
If there's any time in history we should be grateful a service like Netflix exists, it's now.
With many of us stuck at home, the ability to pass the time with thousands of hours of movies or TV shows is clutch.
Sure, their original programming is almost scientifically designed to appeal to everyone by hitting every data point in their analytics, but this leads to good things.
For instance, queer representation is at an all-time high thanks to this approach.
However, not everyone sees this as a plus.
Every damn new series https://t.co/zLJstwiThmβ Chilambo π (@Chilambo π)1588678869.0
That is a meme showing a scene from SpongeBob Squarepants where Patrick is about to shove a giant pumpkin into Spongebob through a funnel. However, it compares the scene to Netflix adding "an unnecessary gay character" to their series.
There are plenty of legitimate criticisms you can make about Netflix's characters.
Like this.
Could've said "We need less pandering and more well written minority characters" but naw you went this route
β Scott Frerichs π³οΈππ― (@KaiserNeko) May 5, 2020
But many just uncritically agreed with the initial tweet. Responses included statements that being gay was not normal or that it was unrealistic for them to be in certain time periods like homosexuality was created in a lab in 1960.
Probably the scariest ones were the people trying to reason that gay people shouldn't exist because without hetero relationships, the human race wouldn't continue. But that mentality misses the point that gay people exist too and deserve respect as much as anyone.
Luckily, many called out the tweet when it started going viral.
@AdamSB___ https://t.co/DGiYQjq3V2β Lynry β π³οΈββ§οΈ (@Lynry β π³οΈββ§οΈ)1588716922.0
@ggranello @netflix Seriously? Itβs like every program: βTHERE WERE STR8S IN THE 15TH CENTURY, YOU KNOW. THERE WERβ¦ https://t.co/7pK5gOQ0pDβ Fireside Folktales is in production (@Fireside Folktales is in production)1588804261.0
@Woshingo @netflix so iβm just supposed to turn off my gay like a light switch when iβm not burning down conversion therapy camps? hm.β Twig (@Twig)1588895358.0
@netflix Cushets when millions of straight characters are written as only their sexuality: I sleep Cishets when aβ¦ https://t.co/qK72g7886kβ Inosukeβs Big Boar Mask β’ (@Inosukeβs Big Boar Mask β’)1588822418.0
Wait until they find out how many people irl are gay for no specific reason https://t.co/gdMF6MI35Oβ Tessa's Tea Timeππ± (@Tessa's Tea Timeππ±)1588705118.0
Netflix themselves stepped into the conversation to shut this down.
Diversity is not a negative.
sorry you have yet to realize that every gay person is very necessary https://t.co/xTOEcLWrycβ Netflix (@Netflix)1588802831.0
Representation is really important in media. It helps marginalized groups to become accepted in society.
Just having a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or some other underrepresented sexuality or gender representation in a popular show makes the public more likely to accept them. The TV show Will & Grace popularized this idea, and it's sometimes called 'The Will & Grace Effect.'
Our society is heavily influenced by the streaming content we all consume.
So having the most recognizable service mainstreaming LGBTQ+ people will help many accept them and reduce the kind of fear and ignorance that results in homophobic and transphobic violence.
THREAD: Let's take this opportunity to do an exercise in why queer representation in media matters. This is interacβ¦ https://t.co/kQtRh1mopOβ Faith Naff π³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΉπ¦ (@Faith Naff π³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΉπ¦)1588819443.0
STEP 2: Next to each of the names you wrote down, mark whether the character is straight or not. No need to be compβ¦ https://t.co/6t85XHrUrFβ Faith Naff π³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΉπ¦ (@Faith Naff π³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΉπ¦)1588819444.0
STEP 4: Now, let's examine the characters you listed as straight and the reasons why. Did you, by chance, list a chβ¦ https://t.co/OBZfSybD0Bβ Faith Naff π³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΉπ¦ (@Faith Naff π³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΉπ¦)1588819444.0
...erasure. Because you've seen them romantically pursue a member of the opposite sex you've assumed that they areβ¦ https://t.co/3rebrkyZ2hβ Faith Naff π³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΉπ¦ (@Faith Naff π³οΈβππ³οΈββ§οΈπΉπ¦)1588819445.0
Other streaming services joined the comments to support LGBTQ+ representation. And honestly, we're not in danger of one dumb homophobic meme changing people's minds.
We're not far removed from the days when people of color on TV was controversial. While underrepresentation is still an issue, we've come a long way.
There's no reason to go backwards.
The book All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages is available here.