LOOKING- Page 38

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 1:10pm

It's easy to defend him because WE ALL LOVE the straight guy guys. The ones who don't look gay.

I don't necessarily agree with this statement.

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 1:30pm

I meant straight GAY guys, I have a problem typing everything out like word vomit and not editing it...and I was speaking ironically.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 1:38pm

"WE ALL LOVE the straight guy guys."

Generally speaking of course. But even the gay media conditions us into this way of thinking. Gay lifestyle magazines are full of photographs of "straight gay guys" all perfectly toned and well-groomed in order to promote which ever product is paying for the space. They rarely have any other body or personality types in there.

Even when the Huffington Post interviews the Warwick Rowers it gets them to take their shirts off for no obvious reason:

http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/highlight/warwick-rowers-thank-you-for-fighting-homophobia-with-your-shirts-off/5485c919fe344476500006cf?cps=gravity_3462_-2691749635277336451

(I assume the irony in the link is unintentional)

So we, generally speaking, create our own internalised homophobia.

Updated On: 3/3/15 at 01:38 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 1:47pm

MASC ONLY no offense it's just a preference

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 3:10pm

I stand by everything I've said in this thread in support of Tovey, but just for the record, I want to make it clear that my statements do not in anyway align with whatever muddled point BroomstickBoy was trying to make.

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 3:14pm

I could've used a re-write or two. I should totally be a writer on LOOKING.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 3:28pm

Ha. Sorry, I was unnecessarily mean, BroomstickBoy. I get the general gist of what you were saying.

At the end of the day, this topic is an explosive and emotional one for a lot of gay men. And whether you're "into" fem guys or not, the marginalization of men who don't fit the strict heteronormative, binary gender norms with the preface of those dreaded three words "No offense, but..." is an ugly and, yes, systemic part of the media narrative of what a "real" man is or isn't. And, yes, as the glorious Panti's Noble Call so eloquently told us, there is probably - no matter how evolved one may be - a small internalized touch of homophobia in all of us. I hope that it's clear that when I was defending Tovey I was not minimizing the impact of all of that. I just still strongly feel that Tovey was speaking about how his trials as a young man - violence, oppression, rejection from strangers, peers and even family (and, yes, his own internalized homophobia) inevitably shaped who he became as a man. I don't think he is celebrating those difficult periods in his life, but rather has adopted a somewhat zen attitude about it all as he's learned to celebrate and accept the man he has become and the career choices that has afforded him. But I'm probably just rambling and repeating myself now.

ETA: I just saw the separate Tovey thread, but I've said all I possibly can on the subject, so I'll just leave my comments here.



Updated On: 3/3/15 at 03:28 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 5:09pm

SonofRobbieJ said:

"I know that's a MASSIVE over-generalization, but the most emotionally fulfilling moment of the series happened between a gay man and his straight, female best friend. It sends a rather thorny message that our relationships with our lady supporters are healthier than our relationships with each other. I know...I'm reading into that waaaay too much. "

I get your point, though I admit I didn't see it quite like that. That said, last week's Paley Center panel with the cast and creators is online, and they imply that this was partly to lead and contrast with some upcoming major fractures showing problems with Dom and Doris' relationship. For whatever that's worth.

Horse, they also were asked about the ratings, and the creators seemed optimistic about a new season--mentioning how over a week of repeats they get about 2 million viewers, and that HBO told them from the start that they didn't expect big numbers. For whatever *that's* worth.

(And yes, great episode.)

As for Tovey... meh. The only thing--and others have brought it up--that I do think made me feel sorry for the guy in his comments was his talk about thanking his dad for not leading him on the path he really felt as a teen he wanted and would have been comfortable with because it made him man up, or whatever. He didn't say that he had come to an understanding with his dad (who still refuses to watch him in gay roles, apparently,) or he forgives his dad, or whatever--he thanked him and seems to think that without his dad he would have ended up an unhirable, tap dancing, prancing "freak."

But it's an interview. And actors give bad interviews, and Tovey always has given ones that make him seem kinda confused and insecure (his comments about his jealousy of Dominic Cooper--who he was in History Boys with and, for the record, who DID go to a theatre school and is a bigger name than he is--show this.)

I do think it's kinda ironic that the most stereotypically masculine role I've seen him in, and I've seen a lot of his tv and some film work, is playing gay on Looking.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 5:17pm

"This show may have the record for killing careers."

Whose? Bakula is on a hit procedural, Groff seems to be doing as fine as he did before the show, and the other leads never had any major mainstream success before in N America (well maybe aside from Tovey... And I guess Murray Bartlett was on Guiding Light in its twilight years.)

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 5:45pm

Yeah, I have no idea what PJ is referring to ^there, either. Is the Paley Center panel worth checking out, Eric? I don't want any spoilers. Glad they sound optimistic about a renewal.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 6:11pm

Yeah, I think it's worth watching (I mean some of it is a bit slow--it's an hour--but I put it on while cooking for a dinner party so...) Lauren is, as she says, exactly like Doris, it's kinda scary--and is hilarious. And some of the audience questions near the end are actually intelligent. My comment on Doris/Dom was the only somewhat spoiler they gave (the people watching had just watched the funeral episode--so they do talk about that quite closely.)

https://screen.yahoo.com/live/event/paleylive-la-an-evening-with-looking

Updated On: 3/3/15 at 06:11 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 6:33pm

"I put it on while cooking for a dinner party…"

Oh no. Did you talk about TV at the dinner party?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 10:23pm

....I think someone brought up the upcoming season of Game of Thrones *hides head in shame* But I was on my best behaviour.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 10:41pm

I'd be surprised if HBO cancelled this show. Not because its good or has good ratings, but because they need content for their streaming platforms. The show pairs well with Girls which also has crumby ratings.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/3/15 at 10:45pm

Not nearly as low but Girls has started to slip quite a bit. Togetherness--their new Sunday 30 minute show gets ratings between the two which even I find pretty terrible :P --I think the concern among Looking fans is both Togetherness and Girls were picked up for next year very early on. But I think your point plays a part.

Updated On: 3/3/15 at 10:45 PM

[Roscoe]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 8:52am

I enjoyed the new episode a good deal. Nice to see Doris get some time, and it was an interesting choice to make Dom's family issues almost a sideplot, reflecting I'm sure the way he's come to view them himself, as being not particularly important -- he can't even remember whether his mother is alive or not.

As for Kevin's reappearance, well okay. I hope Patrick enjoys himself while it lasts, because it won't last for long. But then again, what does?

And if nothing else, the show gave us a few precious moments of the sublime Mary Kay Place, who is warmth and life personified and I wish she was on every show all the time.

Updated On: 3/4/15 at 08:52 AM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 3:11pm

Mary Kay Place (is she someone else PJ thinks has now sunk her career?) *was* wonderful and hasn't gotten enough praise. In just a few short scenes she really managed to perfectly capture her strained but still loving relationship with Doris.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 4:42pm

YES, Mary Kay Place was perfect casting. She was one of the best parts of BIG LOVE.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 7:42pm

That episode was so good, it seemed like another series.

Lauren Weedman should get an Emmy.

And I want Murray Bartlett to be my best friend.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 10:23pm

One if not THE best episode of the series so far. Loved Dom and Doris' interaction. Patrick was tolerable. The episode was written by the talented Jhoni Marchinko.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 10:38pm

She should write more Looking and leave 2 Broke Girls (if she's still one of the lead writers there--) though truthfully, the paycheck can't be remotely the same.

[NoName3]

Posted: 3/4/15 at 10:54pm

.










Never mind.

Updated On: 3/4/15 at 10:54 PM

[HorseTears]

Posted: 3/5/15 at 5:49am

I'm kind of shocked that this wonderful episode was written by one of the writers for 2 Broke Girls. Just goes to show that good people get stuck in bad situations.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/5/15 at 8:31am

Doesn't Justin Sayre write for 2 Broke Girls as well?

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 3/5/15 at 8:38am

Lauren Weedman really is the MVP of this show. As frustrating as Looking can be, I always enjoy her work, so I'm glad she finally got an episode that really showcased her considerable skills. Still, it's disappointing that for a show about gay men, the most enjoyable/likable character is the straight woman- at least Dom is tolerable, though.