EDIT 30/1//14: After I had posted this blog, I had realised that perhaps I wasn't entirely accurate with my assumption that no gay character had ever featured in Disney media, so I took it down. After a few days of debating this issue with myself, I decided I should just go ahead and repost this anyway, as it's still relevant, even if not 100% accurate. The point of the gay characters featuring on the Disney Channel is still significant. One last thing, the edit in the entry below was an edit made right after I posted the article, and therefore is part of the "original" article, before I took it down.
Hello everyone,
Last night the Disney Channel in the US aired the latest episode of their popular show, 'Good Luck Charlie'.
The episode broke new ground for the network, which is primarily aimed at children, as the show featured the first openly gay couple ever to feature in a Disney Channel production.
Being the big Disney fan that I am, I was trying to think about whether this actually extended past the Disney Channel, to all Disney media. I can't think of another openly gay character to ever appear in a Disney animated feature, live action feature or otherwise. I am mainly talking about Disney branded productions here, so we can exclude their more adult orientated brands such as Miramax or Touchstone.
It's a huge step for children's entertainment, and I'm sure the more conservative parents, and organisations such as American Family Association and One Million Moms, will be attempting some sort of boycott of Disney now, but you know what? Who cares?! It's a very welcomed move from Disney, and I really hope that more and more family programming sees gay characters appear in them.
I for one say bring it on! Children need to know that love is love, regardless of what form it takes. To some children watching that show last night, they would already identify with having two parents of the same sex, and I'm certain that there were some who sat there who were moved by the fact that their family group had finally been recognised. They were no longer "different", they were on a TV show on the Disney Channel.
EDIT: I realised that Modern Family on ABC has a regular gay couple, but again, maybe this doesn't count as regular Disney programming, or even family viewing, as some themes can be more adult (for Modern Family I'd say it's more a guidance/discretion thing than actually being adult, as it rarely offends). The basis of the argument for Good Luck Charlie's big news is more to do with the fact it is on a children's channel, and is considered part of the mainstream children's and family viewing.
Just my thoughts. Please, please leave your comments below. I'd love to know all your views!
Dan.
No comments:
Post a Comment