Homosexuality & the Marketplace

Much like African-American integration in media, homosexuality has been used from time to time as a marketing tool in order to attract TV-watchers of all preferences. Since the integration of homosexuals on local television, premium cable channel providers like HBO and Showtime have adopted shows like Queer as Folk and The L Word that cover homosexual lifestyles rather than cover a heterosexual one that includes a gay person. Also, premium cable channels are able to have shows that are more risqué than those that are on regular channels, which are going to attract more customers and thus make them more money (Sender 2006). Katherine Sender points out that the intimate moments between two women are shown more on television because they are more profitable and more sexually appealing to men as opposed to two males kissing which is still considered taboo (2006). Reality shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy often have a mostly gay cast who frequently “poke fun at the gay stereotypes that they represent” (Calzo et.al 2009) and who take the fashion stereotype and use it as a marketing scheme, promoting designer clothing and accessories. The stereotype of gay men being fashionable not only works well in these shows to advertise expensive things to loyal show watchers but it also influences in-question youths to try to live a life of consumerism. Two things then happen from this consumerism; commercials with homosexual elements arise in order to appeal to homosexuals (Sender 2006) and actors who portray gay people on television become spokesperson for some product. The acceptance of the LGBT community in the media happened quicker than that of the African Americans and it opened doors to rights being passed to them. Suddenly, it started to become easier to view gay people beyond their orientation as gays and lesbians became spokesperson of different ads, which had the same positive effect that it did when blacks were in more commercials.