The new gay for pay : the sexual politics of American television production /
Television conveys powerful messages about sexual identities, and popular shows such as Will & Grace, Ellen, Glee, Modern Family and The Fosters are often credited with building support for gay rights, including marriage equality. At the same time, however, many dismiss television's portray...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Austin :
University of Texas Press,
[2017]
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Television conveys powerful messages about sexual identities, and popular shows such as Will & Grace, Ellen, Glee, Modern Family and The Fosters are often credited with building support for gay rights, including marriage equality. At the same time, however, many dismiss television's portrayal of LGBT characters and issues as "gay for pay," that is, apolitical and exploitative programming created simply for profit. In The New Gay for Pay, Julia Himberg moves beyond both of these positions to investigate the complex and multifaceted ways that television production participates in constructing sexuality, sexual identities and communities and sexual politics. Himberg examines the production stories behind explicitly LGBT narratives and characters, studying how industry workers themselves negotiate processes of television development, production, marketing and distribution. She interviews workers whose views are rarely heard, including market researchers, public relations experts, media advocacy workers, political campaigners designing strategies for televsion messaging and corporate social responsibility department officers, as well as network executives and producers. Thoroughly analyzing their comments in the light of four key issues, visibility, advocacy, diversity and equality, Himberg reveals how the practices and belief systems of industry workers generate the conceptions of LGBT sexuality and political change that are portrayed on television. |
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| Physical Description: | xii, 189 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781477313596 1477313591 9781477313602 1477313605 |