“My name is Ellen and I’m a vegetarian. Just to add another label to me: I am a lesbian, Aquarian and vegetarian. I’ve said it…” Ellen DeGeneres stated this with grace and humor in 1999 despite the battle she was still fighting.
Ellen came out on the show Ellen in 1997 and the episode received huge ratings and the attention of the media, however not all of it was positive. Dealing with the repercussions was not as easy and seamless for Ellen as the announcement had been. She became the target of negative media as she was condemned as “Ellen Degenerate.” The show was cancelled a year later, but Ellen revived her career with The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Ellen was one of the first stars to openly admit to being homosexual and as a result took the brunt of the disapproval of the media. She has always expressed the wish that her sexuality was not such a big deal to people.
“I wish that I wasn’t seen differently, she says. “I wish that people looked at me and just saw that I was a good person with a good heart. And that wants to make people laugh. And that’s who I am. I also happen to be gay.” But because of her efforts, today it is much more acceptable to be esbian and gay actors and even have gay relationships on TV.
So many shows now feature gay relationships, it’s become a non-issue. It seems that current television shows overtly highlight gay relationships without the outrage from critics of years ago. The new drama “Smash” features five openly gay characters.
On ABC “Glee” has a gay member of the choir, two lesbian cheerleaders, and a transgender character named Unique.
This season of “Grey’s Anatomy” features Arizona and Callie adjusting to life as “wife and wife.”
On the nation’s most popular shows, “Modern Family” partners Cameron and Mitchell are attempting to adopt a second child. Public acceptance of gay relationships and characters on television has increased tenfold from the judgmental era of Ellen. Surprisingly, “Modern Family” received a “Catholic Emmy” this month. The show was named Catholic Media Group’s Best Television show this month.
Contrast this with when Ellen threatened to quit after ABC preceded an episode where she jokingly kisses a friend with a message that read “Due to adult content, parental discretion is advised.” Today, this warning would be pointless as it would be flashed more times than not.
This year when a group called One Million Moms protested against Ellen Degeneres’ spokesmanship for JC Penney, the company defended her and the group backed down.
Some believe that the existence of gay relationships on television has made citizens and more importantly voters more tolerant of others. A New York Times article states, “At a time when gay rights are re-emerging as an election year issue — in part because of Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s stated support for gay marriageon Sunday — activists and academics say that depictions of gay characters on television play a big role in making viewers more comfortable with their gay, lesbian and transgender neighbors.”
Studies have shown that gay representation decreases prejudice among viewers. “While campaigns against shows with gay characters are now rare, the pressure on networks to include them has grown. There was a fan outcry, for example, when the gay couple on “Modern Family” did not kiss in the sitcom’s first season.”
Gay and lesbian representation in regards to media not only helps others accept their life style, but also affects voting trends. Voters across the country have shifted their opinion on gay marriage. Perhaps exposure to the idea helped them accept it.