior because of Captain Janeway (Who you can actually thank for me even being here today. - but thats another story), though I had grown up watching The Next Generation as it was a show my Dad enjoyed.
Back to the story. "Rejoined" was the first time I saw two women on TV kiss. That closeness, that kiss was what had caught the attention of my teenage brain in the first place as I had passed the living room on way to the kitchen. I stopped, I sat down, I watched. Excited, because holy shit, holy shit, However. by the end of the episode I was totally disappointed. As I discovered it was because the characters alien nature. And it was less about two women kissing, and more about two former heterosexual lovers who both just happen to be occupying female forms, and the over all theme was that this was not the norm.
Flash forward a few episodes and you get the Mirror Universe. Which, in Startrek, the MU is basically this darker, twisted, more fucked up alternative reality. The leather and BDSM feels gave that away. So to did the open gayness of many of the characters. That episode too left me feeling as if there was something twisted about my attraction to the same sex.
In both cases this was problematic representation. Because the message that I, as a baby gay took from it was that being gay was wrong, against the norm, sinister and/or immoral. Which has been the message since the 1950s when gay characters were first shown in television.
Now you might be wondering why the story?
Well because I want to talk about LGBTQ Representation and Queerbaiting, because I know we have younger fans here. And I feel this is important. More so for younger viewers who might be unsure where some terms used by older LGBTQ+ Fans come from.
And after tonights episode, and last season I feel like this needs to be said in our fandom.
Last season the Dany/Yara meet and greet was devastating to our ship after it was revealed that Yara likes the ladies But tonights episode There was none of that spark between Dany and the would-be-Queen of the Iron Islands. Instead Yara and Ellaria were smoking hot together as the former lover of Oberyn slide her hand dangerously high up Yara's thigh... just before they fleet was attacked.
This, Lords and Ladies is a form of Queerbaiting. And its also problematic Representation.
How and Why?
Well, first. Let me define Queerbaiting.
In essence; Queerbaiting is when people in the media (Television, Movies, Videogames) add homoerotic tension between two characters, or make clever word play to attract queer/liberal audiences, even if there is no intention on two same-sex characters getting together - to better ratings/sales
Examples are Supernatural, Rizzoli & Isles, and Once Upon a Time.
In all three cases, show directors and/or writers and/or actors played up the chemistry and the characters to bring in queer viewers, even though there was never an intention of the characters in question ending up together. Queerbaiting happens both on and off the screen. And can last for many seasons, and is normally amp up during a shows 'make or break' point, where the number of viewers they have will decide rather or not they'll get renewed for another season.
So how is Game of Thrones Queerbaiting us? Well. The character Yara was changed from her book counterpart, In the books, Asha Grayjoy (Yara) is (presumed) straight, as she is both married (forced marriage) to Erik Ironmaker. And has a male lover Qarl the Maid. So for the show, her name, and her sexuality were both changed. In the show, Yara's sexuality makes herself known when her and Theon go drinking at a brothel in Volantis, where Yara gets handies with one of the whores. -- Later, the scene that launched 100 ships between Yara and Dany happens. Yara making lusty eyes and flirting with our Dragon Queen. - Though as we know, nothing came of this scene, as tonight (S7E2) there was none of the so called heat between the two women during the warcouncil meeting at Dragon Stone.
Speaking of S7E2, there was a lot of sparks flying between Yara and Ellaria Sand - Who we know canonly is bisexual or pansexual, both in the show and books - However before they could do more then share a steamy kiss and a hand on the upper thigh.. their ship is attacked. And now both Yara, and Ellaria are captives of Yara's Uncle.
This is Queerbaiting as we are presented with a gay character, chemistry is presented between her and another female character. But nothing comes from it. And nothing will ever come of it.
This, and other game of throne queers are also prime examples of problematic representation.
How?
In the case of Yara, the only time her sexuality is used is for sensational reasons. Same with Ellaria. Both women, when it comes to them loving other women, are over sexualized. Watching Yara lewdly spread her legs as Ellaria slide her hand dangerously up her inner though as her brother Theon stood there watching made me cringe. -- My sister is also gay, and I can say she'd never be that crass and lewd in front of me. At least not on purpose. So to see it on screen was cringe worthy and unbelievable.
Oversexualization of gays, preticularly lesbians is a common form of Problematic Representation. And is genreally aimed at Straight Cis male viewers, as its "hot". The other common form is the stereotyping of gay characters. The Butch, The Metrosexual, The Limp Wristed Fem-Gay Man with a lisps. But Game of Thrones tends to go with the oversexualization of bisexual women. Oversexualization; sometimes known as "All Gays Are Promiscuous" is problematic because it saids that gays are nothing but sex crazed amoral deviants who have no self control.
Then theres the GOT version of the Bury your Gays trope. Renly Baratheon died in his tent, murdered by a shadow. Loras died a firey death after renouncing his sexual orientation as "depraved", and this after the physical and psychological horrors he faced at the hands of the Faith. (Like a fucked up Gay Conversion therapy) And Oberyn had his head smashed in by the Mountain. And after S7E2, I have to worry about the fate of Yara and Ellaria both. As LGBTQ+ people dont seem to get happy endings in GOT.
Bury Your Gays, for those who are not familure with the term is basically a trope in which a gay character dies, usually horribly, and often after finally getting together with their love interest or to pointlessly further the story of the main, cis/straight character. Because Gay People Dont Deserve Happy Endings. The most netroious Death in recent years was Commander Lexa in the 100. Which sparked massive backlash after she was killed by "A stray bullet" in the same episode as her and bisexual Main Character Clarke finally got together and made love for the first time.
And the older crowd well remembers Tara from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Also by a bullet.
The trope itself is problematic all on its own. More so when you consider that there are very few reacquiring LGBTQ+ characters on TV and so every death is like a blow. In 2016 there were 43 broadcast, 142 cable and 64 on streaming, regular/recurring LGBTQ characters. (which.. is fantasic sure. most in history ever) But 2016 is also the same here where 25 bi or lesbian characters died between January and November of that year.
HBO, and Game of Thrones is guilty of doing both Queerbaiting its LEGBTQ+ fans, and guilty of Burying their Gays. So while yes. as a lesbian I thought Ellaria and Yara's scene in S7E2 was hot. I'm not blind to how problematic this shit is.
Star Trek has a history of tackling modern day issues, and pushing the envelope. Playing host to the first on air interracial kiss between a white man and black woman in the 60s, having a black man as a lead role in DS9 and a woman as captain in Voyager. So its no surprise that over its history its touched on homosexuality as well. At the time I saw this episode I was relatively new as a startrek fan, only having gotten into it a year or two prior because of Captain Janeway (Who you can actually thank for me even being here today. - but thats another story), though I had grown up watching The Next Generation as it was a show my Dad enjoyed.
Back to the story. "Rejoined" was the first time I saw two women on TV kiss. That closeness, that kiss was what had caught the attention of my teenage brain in the first place as I had passed the living room on way to the kitchen. I stopped, I sat down, I watched. Excited, because holy shit, holy shit, However. by the end of the episode I was totally disappointed. As I discovered it was because the characters alien nature. And it was less about two women kissing, and more about two former heterosexual lovers who both just happen to be occupying female forms, and the over all theme was that this was not the norm.
Flash forward a few episodes and you get the Mirror Universe. Which, in Startrek, the MU is basically this darker, twisted, more fucked up alternative reality. The leather and BDSM feels gave that away. So to did the open gayness of many of the characters. That episode too left me feeling as if there was something twisted about my attraction to the same sex.
In both cases this was problematic representation. Because the message that I, as a baby gay took from it was that being gay was wrong, against the norm, sinister and/or immoral. Which has been the message since the 1950s when gay characters were first shown in television.
Now you might be wondering why the story?
Well because I want to talk about LGBTQ Representation and Queerbaiting, because I know we have younger fans here. And I feel this is important. More so for younger viewers who might be unsure where some terms used by older LGBTQ+ Fans come from.
And after tonights episode, and last season I feel like this needs to be said in our fandom.
Last season the Dany/Yara meet and greet was devastating to our ship after it was revealed that Yara likes the ladies But tonights episode There was none of that spark between Dany and the would-be-Queen of the Iron Islands. Instead Yara and Ellaria were smoking hot together as the former lover of Oberyn slide her hand dangerously high up Yara's thigh... just before they fleet was attacked.
This, Lords and Ladies is a form of Queerbaiting. And its also problematic Representation.
How and Why?
Well, first. Let me define Queerbaiting.
In essence; Queerbaiting is when people in the media (Television, Movies, Videogames) add homoerotic tension between two characters, or make clever word play to attract queer/liberal audiences, even if there is no intention on two same-sex characters getting together - to better ratings/sales
Examples are Supernatural, Rizzoli & Isles, and Once Upon a Time.
In all three cases, show directors and/or writers and/or actors played up the chemistry and the characters to bring in queer viewers, even though there was never an intention of the characters in question ending up together. Queerbaiting happens both on and off the screen. And can last for many seasons, and is normally amp up during a shows 'make or break' point, where the number of viewers they have will decide rather or not they'll get renewed for another season.
So how is Game of Thrones Queerbaiting us? Well. The character Yara was changed from her book counterpart, In the books, Asha Grayjoy (Yara) is (presumed) straight, as she is both married (forced marriage) to Erik Ironmaker. And has a male lover Qarl the Maid. So for the show, her name, and her sexuality were both changed. In the show, Yara's sexuality makes herself known when her and Theon go drinking at a brothel in Volantis, where Yara gets handies with one of the whores. -- Later, the scene that launched 100 ships between Yara and Dany happens. Yara making lusty eyes and flirting with our Dragon Queen. - Though as we know, nothing came of this scene, as tonight (S7E2) there was none of the so called heat between the two women during the warcouncil meeting at Dragon Stone.
Speaking of S7E2, there was a lot of sparks flying between Yara and Ellaria Sand - Who we know canonly is bisexual or pansexual, both in the show and books - However before they could do more then share a steamy kiss and a hand on the upper thigh.. their ship is attacked. And now both Yara, and Ellaria are captives of Yara's Uncle.
This is Queerbaiting as we are presented with a gay character, chemistry is presented between her and another female character. But nothing comes from it. And nothing will ever come of it.
This, and other game of throne queers are also prime examples of problematic representation.
How?
In the case of Yara, the only time her sexuality is used is for sensational reasons. Same with Ellaria. Both women, when it comes to them loving other women, are over sexualized. Watching Yara lewdly spread her legs as Ellaria slide her hand dangerously up her inner though as her brother Theon stood there watching made me cringe. -- My sister is also gay, and I can say she'd never be that crass and lewd in front of me. At least not on purpose. So to see it on screen was cringe worthy and unbelievable.
Oversexualization of gays, preticularly lesbians is a common form of Problematic Representation. And is genreally aimed at Straight Cis male viewers, as its "hot". The other common form is the stereotyping of gay characters. The Butch, The Metrosexual, The Limp Wristed Fem-Gay Man with a lisps. But Game of Thrones tends to go with the oversexualization of bisexual women. Oversexualization; sometimes known as "All Gays Are Promiscuous" is problematic because it saids that gays are nothing but sex crazed amoral deviants who have no self control.
Then theres the GOT version of the Bury your Gays trope. Renly Baratheon died in his tent, murdered by a shadow. Loras died a firey death after renouncing his sexual orientation as "depraved", and this after the physical and psychological horrors he faced at the hands of the Faith. (Like a fucked up Gay Conversion therapy) And Oberyn had his head smashed in by the Mountain. And after S7E2, I have to worry about the fate of Yara and Ellaria both. As LGBTQ+ people dont seem to get happy endings in GOT.
Bury Your Gays, for those who are not familure with the term is basically a trope in which a gay character dies, usually horribly, and often after finally getting together with their love interest or to pointlessly further the story of the main, cis/straight character. Because Gay People Dont Deserve Happy Endings. The most netroious Death in recent years was Commander Lexa in the 100. Which sparked massive backlash after she was killed by "A stray bullet" in the same episode as her and bisexual Main Character Clarke finally got together and made love for the first time.
And the older crowd well remembers Tara from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Also by a bullet.
The trope itself is problematic all on its own. More so when you consider that there are very few reacquiring LGBTQ+ characters on TV and so every death is like a blow. In 2016 there were 43 broadcast, 142 cable and 64 on streaming, regular/recurring LGBTQ characters. (which.. is fantasic sure. most in history ever) But 2016 is also the same here where 25 bi or lesbian characters died between January and November of that year.
HBO, and Game of Thrones is guilty of doing both Queerbaiting its LEGBTQ+ fans, and guilty of Burying their Gays. So while yes. as a lesbian I thought Ellaria and Yara's scene in S7E2 was hot. I'm not blind to how problematic this shit is.
Like stick-thin little Ethiopians, we grab that brightly colored bowl of mac and cheese and devour it, knowing that it's nothing but cheap, empty calories but having absolutely no other options to sustain us. 
