Of the mere 120 movies available under the "Gay and Lesbian" category on Netflix, maybe 5 or 6 are about people of any minority, one or two of which are foreign films. Most of the films are low budget, and some appear to be border line pornographic. Despite the fact that people are more accepting of those who stray more than ever before from the heteronormative way of life, our taste in movies does not reflect this.The fact that big production companies are not making movies about LGBTQ people or their relationships is interesting. Do they think people will not pay to see these movies? Many popular movies (Friends with Benefits, Mean Girls, Easy A) have included gay couples or a gay friend, but always on the side, never the main character(s). Why is this so different and why is this more amusing and acceptable than placing a gay person as the main character?I think that because, while everyone wants to say they are "fine" with LGBT people, the thought of watching them on a big screen for two hours makes them uncomfortable. To test this, I asked a heterosexual Caucasian friend if she would go see a movie where the main character was a gay white woman looking for love. She said "probably not," and I asked why she wouldn't. She told me it was because she would have nothing in common with the plot, and would probably not enjoy it as much. Why would she want to watch a movie about someone with interests that did not match her own? At first her reply made sense, but then I began thinking of all the other movies I know she's watched. She's seen all the heteronormative movies I listed above, but she has also seen Gravity (a movie in which Sandra Bullock is cut loose in space), Taken (a movie in which Liam Neeson saves his children from an abductor), and she watches Law and Order every day. Does she have anything in common with the people in these productions? The only similarity is that they're all heterosexuals. My friend claims she has nothing against LGBT people, and I believe her, but the fact that she is willing to watch essentially anything but a "gay and lesbian" movie is notable. I don't think it's entirely her fault, though. Movies focusing on the lives of homosexuals are vastly unpopular and under advertised, and she simply has not been exposed to the genre. Besides Brokeback Mountain, I believe Pariah was the first "gay" film I have ever seen. I simply don't think about that subcategory of movies. When I asked my friend about my hypothetical movie, she was caught off guard. It was a weird question and topic we don't typically think about.
So w
here does my friend's argument fall through? And why are LGBTQ focused movies so taboo amongst the average person? Are they really that difficult to relate to, or does society shape us to see things in a certain light, regardless of our personal beliefs?
I think that the only movies involving gay and lesbians that people will ever go see are the ones that describe their troubles. The only popular ones that I can think of are Philadelphia and Milk, both of which are about the struggles of being a homosexual and the way they try to overcome these difficulties. I can't think of a "rom-com" or something where the focus is on a homosexual living a normal life are very rare. The movies that do include homosexuals are usually as a very minor character like Friends with Benefits and I love you Man. Both of these movies have gay people in them, but they do not focus at all on their lives. I think that society just would not want to watch a movie that focuses wholly on a homosexual relationship.
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