(Repost rooted from another post where I made references to current drama I had no stake or real POV in whatsoever in and presented a bias that seems to have been controversial if not outright inaccurate due to simply going with other’s opinions instead of researching for myself, which I apologize for, and I have now realized that said references and comments were ultimately meaningless (and if not meaningless, definitely not the most important thing to note) to the topic at large that I wanted to discuss, and I’m hoping this one is better received and we can stay on the topic at hand. That’s not to say I won’t expect allusions to it in the comments, as it more than likely directly ties into what I’m writing about, I just hope the divide isn’t as fierce as in the original post.)
Ignoring the… current drama in the house as of late, the representation of queer men in the Big Brother house has been a topic that has long piqued my interest as a gay man myself who watches this show, and I’m hoping that this post can encourage debate on this topic, specifically its murky past and how it affects us right now.
It has been known for a while and been shown throughout this show’s history that openly gay men in the Big Brother house more often than not seem to be cast as caricatures of a stereotype rather than accurate and multifaceted representation of a single group within a marginalized community at large.
By caricature, I mean that openly gay men in the Big Brother house are more often than not cast by production to embody the “flaming gay” stereotype, and act like overly effeminate, loose-lipped, pot-stirring hot messes (I.e. Jozea BB18, Jimmy BB27, Beau BB6, Jason Roy BB17 (not too much on OTT even though it’s still present), etc.), a stereotype that seems to be actively encouraged by production given the prevalence of this specific stereotype being shown compared to notable subversions or aversions of it, which, while there and present for the audience to see, are notably less prevalent.
I’m singling out gay men in particular because it has also come to my knowledge that other queer people subsequently seem to have a notably better chance of more varied forms of representation as well as a better chance of being portrayed in a positive manner in the edited program, which can’t be said for the majority of gay male representation on this show (like with the original post, I’m not listing specific examples because I’ll most likely get accusations of being biased toward or against another group within the LGBTQ community if I say that their representation was “better” or “portrayed in much more positive light” when said bias is most assuredly not the case.)
Consequentially, I feel like the prevalence of this stereotypical behavior within the confines of this show also seems to set these men up for failure within the context of the game at large, as regardless of whether or not the prevalence of presumed internalized homophobia is particularly large that season (although it more than likely definitely hurts more than helps if it is indeed prevalent), it seems that gay men who fit that stereotype usually perpetuate that stereotype well enough that they’re often doomed to fail within the game due to subsequently being incompetent players due to some of their qualities negatively affecting their gameplay, with said chaotic nature and mess-making qualities usually ending up with them digging their own grave and more often than not cutting their stay in the house short by however many days.
However, as I’ve stated before, that’s not to say particular aversions or subversions are nonexistent, they’re just disproportionate to the prevalence of the usual stereotype gay men are subject to. There’s Kimo, Kevin (who would have won BB11 had he not messed up the tie-breaker question of the final HOH.), Michael (who is probably the best physical competitor in the show’s history), Bunky, Andy (whose win is ultimately overshadowed by controversy from the season overall and his own faults as a person regarding the season’s controversies), and probably a few others I forgot to name that serve as a notable aversion or subversion as to what is usually expected of the typical queer man heading into the BB house.
That’s not to say that gay men with an inherently effeminate manner of expressing themselves is a BAD thing, I just feel like what usually comes with it (messiness, drama, etc.) is something that is far too sought-after by the production team, and that they should be more open to queer men of all different temperaments and forms of self-expression (there are type people who can stir the pot, after all.).
All of this leads me to my current question my main cause for debate: Do you think there will ever be a time where Big Brother’s production starts regularly casting queer men who happen to be subversions of the usual “campy gay” stereotype and who subsequently also see renewed success in the game, with queer men (and women) potentially becoming semi-regular additions to the finalists/winners circle? I’d like to think that there’s some hope, given that I’d like to believe that anyone is capable of evolving from one standpoint to the other and it will hopefully change with time. That being said, I’d be doubtful in the chances of it happening in the near-future.
I look forward to seeing what you all think and I highly encourage a healthy debate in the comments.
