Yawn Yawn rehashed gay plots

[erastes]

I have to say that the current Eastenders plotline about gay men is utterly stupid. Plus the fact they are milking it for all it’s worth on side-channels with constant interviews with the stars. As one gay blog said the other day “you’d think that Eastenders invented it.”  Plus its so Mills and Doom that even if I was to have written it people would think I was being too angsty!

What I don’t really get is why they are making such a big deal of the storyline—other than to emphasise how the Muslim family react to it (which isn’t great). Eastenders started 25 years ago (and I’m embarrassed to remember that I sat there on the first episode with my mates and a character list in my hand) and they had a gay couple almost straight away: Colin and Barry . Twenty Five Years Ago. And now this plotline is putting itself forward as being daring and shocking. It’s certainly a lot more angsty—I’ll give it that. What I liked about Colin and Barry from the start was that they were an established couple and very domestic and just… ordinary – like they should be. But their plotline became very similar to the plot line that’s going on now with Syed and Christian because Syed is trying to pretend to be straight to please his family, and that’s EXACTLY what Barry did Twenty Five Years ago.

GOOD LORD. Is Syed even 25?  Come on, Eastenders – isn’t it about time we had a different gay plotline? It’s not all pretending to be straight and getting bashed up, you know.

Comments

[yakalskovich]

Oh dear, yes, I remember Barry and Colin from my seven months in England, back then.

I feel ancient now...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

LOL! yes! me too!

[yakalskovich]

That happens when people do things over they've done before, and think they're terribly original, and you remember the first time around. Or when a time you remember becomes the retro flavour of the moment.

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

Yep, Emmerdale too. I catch the occasional bit of Eastenders. I'm more of a Corrie bird. I have a soft spot for the fem-boys (like you didn't know)(at least he's out and knows it).

[tiggothy.livejournal.com]

One of many reasons I don't watch much TV these days, and get frustrated by not having enough money to buy all the books I want...

[beckyblack]

Gawd, I hate the way they preen as if they are being so daring cos they have a gay storyline. I suppose they think they are super speshul this time when it includes a Muslim character too. Of course, the issue of gay Muslims and what they go through is important, but "issue" storylines can be so clunky and worthy.

How about just having a gay storyline that they treat exactly like any of their other story lines and not make a big "ooh, we're so brave!!" song and dance about it.

Of course it would still be full of angst and misery, but the few times I see a soap it seems everyone's life is continual angst and misery, so that's fair enough. And like you say how about an ORIGINAL gay storyline? Not the same one we've seen a zillion times before.

It's like punk Queer as Folk never happened.

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

It sounds very 1980s. Why does a big thing have to be made about Syed and Christian being gay? Why does one of them have to pretend to be straight, or say that he is? Why can't they just live their lives as if it weren't a big deal? Syed's father could STILL be shocked that his son was gay. Other people in the cast could still fuss about it. But Syed and Christian could just behave as if whatever they were was ordinary and not worth fussing about.

[iulia_linnea.livejournal.com]

Colin and Barry were 25 years ago?! *meeps*

Also, yes, it's time to move on to a new plotline.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

i know - scary innit!