Search
85 results for “StevenCapsuto”
-
Video: 1983 - The first ongoing gay role on a US daytime soap opera: psychologist Lynn Carson (Donna Pescow) on ALL MY CHILDREN.
The video starts with the October 31 episode, in which Lynn answers questions about lesbianism from her straight best friend, who she just came out to.
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY - 1/31/1980
On the sitcom SOAP, Jodie (Billy Crystal), a gay man who'd had a one-night fling with a woman friend, learns that Carol plans to fight him for custody of their daughter, launching an unprecedented months-long story line about a queer parent fighting to keep custody of their child.
Ultimately, the judge would award custody to Jodie, finding him the more fit parent, despite the homophobic arguments used by Carol's lawyer.
#LGBTQ #queer #gay #sitcom #LGBTQparents #QueerParents #GayParents
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
AS THE WORLD TURNS - 1/23/1989, CBS
Eighties daytime soaps had very few queer regular characters or AIDS storylines, so this well-meant, likeable, underused, and kind of bland gay male regular, Hank Eliot (Brian Starcher), was a baby-step in the right direction.
Hank's partner was hospitalized, long term, with AIDS complications, which let the writers work in information about an epidemic that had the public terrified and panicked. In this episode, Hank is awaiting the results of a follow-up HIV test.
Hank was mostly there as a complication and learning opportunity for his presumably straight neighbors, and their conversations about him generally got more screen time than he did. I've written an essay about Hank in the Notes on the video's YouTube page.
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
THE ELLEN SHOW: Premiere - 9/24/2001, CBS
After her famous nineties ABC sitcom (during which she and her character came out as gay), Ellen DeGeneres was back in this one-season CBS series with a fantastic supporting cast.
This time she played Ellen Richmond, who after a breakup and the failure of her business in the dot-com bust, moves back to her quaint small hometown and takes a job at her old high school. Martin Mull plays her boss, the principal, and Jim Gaffigan is her old high school sweetheart, who would love to get back together with her.
Ellen Richmond is gay, too, and it's largely treated as a nonissue.
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
HEAD OVER HEELS: "Vice Guy" - 9/16/1997, UPN
Bisexual regular roles were rare on 20th-century TV series. One exception was Ian (Patrick Bristow), who identified as bi and celibate, on HEAD OVER HEELS: a UPN sitcom set in the offices of a dating service in Miami.
It featured talented actors trying to make the most of scripts that were often dreadful. Some critics called it the worst new sitcom of the fall 1997 season.
Bristow previously had a recurring role on Ellen DeGeneres's 1990s sitcom ELLEN, playing Ellen Morgan's gay friend Peter on seasons 2 to 5.
-
For those of you who know Spanish:
Otto Mas devoted a recent episode of his queer history podcast to iconic TV characters and queer-friendly series of the 1980s-2020s, with emphasis on US and UK shows. I've listened to the first half and it's well done.
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
ALL MY CHILDREN - 9/8/1995, ABC
Soap opera. RuPaul guest stars as RuPaul, who visits Pine Valley to appear on Erica Kane's TV show.
Meanwhile, Michael, a mid-1990s regular character who is a gay high-school teacher, worries about his sister's safety. Michael will come out to his history students a few months later, in a story arc based partly on the real-life case of teacher Rodney Wilson.
-
In memory of the great Gena Rowlands: Clips of her and Jane Alexander giving excellent performances as a lesbian couple in the 1978 TV movie "A Question of Love," based on a real-life court case in Texas.
#lesbian #gay #queer #QueerParents #GenaRowlands #LGBTQ #MediaStudies #TVmovies
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
The wonderful BBC/HBO series GENTLEMAN JACK had its U.S. premiere on today's date in 2019.
This entertaining, well-made show puts a gender-nonconforming lesbian front and center. The scripts are based on the life and diaries of Anne Lister (1791-1840).
This was the BBC's second dramatization of Lister's diaries in less than a decade (the first being a 2010 TV movie called THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS ANNE LISTER).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukPBfkh2LUg
#lesbian #gay #queer #LGBTQ #television #TVseries #GentlemanJack
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
On 4/16/2019, a Mexican soap opera featuring gay-teen supercouple Aristóteles and Temo, MI MARIDO TIENE MÁS FAMILIA, ended its US run on Univisión. A later spinoff followed the young couple to Mexico City.
-
I didn't know this: There's an online video of one of my lectures about LGBT characters on 20th-century U.S. television, with lots of video clips. 😊
It's a virtual talk I gave last year for the Union Public Library in New Jersey. This was a condensed version of what is usually a longer presentation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRHm3uRvePI
#LGBTQ #MediaStudies #TelevisionStudies #TV #TVseries #gay #lesbian #bisexual #queer #trans
-
There have been several ongoing trans characters on American daytime soap operas. Here's the first one I remember seeing: Zoe on ALL MY CHILDREN in the 2000s.
As generally happened before the late 2000s, the character was a trans woman played by a male actor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM2C9ZPhtZU
#SoapOperas #TVseries #MediaStudies #trans #LGBTQ #AllMyChildren
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY - 7/15/2003, BravoThe original QUEER EYE debuted on this date in 2003, with an episode called "Hair Today, Art Tomorrow: Brian S."
#television #2000sTV #TV #QueerEye #gay #queer #LGBTQ #RealityTV
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
THE TRACEY ULLMAN SHOW: "Francesca's Choice" - 7/12/1987, Fox
A few times per season, this 1980s sketch-comedy series would revisit teenaged Francesca and her dads, David and William.
This week, Frannie's teacher wanted her to rewrite her essay-contest entry about family, deleting mentions of her two dads. After much soul-searching and talking it over with her parents, Frannie submitted the original version and wins the contest. At the end, we discover that the judge is queer.#80sTV #1980sTV #TraceyUllman #gay #queer #LGBTQ #SketchComedy
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
DONAHUE - 7/12/1991, Syndicated
In this clip, Phil Donahue interviews people fighting the Boy Scouts of America's ban on atheist, agnostic or homosexual scouts and scout leaders, and women scoutmasters.
The gay ex-Scouts seen in this clip are Tim Curran (who had sued the BSA in 1981 over discrimination) and Rob Schwitz (a 20-year-old who was thrown out of both the Boy Scouts and the Air Force ROTC for being gay).
In the 2010s, the Boy Scouts of America finally stopped discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. However, it still bars open atheists from membership. As recently as 2018, the BSA was putting out statements to the effect that atheists are bad citizens.
#BoyScoutsOfAmerica #BoyScouts #scouting #gay #queer #LGBTQ #atheism #atheist
-
Today is the birthday of stage and screen actor Carlton Carpenter, who died in 2022 at age 95.
In 1954, he played one of American TV's first identifiably gay characters, when NBC broadcast a production of the 1941 Broadway musical LADY IN THE DARK. The show takes place largely in the offices of a fashion magazine, and Carpenter played the supporting role of Russell, an overwrought gay fashion photographer (originally played on stage by Danny Kaye). Here's a short video clip: https://youtu.be/Z3vYAqTwKV4
In interviews in the 1980s, Carpenter talked about what it was like to be a gay actor in 1950s Hollywood, and the lengths that the studio went to in order to build up a fake macho and heterosexual image for him.
#television #gay #musicals #LGBTQ #queer #50sTV #1950sTV #Broadway
-
Hung out yesterday in Seattle with queer TV historian extraordinaire Matt Baume, author of the new book HI HONEY, I'M HOMO, an entertaining, well-researched history of queer characters on American sitcoms and TV specials. He's a nice, smart guy who is clearly enthusiastic about his subject matter. Check out Matt's videos on YouTube.
At the coffee shop, he showed me his dog-eared, heavily annotated copy of my own book, Alternate Channels, which was awfully sweet of him.
#MediaStudies #gay #LGBTQ #queer #lesbian #television #MattBaume
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
THE DAILY SHOW - 6/26/2013, Comedy Central
The US Supreme Court's first marriage equality ruling happened today in 2013.
Here's how John Oliver and Samantha Bee covered it for THE DAILY SHOW, a comedy series that managed to contextualize it with other news of the week (notably the SCOTUS ruling gutting the Voting Rights Act) in ways that some "real" news shows missed. https://youtu.be/sjoLAAsiTTI
#2010sTV #television #gay #bi #queer #LGBTQ #MarriageEquality #JohnOliver #SamanthaBee #DailyShow
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
POSE - 6/24/2018, FX
In this episode: Early in the AIDS crisis, several characters get tested for HIV. Elektra finally has her surgery, over her boyfriend's objections. Two characters struggle with body-image insecurities. Script written by Janet Mock.
One of the things I love about POSE is that trans women were in the writing room and on the producing team early on. It makes all the difference when a group's stories aren't being told entirely by people outside that group's experience.
Here's the original promo video for the episode: https://youtu.be/UmAqgQRoJ5o
#trans #LGBTQ #JanetMock #Pose #PoseFX #AIDS #HIV #epidemics #drag #gay
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
POSE - 6/24/2018, FX
In this episode: Early in the AIDS crisis, several characters get tested for HIV. Elektra finally has her surgery, over her boyfriend's objections. Two characters struggle with body-image insecurities. Script written by Janet Mock.
One of the things I love about POSE is that trans women were in the writing room and on the producing team early on. It makes all the difference when a group's stories aren't being told entirely by people outside that group's experience.
Here's the original promo video for the episode: https://youtu.be/UmAqgQRoJ5o
#trans #LGBTQ #JanetMock #Pose #PoseFX #AIDS #HIV #epidemics #drag #gay
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
POSE - 6/24/2018, FX
In this episode: Early in the AIDS crisis, several characters get tested for HIV. Elektra finally has her surgery, over her boyfriend's objections. Two characters struggle with body-image insecurities. Script written by Janet Mock.
One of the things I love about POSE is that trans women were in the writing room and on the producing team early on. It makes all the difference when a group's stories aren't being told entirely by people outside that group's experience.
Here's the original promo video for the episode: https://youtu.be/UmAqgQRoJ5o
#trans #LGBTQ #JanetMock #Pose #PoseFX #AIDS #HIV #epidemics #drag #gay
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
POSE - 6/24/2018, FX
In this episode: Early in the AIDS crisis, several characters get tested for HIV. Elektra finally has her surgery, over her boyfriend's objections. Two characters struggle with body-image insecurities. Script written by Janet Mock.
One of the things I love about POSE is that trans women were in the writing room and on the producing team early on. It makes all the difference when a group's stories aren't being told entirely by people outside that group's experience.
Here's the original promo video for the episode: https://youtu.be/UmAqgQRoJ5o
#trans #LGBTQ #JanetMock #Pose #PoseFX #AIDS #HIV #epidemics #drag #gay
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
POSE - 6/24/2018, FX
In this episode: Early in the AIDS crisis, several characters get tested for HIV. Elektra finally has her surgery, over her boyfriend's objections. Two characters struggle with body-image insecurities. Script written by Janet Mock.
One of the things I love about POSE is that trans women were in the writing room and on the producing team early on. It makes all the difference when a group's stories aren't being told entirely by people outside that group's experience.
Here's the original promo video for the episode: https://youtu.be/UmAqgQRoJ5o
#trans #LGBTQ #JanetMock #Pose #PoseFX #AIDS #HIV #epidemics #drag #gay
-
Matt Baume's new video looks at the 1997 coming-out episode of ELLEN, which turned Ellen DeGeneres's sitcom into the first U.S. TV series with an out-and-proud gay main starring character. Matt examines the episode itself and the backstage story and controversy behind it.
#EllenDeGeneres #Ellen #sitcoms #television #MediaStudies #lesbian #gay #Disney #queer #LGBTQ #Oprah #MattBaume
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
20/20 DOWNTOWN - 6/22/2000, ABC
Today in 2000, Anderson Cooper reported on an openly gay high school football captain, Corey Johnson, whose family, team and school had rallied behind him... surprisingly, at that time. Here's part of the report.
Some twenty years later, Johnson would go on to become the Speaker of the New York City Council.
#television #gay #queer #LGBTQ #sports #CoreyJohnson #AndersonCooper
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
20/20 DOWNTOWN - 6/22/2000, ABC
Today in 2000, Anderson Cooper reported on an openly gay high school football captain, Corey Johnson, whose family, team and school had rallied behind him... surprisingly, at that time. Here's part of the report.
Some twenty years later, Johnson would go on to become the Speaker of the New York City Council.
#television #gay #queer #LGBTQ #sports #CoreyJohnson #AndersonCooper
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
20/20 DOWNTOWN - 6/22/2000, ABC
Today in 2000, Anderson Cooper reported on an openly gay high school football captain, Corey Johnson, whose family, team and school had rallied behind him... surprisingly, at that time. Here's part of the report.
Some twenty years later, Johnson would go on to become the Speaker of the New York City Council.
#television #gay #queer #LGBTQ #sports #CoreyJohnson #AndersonCooper
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
20/20 DOWNTOWN - 6/22/2000, ABC
Today in 2000, Anderson Cooper reported on an openly gay high school football captain, Corey Johnson, whose family, team and school had rallied behind him... surprisingly, at that time. Here's part of the report.
Some twenty years later, Johnson would go on to become the Speaker of the New York City Council.
#television #gay #queer #LGBTQ #sports #CoreyJohnson #AndersonCooper
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
20/20 DOWNTOWN - 6/22/2000, ABC
Today in 2000, Anderson Cooper reported on an openly gay high school football captain, Corey Johnson, whose family, team and school had rallied behind him... surprisingly, at that time. Here's part of the report.
Some twenty years later, Johnson would go on to become the Speaker of the New York City Council.
#television #gay #queer #LGBTQ #sports #CoreyJohnson #AndersonCooper
-
TODAY IN QUEER TV HISTORY
THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW, 6/20/1989, syndicated
Today in 1989, comedian/host Arsenio Hall did a routine about straight people reacting to Pride parades as if they were driving through Lion Country Safari, rolling up the windows and locking the doors as wild queers hurl themselves against the car windows.