Media Criticism

Apparently Homosexuality is Marketable...

Darryl Stevens as a gay screenwriter
in "Noah's Arc" on Viacom's Logo
network.

I recently came across an article in the Media and Advertising section of the New York Times that talked about the recent move to create new cable services aimed at the gay market, like Comcast's Here and Viacom's Logo. These cable channels include series such as "Noah's Arc," about a gay screenwriter, and "Third Man Out," a show featuring gay detectives. This idea comes on the heels of the recent popularity of shows such as "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "Will & Grace." Executives from Viacom say that they do not anticipate negative reactions to these new services.

This demonstrates something that we recently read about filling supposed gaps for certain programming on television. In this case, executives at Viacom and Comcast found that there was a marketable group that they could address with a new cable service, and they proceeded to create a niche for it. Although there may or may not have been a true demand for a cable channel completely dedicated to gays and lesbians, these media giants have created one, and have even created the belief that there was a gap in the market to begin with.

In the article, Here and Logo are purported to be an ideal venue through which to break the stereotypes of gay and lesbians, and to provide a "home" for homosexuals looking for positive messages and homosexuals living real lives. This relates back to the video that we watched in class today about representation in the media. In the film, Stuart Hall noted that characters who are created as "anti-stereotypes" don't really change the stereotype to begin with. Instead, it changes the stereotype from "natural" to seemingly fabricated.

This is a very interesting topic, and I am interested in seeing how successful Logo and Here become, and if there truly is a market that these services can be directed toward. What do you think?

posted by KW @ 8:18 PM