Homosexuality The Film And Tv Has Come A Very Long Way...

While many believe that homosexuality has only been seen in mainstream media for only a few decades, it has actually been with America cinema since the early 1920’s. The portrayal of homosexuality in film and TV has come a very long way since the 1920’s. What viewers see on TV about homosexuality is really just a representation of America’s changing public view on the subject. While we have come to accept the topic of homosexuality in American society more willingly, we have substituted much of our prejudice about gays with the stereotypes that we see on TV constantly. Because as a society we are constantly forced to see these stereotypes, we are being halted in our progression to accept all different kinds of lifestyles. When film was†¦show more content†¦In the early fifties, lesbians were also being attacked by the film industry, portraying them as bulldykes and troublesome neurotics. While the Hollywood was struggling to make topic of homosexuality i n films more suitable for audiences, the film Victim made its debut in the United Kingdom. This was the first film to star a homosexual character that stands up to fight against the oppression of homosexuals. While this was the first time in history that a film portrayed a gay character in a non-demeaning way, this would lead to the stereotype of sympathetic gay characters in film. One film that I would like to note that is a great example from the 90’s would be the film Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks as a gay AIDS victim that was fired because of his sexuality and disease. Hollywood targets Hanks’ character and makes him into a tragic figure. His character dies at the end of the film. In an interview with Jan Oxenberg, she points out that even though Tom Hanks’ film was very effective, it is just â€Å"a story about a gay hero who dies, who’s a tragic figure† and that it seems as if Hollywood and the film industry will never have a film in which the gay main character lives to see another day (Epstein). Another more recent film that demonstrates this sort of sympathetic gay character would be