ZiprHead

I was just watching "Curb Appeal" last night on TLC and they were doing the house of a couple gay guys. I've seen gay couples on many of those shows, and inter-racial couples too. I feel that when they do those things without comment or criticism it's a sign that our culture is progressing.

Thanatoast

I remember seeing a lesbian couple on A Baby Story a couple of months back. It was very heart-warming to see the family of the birth mother being so loving and accepting.

Yes, I watch these shows. Yes, I'm a heterosexual male. So poo-poo on you!

KoopaFanatic

I don't see it as being quite so positive, myself. In the episodes I've seen with gay couples they've never been honest about the pair's relationship: "roommates" or "friends" or something like that. That's not showing without comment or criticism, it's hiding the fact and hoping nobody notices. They aren't shy about straight relationships.

On the other hand, I've never seen the straw room on Trading Spaces, and I only occasionally catch While You Were Out. I don't watch too much other programming in the genre. Never seen most of the A ____ Story shows, for instance. I'm not denying it's possible that there've been more positive presentations, just that the ones I've noticed haven't exactly been what I'd call inclusive.

And don't worry, Thanatoast, there are a lot of other straight men who are closet fans of TLC programming. I look forward to the day when we can make our voices heard without criticism

Hedwig

The WYWO episode with the partner being off at a rodeo was pretty up front about it. They referred to them as "partners" I believe but Theresa (the hostess) made a couple of comments to the homeowner about their relationship. That particular episode even had a small blurb about it in (I think) Out magazine where they interviewed the homeowner as well as the designer (I think it was John-Bruce) who is also pretty open about being gay.

Clarice

I remember the couple from the Straw Room (gag!) episode of Trading Spaces, and I remember thinking that they neither pussyfooted (ahem) around it, nor made a big deal of it. However, I don't remember if the words "partner" or "roommate" or whatnot were used.

But as far as vocabulary, it's kind of a problem, isn't it? When I was living with my now husband, it wasn't like I introduced him as my lover or anything (that term always makes me think of Sprockets). Without giving that much detail about your bedroom activities, and since our tightass country doesn't let gays wed, I think "partner" is about the best you can do. I do think "roommate" is kind of misleading, but without a recognized term like "husband/wife," people are left to flounder a bit.

KoopaFanatic

Hmm... I was mostly thinking of the rodeo episode. I guess I just wasn't paying that much attention, cuz I thought they were anything but up-front about it.

Megusic

This weekends WYOW intro'd the couple as having "been together" for however many years (2 i think) and showed pictures of the couple where it was apparent they were a couple, no discreetness there. Didn't see the rodeo episode. The trading spaces straw episode (yeah, what was hilde thinking?) i don't remember any referalls to them as a couple. when talking to one, they would refer to the other by first name. the only way it was revealed to the viewers was brief mention of their children.

While it is refreshing that they aren't discluding gays from their shows, or using them as damn 'token' gay characters, would it kill them to say "What's your girlfriend going to think about this?" I agree that the language is definately being jumped around.

(I seem to recall TLC having religious undertones to their programming, or am I thinking of a different channel?

cheetah

I saw the episode again last night and they really were nonchalant about the whole thing. When the girl was trying to win the last prize (an expensive table setting) she referred to it as romantic.

KoopaFanatic

Well, they and the Discovery Channel both show a lot of documentaries focusing on Christianity and Christian myths (i.e. "Remember all those plagues on Egypt? Here's how it might have actually happened." which aired last week), but they're not usually too pro-religion.... More like pro-trivia. That's just documentaries and stuff, too. Trading Spaces, While You Were Out, and the A ____ Story shows are, I believe, even more secular. At least, I can't recall anybody redesigning a room with a crucifixion motif or anything

trunks2k

Well, there was one WYWO episode in which the designer wanted to use a lot of religious imagery in the person's back yard (statues of the Virgin Mary, etc). It turned out that the couple was presbytirian or something and their religion forbids religious imagery/idolotry, so the most of the plan had to be scrapped.