The reason HBO Looking Got cancelled show was too white

[MrMojoRisin]

How is it the show creator's responsibility to represent the entire gay community? That's an impossible task! Do you realize how many different types of gay men there are in the world? Different races, ages, nationalities, etc. If they took on that responsibility, they would inevitably disappoint someone.

Besides, whenever diversity is forced, it doesn't go well. The audience can tell it's unnatural. Then you would have those same people rolling their eyes at the fact that they have a "token black character" on the show. You just can't win. Diversity should just come naturally. Was anybody complaining that "Sex and the City" was "too white" and didn't represent the entire female community?

I understand that LGBT representation on TV is very limited, but to put that kind of responsibility on these people is just unfair. They made the show they wanted to make, whether you liked it or not.

Now every good show has a gay character and they're allowed to be sexual and... Men.

Is that true? I definitely think we're making progress in that area, but I don't think mainstream America accepts gay men as sexual beings just yet. Granted, there are occasional exceptions, but it feels like most gay male characters still have to "behave themselves" so that it makes mainstream America feel safe. I think lesbians are more accepted as sexual beings, because it turns straight men on.

 

[Kabluey]

The problem for me is that for such a self-congratulatory show that boasts about it's depiction af the "average" gay man, the characters are not only too white they are also too attractive, too successful, too rich and yet too boring for anyone to care.

Too attractive is a problem across all TV.
When someone looks messy or a bit puffy or pimply it's like a shocking breath of fresh reality.

 

[TheLoveableLoner]

Stupid.

I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't signing up to watch all pretty white program #34,642,863 either, but that doesn't stop shows from being hits.

I gave it a chance when I realized it was the same director as Weekend, a movie I saw four times. But shit was boring.

 

[luckynumbah7]

Was anybody complaining that "Sex and the City" was "too white" and didn't represent the entire female community?

Yes. Quite a few people complained. The magic of google has even informed me (I double checked for memory) that it's been the discussion of quite a few blogs and articles. Personally I thought it was damn suspicious that they lived in a city and from what I remember it contained too many white people, too many thin attractive straight people - at least one of those women should've had something besides a conventional straight relationship. I mostly didn't bother listening to the show, found it too damn dull. No one expects representation for an entire community - but more representation than "We'll get to you later. Maybe." would be nice.

 

[screwnutty]

Tried to watch episode one. Find nothing to relate myself to any of the main characters. Add the fact that it was boring as hell first episode. Naw, I think I'll just stick to my boxset of Queer As Folk and my future boxset of Cucumber.

 

[blackbeltninja]

It got cancelled because it was boring and most of the characters were unlikable and it didn't find the huge audience of straight women it needed. that's why.

I honestly don't think it would have done any better had they also had an excruciatingly boring black, Asian or Native American character.

Looking was crap that's why it got canceled.

Bingo. Twice.

-d-

 

[RRUGER]

I think HBO cancelling the show Looking hopefully will set a lightbulb in some producer's head that Looking was too narrow with the depiction of the gay community. The show was just too white it probably turned off a lot of people. It does not show the range of the LGBT community. It just showed a narrow image of gay people who tend to get the media attention the white gay men. No Looking does not got to be about the entire gay community. But I know plenty of gays of colour who did not watch the show. But Yes, I know people will say that Augustin a white Hispanic character was on the program. Also, Richie Latino boyfriend of the lead. I heard about looking read some articles and tried to watch it but just turned out. I saw it had nothing to do with people like men a gay man of colour. I am hoping that there will be a show on mainstream cable or network where a gay black or Asian man is the LEAD not the side kick NOT the best friend either. Gay men of colour should be a LEAD in show it is so important that this hopefully will take place ASAP!!! Networks are finally understanding people of colour can lead shows like Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, Empire. These shows make a lot of money, get good ratings and press. Non white people should be allowed to be LEADS. The gay entertainment needs to change. Stories need to be told about gay men who are NOT WHITE and I think screenwriters, producers need to WAKE THE HELL UP! I would like to see a show about an Asian gay man or a black gay man or a Aboriginal gay man in the LEAD. That would interest me but Looking doesn't do it.

yay yay someone who got it right FINALLLY.

i liked looking but some aspects were ANNOYING

 

[goldenmoth]

I haven't seen the show yet and I'm looking forward to seeing it but I agree it would have been nice to see more stories of lgbtiq people of colour.

Still, that's why I love banana

 

[IamNoah]

How is it the show creator's responsibility to represent the entire gay community? That's an impossible task! Do you realize how many different types of gay men there are in the world? Different races, ages, nationalities, etc. If they took on that responsibility, they would inevitably disappoint someone.

Besides, whenever diversity is forced, it doesn't go well. The audience can tell it's unnatural. Then you would have those same people rolling their eyes at the fact that they have a "token black character" on the show. You just can't win. Diversity should just come naturally. Was anybody complaining that "Sex and the City" was "too white" and didn't represent the entire female community?

I understand that LGBT representation on TV is very limited, but to put that kind of responsibility on these people is just unfair. They made the show they wanted to make, whether you liked it or not.

Actually diversity sells just fine. The problem is that gay boys close their eyes and imagine a world peopled by white people.

 

[IamNoah]

Yes plenty of people said Sex and The City was too white, they were correct.

 

[Soilwork]

Actually diversity sells just fine. The problem is that gay boys close their eyes and imagine a world peopled by white people.

I don't think it's fair to hang that all on the gay community. Straight people I think are probably worse in a lot of ways.

Diversity does sell just fine. But I don't think adding a black and Asian character to this show without making it worth watching would have saved it.

 

[IamNoah]

I don't think it's fair to hang that all on the gay community. Straight people I think are probably worse in a lot of ways.

Diversity does sell just fine. But I don't think adding a black and Asian character to this show without making it worth watching would have saved it.

I'm Quer. Queer spaces concern me. But I do agree shitty products do not become less shitty by adding minorities. Though I am with Borg in terms of actually finding the show entertaining. I'm somewhat shocked to discover that most of you guys didn't like it. That hurts my special feels far more than the fact that the show imagines a world where visible minorities don't exist,

 

[Soilwork]

I'm somewhat shocked to discover that most of you guys didn't like it. That hurts my special feels far more than the fact that the show imagines a world where visible minorities don't exist,

Yeah, I thought it was an extremely boring show about boring people doing boring things that few gay men in SF do... other than the socially stunted ones. It was slow-moving and full of what I found to be totally implausible things. The things that were plausible were just annoying. I knew it would never last, it just wasn't enjoyable.

One of the leads was Latino and there was a black love interest at one point, from what I'm told. But no, it wasn't as diverse as it could have been.

 

[IamNoah]

Fagbenle was half black and as fair as me. This is the Latino character Mr Álvarez . He's white. Spanish language and Latin culture do not a visible minority make.

Now Patrick's love interest is a Latino who is a visibly non-white human being,

but to be honest there's not the same necessity to integrate Queer spaces on behalf of Latinos (even the visibly mestizo and Indio members of this community) as there is for young Asian and black men--in the United States. Who will have to craft some kind of self esteem, some space within Queer spaces that they can exist in while knowing that most gay men have little/no sexual/romantic interest in them and feel compelled to imagine a world in which they do not exist. The pressures for Latin men are different.

 

[IamNoah]

Anyway I agree that the show was not cancelled for being too white. I just think the show was too, you know, white.

 

[gsdx]

Anyway I agree that the show was not cancelled for being too white. I just think the show was too, you know, white.

Why was Seinfeld so successful?

 

[IamNoah]

Why was Seinfeld so successful?

You are misunderstanding me. The idea that the show was cancelled on account of its whiteness is Morrissey's argument. Not mine. I am merely using this thread as an opportunity to say that gay culture in the United States is a white supremacist space that imagines itself to to be a near utterly white space.

- - - Updated - - -

I think things can be incredibly white, even maliciously racist, and do just fine in my country. Hence the GOP.

 

[luckynumbah7]

Why was Seinfeld so successful?

[STRIKE][/STRIKE]

Actually...... I might be an outlier here but I think Seinfield did so well because the actors looked less than average looks-wise.

 

[IamNoah]

a) Are non-whiteness and ugliness the same thing? b) Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is almost too hot for words bruh.

 

[kallipolis]

Seinfield prospered for its well written intelligent scripts.....with its characters a reminder that eccentrics can be highly entertaining, and respected for not being predictable...Plato reminds us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder....and that the appearance of an actor should not restrain the right of an audience to be entertained by their acting skills...