# Small examples of diversity, as seen in entertainment, offen not remarked upon. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980 "2005-10-19T21:45:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Just1Lurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@Just1Lurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just1Lurk)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/21 "2005-12-16T20:57:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Mahaloth** : > I’ve never seen to much focus on the Coroner having artificial legs on CSI either. Legs? I thought he was only missing one? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/22 "2005-12-16T21:22:55Z")
> [@The Tooth](#): > > Garibaldi has a line in one of the later episodes of **Babylon 5** in which he slams Sheridan: “He’s not the Pope. He doesn’t look anything like her.” > > Not something you hear every day. Unless you watch **Babylon 5** a lot. Not to mention Garibaldi being an alcoholic. It’s part of his character, but isn’t his whole character. It’s not unitl the 4th season he even has a drink. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/23 "2005-12-16T21:29:30Z")
I only watched the first few episodes of Threshold, but in none of them did they mention that the linguist is a dwarf. I realize it doesn’t make any difference to his skills as a linguist, but there wasn’t so much as a “Hey, look! a dwarf!” from one of the extras. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/24 "2005-12-16T21:33:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Then there’s the survellience guy on _Las Vegas_, who is also in a wheelchair. It’s never mentioned. Donna Hayward’s mother on Twin Peaks, too. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/25 "2005-12-16T21:40:12Z")
Dr. Weaver on _ER_ has to use a cane and walks with a limp. AFAIK, it’s mentioned in just a few episodes. One, Dr. Dave (a new guy) asks about it, and everyone else says they didn’t bother to ask her because they don’t care, and another is a recent one where she meets her birth mom and finally explains that it’s a birth defect. If there are other eps that mention it, they are few and far between. I also think it’s quite implicity implied that Hoshi (a male Asian nurse) is gay, but (AFAIK) they never have come right out and said it, because it’s not a big deal. But, in contrast to that, they made a huge deal with Carrie becoming a lesbian (which I don’t disagree with, finding out you’re gay after half a life of not knowing it can be traumatic.) But they also have to make a HUGE deal about Dr. Pratt being black. “I’m Dr. Pratt. I’m black. It was ten million times harder for me to do anything. because I’m black. I’m going to take your temperature…I’m black. You’re test results are negative…I’m black.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/26 "2005-12-16T23:55:09Z")
The Great Lakes Avengers- Flatman is flat. He looks and acts like a cross between Reed Richards and a stereotypical 1950’s dad. He’s constantly giving fatherly advice, and inaccurate information about science, supervillians etc. The GLA briefly included Leather Boy, who misunderstood the ad and thought they were forming a BDSM club. After returning to attack the GLA, Leather Boy protests when somebody assumes he is gay. Flatman is also upset, but at the assumption that all gay men are into leather. Somebody asks “Wait a minute Flatman. You seem to be taking this a little personally. Are you …?” He responds with “Not that it is anybody’s business. But, yes I am homosexual.” The other GLA members immediately express their acceptance of him, and then everybody goes back to business as usual. There’s no big speech and no controversy. Sisterhood Of Steel- On a sacred island forbidden to men, is their stronghold of a huge group of warrior women. When one of the chief instructors wants to know about the relationship between a promising student and her room mate, she asks another instructor “Are they lovers?”. Later, one of the students is on a trip to nearby coastal village. She tries a bar. She notices that there are no men in the bar, but assumes that they just haven’t shown up yet. An older officer later recommends another bar, saying ‘you’ll find what you’re looking for there’. It’s very clear that the student has stopped in a lesbian bar without realizing it. Star Hunter-Crappy syndicated sci fi series. In one episode, a man running a small gambling booth in the local market is exposed as a fraud. He’s rigged the game so that nobody can win. His boyfriend is also wanted on several charges elsewhere. The older con man and his boyfriend have a long argument over whether it is better to serve a prison term or undergo brainwipe for a year. The con man keeps talking about how horrible brainwipe is and how he wants to spare the man he loves. The younger man is killed before they can be brought to trial. His lover gives him a burial and funeral that are portrayed as completely serious. Babylon5- The bearded British guy and the doctor need to get somewhere undercover. They book the trip disguised as newlyweds on their honeymoon. IIRC This is given all of one sentence. ‘What are we going to do?’ ‘These are our fake papers. We’re travelling under the guise of newlyweds on their honeymoon.’ Batman Beyond- Barbara Gordon is now police commissioner. Some people see her marriage to the district attorney as a conflict of interest. Nobody mentions that the man is also black. Superman The Animated Series- After standing up to Darkseid and his invading army, and essentially telling the ruler of Apokolips to kiss his ass, officer Turpin is disintegrated. Only by listening to the funeral service in the background as Clark talks about what a good man Turpin was do you catch Hebrew chanting. Turpin was Jewish, but it never came up on the other episodes. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/27 "2005-12-16T23:56:30Z")
There’s a gay-in-passing character in Ursula LeGuin’s _The Dispossessed_. She’s great at making those kind of points without kicking you in the teeth with PC–for instance, unlike Earthlings, the aliens from the planet Hain have white skin. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/28 "2005-12-17T00:02:44Z")
Re Le Guin The unusual gender of the Gethenians comes up often in Left Hand Of Darkness. It’s briefly mentioned once or twice that all Gethenians have brown skin. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/29 "2005-12-17T01:44:30Z")
In the SNES RPG _Earthbound_, one of the characters, Tony, acts a little possessive over one of your party members and is always worrying about him. Later on, the creator confirmed that Tony is indeed gay (it’s never brought up within the game because it’s not important). One of the first instances of a gay video game character, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/30 "2005-12-17T02:34:17Z")
On the various Law & Order shows, detectives investigating murders and other crimes take for granted that the victim might have been romantically involved with someone of the same sex. Another example of diversity in entertainment is the new prevalence of Asian women as lead characters after decades of being portrayed as broken-English speaking ethnics or prostitutes. Now we’ve seen Rosalind Chao on Star Trek:Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, Lucy Liu on Ally McBeal, Linda Park on Enterprise, Grace Park (no relation) on Battlestar Galactica, and many more in cinema. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/31 "2005-12-17T02:49:03Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Not to mention Garibaldi being an alcoholic. It’s part of his character, but isn’t his whole character. It’s not unitl the 4th season he even has a drink. There was one episode earlier on where he gets drunk: before he showed up on B5, an assassination attempt on Garibaldi killed a buddy of his instead. In the first or second season, his daughter shows up on B5 investigating a sabotage or murder attempt, or something, and is hellbent on pinning it on Garibaldi. He breaks under the pressure, gets stinking drunk, and breaks up a bar. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/32 "2005-12-17T02:50:33Z")
Er, that would be the daughter of the buddy, not Garibaldi’s daughter. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/33 "2005-12-17T02:55:41Z")
That would be “[Survivors](http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/011.html),” Season One, Episode Eleven. Yes, I am a geek. Why do you ask? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/34 "2005-12-17T03:10:37Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > In the Kevin Costner film “No Way Out,” the head of the computer lab, played by George Dzundza, was disabled and in a wheelchair. His disability didn’t seem to be a plot point, but just part of the character and it didn’t affect his ability to do his job. ISTR Gene Hackman’s assistant in that movie happens to be gay but it isn’t a major plot point. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/35 "2005-12-17T03:18:15Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Babylon5- The bearded British guy and the doctor need to get somewhere undercover. They book the trip disguised as newlyweds on their honeymoon. IIRC This is given all of one sentence. ‘What are we going to do?’ ‘These are our fake papers. We’re travelling under the guise of newlyweds on their honeymoon.’ The same episode in which it’s revealed the Pope’s a moll, in fact. The argument Marcus and Franklin have on the train is a scream. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/36 "2005-12-17T04:34:33Z")
Back in the mid 70’s, in Tom Baker’s first season as Dr Who, there’s a scene where the Brigadier telephones the Prime Minister with the ghastly news that some giant alien rubber monster or somesuch is running amok and he very nonchalantly replies to the PM’s (unvoiced) orders with “yes Ma’am”. The UK was stiil 4 years away from electing Margate Thatcher (although she would have been Leader of The Oppostion at the Time IIRC) mm ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/37 "2005-12-17T04:44:05Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > There was one episode earlier on where he gets drunk: before he showed up on B5, an assassination attempt on Garibaldi killed a buddy of his instead. In the first or second season, his daughter shows up on B5 investigating a sabotage or murder attempt, or something, and is hellbent on pinning it on Garibaldi. He breaks under the pressure, gets stinking drunk, and breaks up a bar. Which episode? I have the whole series on tape. I want to see this. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/38 "2005-12-17T04:46:26Z")
> [@Just1Lurk](#): > > Legs? I thought he was only missing one? No, it’s both. The actor actually doesn’t have both legs, having been crushed by an 18-wheeler in 1978. [Link](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004371/bio) ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/39 "2005-12-17T04:49:31Z")
The first time I saw Logan’s Run (my mom took me) I thought it was great when Logan was dialing through his potential recreational sex dates for the evening, and one of them was a guy. Logan’s reaction was very subdued, an unspoken “hm, no” and he simply moved on with his selections. After the movie I exitedly remarked on it to my mom. Sheesh. :rolleyes: I can’t believe she didn’t know I was gay, and refused to believe it when I told her twenty years later. “No! Of all my children, not you! It’s just a phase!” ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980/40 "2005-12-17T04:57:01Z")
Exitedly isn’t a word is it? Insert excitedly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-examples-of-diversity-as-seen-in-entertainment-offen-not-remarked-upon/326980.md?page=3)