Queer as Folk

There should be a warning before purchasing Queer as Folk. Warning: What you are about to watch is extremely explicit or Warning: Naked bodies are guaranteed to be shown ever 3 minutes. Many gay advocates hate the series because they believe its obsession with sex overshadows other aspects of the gay community. Think about it though. Certain heterosexual television shows like Sex and The City are all about sex and sexuality, and it is accepted because ultimately the majority of the relationships filmed are those of a heterosexual nature. It the world of homosexuality, sex is just as prevalent, it is simply not something viewed as frequently as heterosexual relationships, thus we are not use to it. It is a huge part of our culture, yet we refuse to accept or view gay material, such as Queer as Folk. It is only shocking because it is ‘in your face’ for the first time. The series does not overly represent ‘gayness’, and when viewed closer, it subconsciously relates to masculinity and acceptance. The television series Queer as Folk constructs masculinity in a seemingly progressive way; due to the overtly sexual nature of the show, and to the homosexuality of the majority of the characters. In some ways, seen specifically through the actions and characteristics of Brian, Queer as Folk attempts to widen the category of “normative masculinity” to include gay men, but at the same time the series also flaunts and celebrates a non-normative masculinity. Thus far, through the viewing of two Queer as Folk episodes, the series constructs masculinity in two different ways. One which includes homosexuals in societies view of “normative masculinity,” the other depicting gays as a group of non-normative people. Both constructions of masculinity are neither right nor wrong, and they both build off each other in each episode. Specifically, the character Brian fuels the first depiction of masculinity, whereas Emmett and the scenes of Club Babylon celebrate the non-normative forms