TY - BOOK ID - 1751084 TI - Gay TV and straight America PY - 2006 SN - 9780813536880 9780813536897 081353688X 0813536898 1280947136 9786610947133 0813539323 PB - New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, DB - UniCat KW - Sociology of the family. Sociology of sexuality KW - Mass communications KW - United States KW - Homosexuality on television. KW - Homosexuality KW - Public opinion KW - Public opinion. KW - Homosexuality -- United States -- Public opinion. KW - Public opinion -- United States. KW - Homosexuality on television KW - Same-sex attraction KW - Gays on television KW - Homosexuality in television KW - Sexual orientation KW - Bisexuality KW - Television KW - United States of America UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:1751084 AB - After decades of silence on the subject of homosexuality, television in the 1990's saw a striking increase in programming that incorporated and, in many cases, centered on gay material. In shows including Friends, Seinfeld, Party of Five, Homicide, Suddenly Susan, The Commish, Ellen, Will & Grace, and others, gay characters were introduced, references to homosexuality became commonplace, and issues of gay and lesbian relationships were explored, often in explicit detail. In Gay TV and Straight America, Ron Becker draws on a wide range of political and cultural indicators to explain this sudden upsurge of gay material on prime-time network television. Bringing together analysis of relevant Supreme Court rulings, media coverage of gay rights battles, debates about multiculturalism, concerns over political correctness, and much more, Becker's assessment helps us understand how and why televised gayness was constructed by a specific culture of tastemakers during the decade. On one hand the evidence points to network business strategies that embraced gay material as a valuable tool for targeting a quality audience of well-educated, upscale adults looking for something "edgy" to watch. But, Becker also argues that the increase of gay material in the public eye creates growing mainstream anxiety in reaction to the seemingly civil public conversation about equal rights. In today's cultural climate where controversies rage over issues of gay marriage yet millions of viewers tune in weekly to programs like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, this book offers valuable insight to the complex condition of America's sexual politics. ER -