The New Queer Aesthetic on Television: Essays on Recent Programming

Television is awash with newly embraced gay and lesbian themes that have crossed over into the collective pop culture of America. Dramas like
Queer As Folk
and
The L Word , comedies like
Will & Grace , and even reality shows including the popular
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
signify a new commercial acceptance of homosexuality that has never been seen before in the United States. However, the increasing exposure has prompted critics to argue that the gay and lesbian representation on television is oversimplified and is rife with one-dimensional characters. Ultimately, the viewers will decide the future of homosexuality and homosexual and lesbian characters on television. The text offers essays that explore such topics as the politics of representation and the clash of progressive and regressive social agendas in television and the workplace’s emphasis on the search for a space for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgendered within the mainstream media. The book contains criticisms of characters in such shows as
Six Feet Under ,
Queer As Folk ,
Friends
and
Ellen .