(no subject)

[thatotherperv]

in our culture, it is assumed that men who act on stage are gay (or at least a little bent), while men who act in movies or tv are almost definitely straight until we're told otherwise.

discuss.

*sits back with steepled fingers and waits for you to sort out this anomaly*

Comments

[shapinglight]

erm - is it?

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

well, not around here, but in the US, to the general public? yeah I think so. people joke constantly about the "gayness" of theater acting, but if you suggest that a hollywood actor leading-man type is gay, your average joe will look suspicious that you're making shit up.

at least, that's my personal experience, haha. since I live in Hicksville and tend to imply slash a lot.

[shapinglight]

I suspect that over here, everyone just thinks all male actors are gay, whether stage or movie actors - and there's not nearly such a sharp differentiation between the two kinds - unless proved otherwise.

[laisserais]

well, and there's the other thing in the UK, too, of out gay actors being 'allowed' to play straight, romantic leads. In the US, if you come out, you're no longer allowed to do that, which i think is part of the problem. Although recently i think that's started to change. at least on TV. Neal Patrick Harris is out, and i think he's still playing a ladykiller on that one show. there's also that guy on Grey's anatomy, which i don't follow, but i think something similar is happening to him, which is nice.

also, in the UK, i've noticed that at least for a while there, all actors played gay at least once. it was like a right of passage or something. go back far enough into the fillmography of any well-known British actor, and you'll find at least one part where he's played gay.

[shapinglight]

I'm sure you're right. Even Sean Bean, the female part of the nation's favourite 'bit of rough' has played a gay character - in Derek Jarman's Caravaggio.

Male actors don't at all seem to consider playing a gay part a career breaker.

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

I think society believes men who act in Action Movies are all straight. It helps with the illusion somehow. I don't think about it one way or another. What do I care if Tom Cruise is gay? It's not like I'm sleeping with him *shudders*

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

haha, and thank god for that.

[herself_nyc]

I never thought of it that way. Hmmmm.

[fadednegative.livejournal.com]

you know that is interesting. I come from the same hick thinking...just a few hours north...and I get the OMG look if I even look at and actor and say hey, you know he could be gay. I think its because people see actors as these larger than life people. So it would make since to them that thier favorite actors and actresses be the same sexual orentaion as them or thus ruin the fantasy.

Wow I almost started to make since there *eep*

But you know James or David would be just as hot if they snuggled *hehe*

[goddessofmercy.livejournal.com]

in our culture, it is assumed that men who act on stage are gay (or at least a little bent), while men who act in movies or tv are almost definitely straight until we're told otherwise.

really? i mean, obviously i'm the wrong demographic for this discussion, being a stage and film actor, but i don't really remember encountering this assumption. the assumption that all male dancers are gay, i've definitely know about that one, but not this.

[vikingprincess]

perhaps because movie acting requires a different skill set? Stage actors are more likely to also be able to dance and sing. Perhaps that's part of it?

But you're right; weird dichotomy.

[laisserais]

hahahaha. YUP. and all the actors in hollywood who say they used to do theater? like in high school? we never wonder?

not to mention, sheer math would tell you that at least 10% of hollywood is hiding. that reminds me, i can't wait to see this.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

In my opinion, not all stage actors are gay and not all movie actors are straight.

I think its just the way American culture builds the stereotypes. Oh and little girls would be horrified if they were to discover that the movie star crush of the season liked taking it up the arse.

[ldyavalon.livejournal.com]

Well that's because theatre actors wear tights... or they used to.

Given that I couldn't give a damn who's sleeping with who, let along the sex of both whos, I'm always surprised whern someone says "so-and-so is gay". Not surprised that their gay, but surprised someone thought it relevant enough to tell me.

When I like an actor, I like it because he's good-looking, or a good actor, or maybe even *gasp* BOTH.

[xanzpet.livejournal.com]

I think this is because a large portion of our society tends to idealize film actors, put them on pedestals (often for the sole purpose of knocking them down), or to make them into role models/icons. This doesn't happen with stage actors, because I do think that many people view stage actors as 'lesser'; that is, if they were really talented, they would be in movies. Of course, if people would really look at those who tend to capture the public's adoration, they'd see how ridiculous it all is. Britney Spears has become a megastat, though she had no discernable shred of talent other than spawning and forgetting to wear underwear. Her sister is a hack who traded on Brit-Brit's name, got a show, because role model for the tween set, and is now 16 and knocked up. I watched an interview with Beyonce, who proclaimed that she was going to be the first African-American woman to win an Oscar, a Tony, and a Grammy. Yeah, except that Whoopi Goldberg did that already, many years ago.

[aubergineautumn.livejournal.com]

....I've always assumed it's because of how present day movie actors are chosen for their roles: they are not real actors, they are "discovered". Harrison Ford was discovered as a carpenter, Tom Welling was discovered as a carpenter for modeling (I think,it might have been some other non-skilled labor), Edward Furlong was discovered for his looks/personality as the Terminator kid, Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast in heroic roles, and the lead actor in Angel was discovered while walking his dog in Ithaca. They all acted better than average, but that wasn't the primary reason they were chosen for the role. I assume that actors "discovered" are, odds on, heterosexual.

If you look at past actors, however, the kind groomed by the studios, a good percentage of them having chosen their professions, a larger portion than normal were bi/gay.

On the other hand, stage actors chose their profession themselves, and go for intensive training. They usually don't achieve much fame, don't get paid much, and have to deal with the sterotyping by other people- if they weren't gay to begin with, by the time they are done, I assume they switch to stage lighting, become bi, or get waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than their fair share of sex.

[toobusy2write.livejournal.com]

I've wondered about that, too, lol. The conclusion I've come to is that it's because here in America, we still (although we've made strides in the area) consider homosexuality to be wrong/undesirable for whatever stupid reason. And since we (as a society) look up to celebrities as role models and treat them as royalty, the thought that they might be wrong/undesirable in some way is disturbing, we tend to dismiss the possibility. Now, I'm not saying we as in me, obviously, but yeah. As a whole. It's always baffled me, though, that there's that divide there. A theater actor is automatically considered gay, unless he makes the transition to movies/TV and then what? He suddenly has a lobotomy and he's straight? Huh? Things like that amuse me greatly. Oh, and then, to add to it, it seems to garner the movie/TV actor more respect when it's mentioned that before making it big in film or on TV they were stage actors. Um...yeah. My conclusion is that people pretty much live with blinders on that make them feel more comfortable with themselves, regardless of how logical it is, lol.

[dustandroses.livejournal.com]

I work in the theater, and I usually expect a good 80% the men I work with to be gay. However, since I'm gay too, I wonder how much of that has to do with my natural tendency to want all the people I like (or think are cool) to be gay, too. I actually expect the same percentage of film and tv actors to be gay, but I'm not sure if that's due to my personal gay bias or just my experience in theater transferring over.

As several people have already pointed out, many men who end up in film and tv started out in theater...so that societal expectation is rather skewed - if they knew the actors started out in theater would that make them assume they were gay? Hmmm...

I also wonder if people tend to push their own bias onto others the way I do. Straight men expect their heroes to be like them - it makes it easier for them to empathize with the character (and also to fantasize about putting themselves in their favorite actor's place.) And straight women want their actors to be straight because they want to play opposite them - at least in their own minds - and it's a lot easier to imagine when they think the actor is het.

Also, I think a lot of this comes from the studios and managers (and actors) who realize that Film/TV are big money, compared to Theater, which is localized and very sadly much less likely to make actors either famous or rich. If a large percent of the population is het (that whole 10% thing seems awfully sketchy if you include bisexuals in the mix - but that's a totally different discussion), actors are expected to appeal to that audience if they want to make a name for themselves. If the huge corporations that own the Film Studios tell you to pretend you're straight if you want to succeed, then chances are the actors who are determined to succeed at any cost are gonna do what they think they need to do to become stars.

That's why I love it when I hear about openly gay stars - whatever their emphasis. In today's society it's not as huge a risk as it was in the past, but you're still risking a lot to admit you're gay - and to advertise it by dating, being seen socially as a gay can make a big difference in your standing with your fans.

[loreleilynn.livejournal.com]

I think that it's mostly because modern theater has come to be associated with musicals, and a love of musicals is a big part of the gay stereotype. It also might be because stage acting calls for a lot more of a dramatic presence, and a dramatic, 'diva' personality is also a part of the gay stereotype.

Just clarifying, but I don't actually believe in the gay stereotype. But a lot of other people do, and these are mainly the people who make the assumptions you mentioned.

[icemink.livejournal.com]

Interesting discussion. You know I grew up in the theatre, and of the hundred or so actors (meaning specifically male) I've known, only 4 have been gay. Which means assuming I've met 100 actors, 4% were gay. I've probably met more than 100 over the last 29 years though. Of course I don't do musicals, and I think there might be a higher percentage there, although I'm not sure of that, because like I said I don't do musicals.

In any case, I have no idea why people think stage actors are gay. I think part of the reason they don't think film actors are gay is because with the big stars we hear far more than any sane person should want to know about their personal lives. I'm sure if you went into a supermarket you could figure out who every big star was dating in a matter of minutes. Since there love life is so much on display we can see that they are mostly straight, just like most of the populace is.

[strickens-girl.livejournal.com]

I think the assumption about stage actors being gay is usually about musical theater more than dramatic acting. I think it's a thing about singing and dancing that most Americans think is a feminine activity. I doubt most people would think a dramatic stage actor like Brian Dennehy or Kevin Spacey were gay but rumors abound for actors who sing and dance like Gregory Hines or Hugh Jackman.

As an actor, I think it's stupid. I've had male co-stars who were so freaked about being labeled that tried to get out of wearing make-up on stage. I guess if you want to be an actor, it's all part of the deal.