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I am sick with this obsession with body image

posted 16 years ago by kuteboy
16 replies | jump to latest

Am I the only one here who has had enough of gay programmes like Dante's Cove where all the main characters always have their clothes off and are always, and I mean always, ultra-muscular and good looking?
I mean, come on. Just how many guys do you get like that in real life? Not only is it unrealistic to have so many well-built, perfect looking gay guys, without a single fault, but it is also insulting. I know gay guys who work damn hard to achieve the ideal body image but never have any luck. And I am one of them!

I just wish these programmes would have at least a few characters with normal builds. People who are of average height/build and perhaps even some slim guys. I get tired of seeing all this ridiculous muscle everyone. It just seems kinda vain and shallow.

And while porn may be all well and good, it is not the key to a successful drama. You need to have a strong story as well and this show fails in that respect. Queer as Folk was at least successful in that it mixed a good plotline with eye candy and nice looking men, some of whom did not comform to this annoying image of the 'muscular, over-sexed' man and as a result it felt like those characters had more of a human side to them. Like they were ordinary people you could relate to.

So please producers/script writers/directors/everyone; let's move away from vanity and try to create gay programmes with your average, ordinary guy instead of coming up with this nonsense about over-sexed men and cheesy, ill-conceived drama about witches and magic.

there I am glad that's off my chest.

PS: Maybe I am a bit jealous of the build of the characters but i just want these programmes to 'keep it real'. I mean, few people have what we call the 'perfect' body image anyway. So how come all the main characters in a programme have that image? They can at least have some characters with a slimmer build or of a smaller height.

[–] capkronos 16 years ago

You're basically right. The majority of things marketed toward gays play up on the sex aspect big time. Just check out the DVD covers. 9 out of 10 times it will be half a dozen half naked/muscular model type guys gracing the cover. It's like they assume the target audience won't watch anything that's not soft core porn, and sadly they're probably correct. Sex sells, right? Something well written, well acted and well made, and not so childish, might make for a good change of pace. I'm all for it.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] addicted85_2004 16 years ago

himeros does have a point. i watch the show for the hot guys in it, not really looking for any type of satisfaction story-line or acting wise. If this was an intelligent and well-acted show then this argument would totally fly BUT since this show is supposed to be showing off half-naked, extremely good-looking men than it is succeeding quite well and don't want or expect any changes.

[–] Suki_Weeks 16 years ago

A good point made here. I doubt many take Dantes Cove all that seriously though, I think it's just a bit of fun. Do agree with this term in general though.

[–] Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 14 years ago

Well, I kept watching after I became less-than-satisfied with the story-line, so I can't complain.

If you're looking for something in the other direction, you might enjoy:
• Big Eden (2000) — http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212815/
— with Arye Gross, Eric Schweig, and Tim DeKay

• The Sum of Us (1994) — http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111309/
— with Russell Crowe, and Jack Thompson

They're both excellent stories about 30-plus men looking for a loving relationship, not just sex.

I had a bit of trouble wrapping my mind around the concept of such a bucolic community as Big Eden, Montana, being so accepting toward their gay neighbors. Once I got past that, I found it very enjoyable.

The Sum of Us is based on a stage play. While I had no problem with it, others have noted that they weren't comfortable with the idea of "breaking the fourth wall" and having everyone else freeze while a character addressed the audience directly. (Be prepared for a brief glimpse of Crowe's tochis — and be prepared to see him kiss another man.)

---
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things,"
Of atoms, stars and nebulæ, of entropy and genes.
---

[–] irp_apesauce 15 years ago

Just wanted to stop and point out the irony of your screen-name there, Kuteboy...

The show is marketed as a guilty pleasure. In this case, part of that brief includes having a lot of attractive men and women in the cast. It's clearly meant to be part of the appeal of this particular show. It does what it says on the tin, and there's an audience for it.

Basically what I'm getting at is that if that's not what you're looking for (which is completely fine), then this show is not for you. There are plenty of other series with similar subject matter - check out 'Buffy' for the supernatural aspects or stick with 'Queer as Folk' for the deeper gay-themed stuff, both of which are great at what they do.

There's lots of stuff out there that 'keeps it real'. There's lots of people out there that appreciate 'Dante's Cove' for what it is. There's no need to mix the two. Television caters for all tastes; you don't need to like it all, and restructuring the whole point of any series you're not that into just seems a bit daft to me. Not quite as daft as being offended by a group of attractive people because they're attractive, or admitting to working hard to achieve an "ideal" you're also railing against, but still pretty daft.

I didn't want to be as trite as "if you don't like it, don't watch it"... but then again, you were as simplistic as "I don't like it, there's clearly something wrong with it". Horses for courses.

[–] hernan_amado 15 years ago

You don't seem to understand that these look like that to get a GOOD RATING. if they were common- ugly people, no one would dare watch the show. When you see people like that you admire them, and you know that seeing them in the nude atracts audiences. Besides that, they are not that good-looking. Ambrosous is kind of flaccid, kevin is too gay-looking and it doesn't make him look good. I don't like like Charlie David, he is face is too-gay looking. Jon Flemming has a good body, but his face isn't that graceful, is it? Trevor looks kind of fat, doesn't he? the black guy's face leaves a lot to be desired, but he does work out. As you cna see everybody's got flaws. Accept yourself the way you are, and if you want to achieve that image, just work harder. Sorry to have criticized them, but they are just average people.

[–] fpwest 15 years ago

Well, I can share with you that I have directly asked some of the men of Here about their opinions on 'Body Image' issues.

I attended a conference in LA where a few of the Dante's Cove men were sitting on the panel. I reminded them that the LGBT rainbow is not just diverse, but it is also broad; and while I appreciate all the work they do on their six-pack abs, I enjoy my keg abs. We all got a huge laugh at that, but then they answered seriously, saying they were just actors, but they did feel that it was an important issue to address. Unfortunately, they pointed out at the end of the day the producers and creators know 'SEX SELLS'.

I'm still in contact with a few of the cast members, and we still joke about it from time to time.

[–] CalKersten 14 years ago

Thank you to some of you shallow, self-important, and narcissistic men who truly make every gay stereotype realized. You know who you are. While I disagree with the original posters objection to the use of these men, I also understand his point. It's true that these shows do create an unrealistic standard of physicality and the fact that some people would accuse him of "not trying hard enough" is ridiculous. Not only do you have no idea who he is and what he does in his own life, but it's really none of your business either way. I was a little disappointed that no one saw fit to talk about a proper response to his question rather than a totally unwarranted su[erficial analysis of someone you don't even know.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] avia2 14 years ago

The problem is that DC tries to portray itself as real drama...
... whereas I respect real porn because it's honest about having a crap story.

[–] Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 14 years ago

Basically, the film-makers had two choices:
• Great-looking cast & less-than-great story
• Great story & ordinary-looking cast

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the film-makers decided most of their target audience (gay men, 18-118) would go for no story at all if the guys looked great enough (especially if the costumes were skimpy enough).

I can't complain. When I became less than satisfied with the story-line, I kept watching anyway.

Observations are relative to the observer.
— Albert Einstein

We don't see things as they are; we see things as we are.
— Anaïs Nin

---
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things,"
Of atoms, stars and nebulæ, of entropy and genes.
---

[–] ratodum 14 years ago

It's rather ridiculous that every time I watch this show, I am left underwhelmed. I mean, is this really the best that the "first gay network" can do? Way to reinforce stereotypes, Here!. Really, though, if they focused more on the story and created something that was pretty amazing, the mediocre acting and sex appeal would take a back seat. Seriously, the writers of Dante's Cove should focus more on writing, or they should bring in talented writers.

[–] Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 14 years ago

True, they were undoubtedly playing into their perception of their target audience.

Also true, the storyline got so lost that at times it appeared to have been written by alternating committees who didn't seem to care about consistency and continuity.

Agreed, as well, that some of the cast weren't hired for their acting talent.

Further agreed that there are quite a number of truly talented gay writers out there looking for work and that the fledgling network could have hired any number of them within their budget.

Even given all of that, I still found it largely watchable — though at the "guilty pleasure" level and with the critical subroutines largely offline.

every time I watch this show

there must be something about the show that brings you back to it. If it were as bad as all that, you'd not keep watching unless you were being paid to review it.

The human mind ordinarily operates at ten percent of its capacity — the rest is overhead for the operating system.

***
Have you noticed that in Shakespeare's plays soothsayers said the sooth, the whole sooth, and nothing but the sooth?
***

[–] fitchettt 14 years ago

When it come to body image in tv shows, I only agree with points like these when it people in their 20's portraying teenagers, creating an actual unrealistic standard for kids who haven't finished developing, and don't look like what they see on tv.
But with DC I don't think that's the case at all. These actors are all age appropriate, and as far as "unrealistic beauty standards" go, that doesn't make any sense. These are real people playing these parts, and this is what they look like. I'm not going to fault anybody for working out and wanting to look their best.

I think that we aren't even watching the same show, because I didn't see anyone I would consider "unrealisticaly beautiful." In fact, many of the characters I didn't find to be very attractive at all.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so everyone will have different opinions on these subjects.

[–] TimTaison2020 13 years ago

Well Dante;s Cove is just entertainment... gay witches and warlocks, magic spells, a gay version of UPN's Charmed mixed with HBO's True Blood and soap opera and soft porn.
Hopefully you don't become this concerned/stress about cartoons, sheesh!
The guys are paid actors in a place called Hollywood, it is as simple as that, as for perfect body image of diversity--- it is amazing how gays scream for diversity with body images because they aren't model material but don't date outside their race... preferences as they call it in gay profiles.
The director/producers of their show have artistic liberties to hire any body type they desire to represent their Dante's Cove universe--- not everyone is going to be a hairy bear or sissy or a hot jock or a black sex animal with a big black cock or a spicy latino or small dick Asian... in the real world but this isn't the real world it is a *beep* tv show with magic and witches/warlocks vampires no one uses the bathroom, no one sneezes...
Can't folks just escape into the story for an hour and not be so critical... hopefully you show this much conviction/emotion for matters that really count instead over a silly gay witches and warlock television show.