They were the sissy in the 1930s that couldn’t be called homosexual because of the Hays Code.
In drama, they were the gay character that couldn’t be called gay but they had to feel dirty, and they must kill themselves at the movie’s end to atone for their “crime.”
They are a distilled stereotype of all the negative things that straight men see gay men as: weak, effeminate, horny, and desiring to have sex with straight men.
If you don’t read the book The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo, try the movie of the same name.
Let’s see. I know many gay men who are effeminate. I know many, many gay men who are horny. And I don’t think I know a single gay man who hasn’t lusted after a straight man ever in their lives.
The only part of your list that out and flamboyant gay men don’t fit is weak. Because it takes guts to be a queen! Weak is for the closeted gay men who are straight-acting not because that’s their personality, but because to not be straight-acting means they’ll be exposed as gay.
Mockingbird, you know I’m on your side in most things in this vein, but I just can’t feel the outrage here. Men on Film is, at best, a broad caricature of one segment of the gay community. I’m much more worried about the Pat Robertsons and Jerry Fallwells and James Dobsons of the world than I am of the Brothers Wayans et. al. Raising blood pressure over two relatively mediocre comedic talents is a waste of resources when you’ve got influential people who really do hate you breathing down your neck.
I only vaguely recall the Men on Film segment; but it did not seem homophobic to me. While being over-the-top stereotypes, they never seem to be the butt of the joke. They made the jokes (such as they were) and always came out on top. Much like Sean Hayes’ Jack character on Will & Grace, they can be seen as mildly empowering. Over-the-top stereotypes seem to me to be making fun of the stereotype itself rather than the object.
That said, I can see your interpretation as equally plausable as mine.
Interesting article about african-american gay men in the New York Times magazine sunday before last (I think it’s online somewhere, don’t have link). It appears to claim there is more anti-gay perjudice among african americans that caucasian americans (Hey, I’n not WHITE, kinda tan/pink)
On topic, I must say I hate HATE that gay character on Will and Grace.
I haven’t watched in a long while, but I thought Will was getting a boyfriend this season in the person of one very toothsome Dan Futterman. I saw part of an ep where Dan accepted a date with Jack to WIll’s angst but I thought Will and Dan were supposed to get together.
Chris Rock. Of course, I only know this because I read an interview with him where he said that, as far as he knows, he’s the only black comedian who doesn’t have at least fifteen minutes of blatantly homophobic material somewhere in his repetoire.