My New Reality
January 19th, 2010 § 3 Comments
I discovered a tv show at my local video store and am hooked. It’s called Queer as Folk and its about four gay friends who live in Pittsburgh and their trials and tribulations. It’s kind of a gay Sex in the City and it’s fabulous. It’s also interesting how my perception has changed watching this show.
While I was never a homophobe I did find myself producing an internal reaction of shock when I saw two men kissing or physically expressing their attraction to each other. Seeing two men together was strange, an oddity and my mind filed it accordingly. After a few seconds I wouldn’t think about it anymore and I’d be able to switch off again and embrace the escapism of the show or movie I was watching, until the next time.
Interestingly I’d feel the same reaction of shock when I saw two women kissing, but it was milder. I’m used to seeing women express their physical affection for each other so a kiss on the lips is not a big stretch, but the only male shows of affection I witness in real life is heterosexual males showing affection in mock fights, or with bruising, hulking touches that in no way imitate physical expressions of love.
But after watching Queer as Folk, I’m now on Season 2, seeing two men kiss, embrace, or engage in any physical act is matter of fact. While the show is amazing in its writing, characterisation and themes, the best thing is that it depicts the gay cultural scene realistically.
Thinking about the way I’ve changed in watching this show makes me realise the power of television and its role in representing different realities and creating acceptance, and I say acceptance because I hate the word tolerance. Tolerance is touted as this whole great initiative that’s supposed to improve the lives of the disenfranchised, but to tolerate is to put up with. You can still hate it, think it’s something wrong, but you turn the other cheek.
We all live in our own little worlds, usually surrounded by the same kind of people as us. Not many of us put ourselves in the path of having our realities challenged. Life rolls on by like a train trundling on train tracks.
If there is something uncomfortable outside the window, we don’t look until we’ve passed by it, but otherwise we’re comfortable in our climate-controlled train cart. When we need to we step off onto the platform, knowing that this is only temporary and soon enough another train will come by to pick us up again.
Watching Queer as Folk yanked me off my train and now I’m riding a fluorescent pink train on diamonte train tracks. Everything is upside down and jumbled. My reality has been altered and I won’t look at the world the same way.
We need more bravery in television programming. Television has the capacity to open up new worlds for us and to normalise those things that are outside of our experience. I’m loving Queer as Folk and the best part is there are five seasons-so I still have more watching to do. If only I could control myself and stretch them out a bit more, instead of watching a season in 10 days.
Amra, my little sister was obsessed with the show a few years back and we only had the one TV so we’d walk in on the most…ahem…interesting scenes
once we sat down and watched the show, connected with the characters, were drawn to their lives and their dramas, my god, we were transfixed! It just goes to show, doesn’t matter what a person likes, what they eat, where they’re from, character defines a person. I love the the diamonte train tracks!! heheh great piece 
The US version was based on a British show, I think titled the same. As with most British to US adaptations, the boys are prettier and believe it or not, the whole show is a bit less ‘out there’(from memory).
Oh my!!
My little sister and I have been rather obsessed with ‘the Kinney’ (identifying, and stalking, his double in Brissie) for years.. what a f”’&king fantastic show.. <3. Yes, Amra, yes!!