Shazam 2: unnecessary gay character coming out storyline

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the deal with TV and movies needing to check every single DEI box? It's gotten preposterous and such a distraction from the basic storytelling.

Shazam 2 was a mediocre movie, but made even more so by the totally unnecessary gay character coming out storyline. It was so clumsy and poorly done, and didn't advance the story at all. C'mon. this is a dumb superhero movie for kids. what is the point?

I get it, OP. I hate it when movies have unnecessary heterosexual relationships. Yuck.

I know! It’s so unnecessary to show the norm. How crazy!

Lol expecting norm in a super hero movie.

Hello tgey are flying in the sky but the crazy thing to you is a character is gay. Lol.

P.s. Bert and Ernie are gay

No sh¡t they’re gay. But kudos to Sesame Street for not needing to make their coming out a big to-do. That’s the point.

You know what’s funny about this argument is that there’s also an uproar when movies quietly place gay characters in movies. There’s no winning with some people.

Example of such an uproar?

https://www.advocate.com/film/2019/7/09/one-million-moms-boycotts-toy-story-4-over-lesbian-scene#toggle-gdpr

https://deadline.com/2020/03/disney-onward-banned-multiple-middle-east-markets-lesbian-lgbt-reference-1202876168/

https://www.pride.com/gay-movies/strange-world#rebelltitem1

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-02-13/the-last-of-us-bella-ramsey-anti-lgbtq-backlash-pedro-pascal-hbo

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/scooby-doo-velma-queer-conservatives-upset-1234605920/amp/

https://www.chron.com/culture/article/Disney-Baymax-transgender-scene-tampons-movie-17276482.php

I’m sure I could go on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, OP. DEI gets tiresome when it is blatantly shoved down your throat.

Movies pander to DEI way too much these days. It is so inauthentic and like consuming a cheap McDonald's hamburger of diversity.

Look at movies that do it right - Aliens with Sigourney Weaver as a strong female lead, Fast and Furious with the most diverse cast for the last 20+ years, Rocky with plenty of black and white characters since 80, Predator with a very diverse macho cast......

None of those movies had to force the DEI crap down your throat and they are some of the most memorable films ever made. Modern and culture think they invented diversity and were the first to ever think about it, which is a joke. They did it wayyyyy better in the 70s-90s when they simply had the characters exist as people in the plot without the need to hammer constantly on their identities. These days diversity is so plastic, fake, and contrived.

And yes op, film studios are pretty much forced into having diversity in the set of films, at least of they want to be nominated for an academy award.

How limited must your friend circle be that having more than one or two “diverse” experiences is unusually many? I have fat friends, queer friends, immigrant friends, friends of many races, friends of many genders, friends of many religions, etc. Seeing a film with characters showing the diversity of human experience seems normal. Single token diversity characters seem more weird to me tbh.

I could barely watch Banshees of Inisherin because of ALL the diversity. How annoying!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, OP. DEI gets tiresome when it is blatantly shoved down your throat.

Movies pander to DEI way too much these days. It is so inauthentic and like consuming a cheap McDonald's hamburger of diversity.

Look at movies that do it right - Aliens with Sigourney Weaver as a strong female lead, Fast and Furious with the most diverse cast for the last 20+ years, Rocky with plenty of black and white characters since 80, Predator with a very diverse macho cast......

None of those movies had to force the DEI crap down your throat and they are some of the most memorable films ever made. Modern and culture think they invented diversity and were the first to ever think about it, which is a joke. They did it wayyyyy better in the 70s-90s when they simply had the characters exist as people in the plot without the need to hammer constantly on their identities. These days diversity is so plastic, fake, and contrived.

And yes op, film studios are pretty much forced into having diversity in the set of films, at least of they want to be nominated for an academy award.

How limited must your friend circle be that having more than one or two “diverse” experiences is unusually many? I have fat friends, queer friends, immigrant friends, friends of many races, friends of many genders, friends of many religions, etc. Seeing a film with characters showing the diversity of human experience seems normal. Single token diversity characters seem more weird to me tbh.

How is the inclusion of fat people a DEI catogory? Is blonde hair a diversity? How about being short? How about stupid people? People who only like pistachio ice cream?

Every damn regular person wants to be special.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, OP. DEI gets tiresome when it is blatantly shoved down your throat.

Movies pander to DEI way too much these days. It is so inauthentic and like consuming a cheap McDonald's hamburger of diversity.

Look at movies that do it right - Aliens with Sigourney Weaver as a strong female lead, Fast and Furious with the most diverse cast for the last 20+ years, Rocky with plenty of black and white characters since 80, Predator with a very diverse macho cast......

None of those movies had to force the DEI crap down your throat and they are some of the most memorable films ever made. Modern and culture think they invented diversity and were the first to ever think about it, which is a joke. They did it wayyyyy better in the 70s-90s when they simply had the characters exist as people in the plot without the need to hammer constantly on their identities. These days diversity is so plastic, fake, and contrived.

And yes op, film studios are pretty much forced into having diversity in the set of films, at least of they want to be nominated for an academy award.

How limited must your friend circle be that having more than one or two “diverse” experiences is unusually many? I have fat friends, queer friends, immigrant friends, friends of many races, friends of many genders, friends of many religions, etc. Seeing a film with characters showing the diversity of human experience seems normal. Single token diversity characters seem more weird to me tbh.

How is the inclusion of fat people a DEI catogory? Is blonde hair a diversity? How about being short? How about stupid people? People who only like pistachio ice cream?

Every damn regular person wants to be special.

Lol pp thinks having a 600lb friend fits into her ridiculous liberal agenda. Many of these people probably think that pp is nuts and don't think of themselves as her friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not coming out when it’s always been clear.

Patrick and sponge bob are gay too.

And Bert and Ernie

And Thelma

It’s not new to us who see.

Nice. Do you also watch cartoon porn? You must if you're imagining characters created to be children as gay if they are same sex and friends.

Why do bigots always want to know what’s going on inside someone’s bedroom? When I see a gay character, I think love family connection. When you say a couple you think porn and sex.

Do you think of porn and sex when you think of your parents?

Get this you're imagining PUPPETS and cartoons watched by children under 10 having an adult relationship with gay romance and sex. Thats disgusting. But not gross if they're adults.

No. You are doing that. You’re the disgusting one.

I’m imagining two people who love and support each other. Two people who help each other when they are sad and celebrate each other when they are happy.

Just like Kermit and ms piggy.

That sounds like best friends so why are you saying these same gender puppets are gay to you and why is SpongeBob and Patricks friendship gay to you huh? Where's your imagination going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not coming out when it’s always been clear.

Patrick and sponge bob are gay too.

And Bert and Ernie

And Thelma

It’s not new to us who see.

No, Patrick and Spongebob are not gay lovers. They may be gay, but they are best friends first. Friendship is magic! If anything Spongebob is asexual and Patrick is gay.

Why do bigots immediately want to know what’s going on inside everybody’s bed. They’re gay live with it.

I don't agree with OP and I do think representation in media is important but it is also important to represent male friendship in movies. Making it so every set of best male friends is an auto read of gay is pretty damaging to men, who may then struggle to see healthy representations of male friendship in media.

It's important to feature gay relationships! It is also important to feature male friendship! Just like its important to feature non romantic male/female friendship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Netflix does this and it's so annoying. They always plug a gay character love story that has nothing to do with the plot. As a black woman I am all for organic diversity but if every dark skinned black female character has to have a white female lover, I have to think there is an agenda.

The representation of gays in TV shows and movies is greater than real life.

This is exactly why it’s annoying and seems so contrived.

Only if you live in a bubble with no queer friends or aren''t a queer viewer yourself. But sure, the inclusion is the problem, not your inability to look outside of your own experience.

I don't have a single friend, in my huge group of friends, who has ever been divorced. For real. Don't see it as contrived when shows feature divorced characters. And in all honestly, I completely live in a race bubble...I have Asian, latino, and muslim friends, but really, no black friends. And yet, doesn't seem contrived to me to see black people on screen. Or to see white friend groups with people of color.

What the hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused. When is it “necessary “ for a character to be gay?

That character was fat inclusive and they had the main as a disabled inclusive kid they also has the diverse family with one Asian parent and one Hispanic parent who adopted Asian Latino black and white kids. They made the movie as inclusive as could be to the point it was eye rolling.

We went to see it this weekend and literally rolled our eyes when they introduced the mandatory gay character during the first few minutes of the movie.

Agree. It’s just ticking boxes at this point and seems fake

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not coming out when it’s always been clear.

Patrick and sponge bob are gay too.

And Bert and Ernie

And Thelma

It’s not new to us who see.

Nice. Do you also watch cartoon porn? You must if you're imagining characters created to be children as gay if they are same sex and friends.

Why do bigots always want to know what’s going on inside someone’s bedroom? When I see a gay character, I think love family connection. When you say a couple you think porn and sex.

Do you think of porn and sex when you think of your parents?

Get this you're imagining PUPPETS and cartoons watched by children under 10 having an adult relationship with gay romance and sex. Thats disgusting. But not gross if they're adults.

No. You are doing that. You’re the disgusting one.

I’m imagining two people who love and support each other. Two people who help each other when they are sad and celebrate each other when they are happy.

Just like Kermit and ms piggy.

That sounds like best friends so why are you saying these same gender puppets are gay to you and why is SpongeBob and Patricks friendship gay to you huh? Where's your imagination going?

It sounds like a marriage to me. I didn't say SpongeBob is dating Patrick. Y'all go straight to the bedroom. Were you molested as a child or something.

Bert and Earnie are literally modeled after the creator and his partner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Netflix does this and it's so annoying. They always plug a gay character love story that has nothing to do with the plot. As a black woman I am all for organic diversity but if every dark skinned black female character has to have a white female lover, I have to think there is an agenda.

The representation of gays in TV shows and movies is greater than real life.

This is exactly why it’s annoying and seems so contrived.

Does it bother you that there are more red heads on TV than in real life?

[Anonymous]

Imagine being someone who writes a review on an anonymous message board, getting all heated about a gay character in Shazam 2!

Of all the movies in all the world, not even Shazam 1. Shazam 2!

My god!

[Anonymous]

I don't some films do it well, like the last of us. I felt like it was a big distraction, that didn't add anything to the film.

[Anonymous]

Big eye roll over here. It was forced as it is in soma y movies nowadays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, OP. DEI gets tiresome when it is blatantly shoved down your throat.

Movies pander to DEI way too much these days. It is so inauthentic and like consuming a cheap McDonald's hamburger of diversity.

Look at movies that do it right - Aliens with Sigourney Weaver as a strong female lead, Fast and Furious with the most diverse cast for the last 20+ years, Rocky with plenty of black and white characters since 80, Predator with a very diverse macho cast......

None of those movies had to force the DEI crap down your throat and they are some of the most memorable films ever made. Modern and culture think they invented diversity and were the first to ever think about it, which is a joke. They did it wayyyyy better in the 70s-90s when they simply had the characters exist as people in the plot without the need to hammer constantly on their identities. These days diversity is so plastic, fake, and contrived.

And yes op, film studios are pretty much forced into having diversity in the set of films, at least of they want to be nominated for an academy award.

How limited must your friend circle be that having more than one or two “diverse” experiences is unusually many? I have fat friends, queer friends, immigrant friends, friends of many races, friends of many genders, friends of many religions, etc. Seeing a film with characters showing the diversity of human experience seems normal. Single token diversity characters seem more weird to me tbh.

Ok, good for you. Do you think you deserve a cookie or something?

Nope, I just think OP should stop talking about how a perfectly normal collection of people is "forced" when it actually accurately mirrors a lot of people's lived experiences. OP has the entire Marvel Universe of superhero movies mostly about straight white men; why is it such a burden to have a few movies about other people sometimes?

Dp. Just curious, have you seen the movie?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Netflix does this and it's so annoying. They always plug a gay character love story that has nothing to do with the plot. As a black woman I am all for organic diversity but if every dark skinned black female character has to have a white female lover, I have to think there is an agenda.

The representation of gays in TV shows and movies is greater than real life.

This is exactly why it’s annoying and seems so contrived.

Does it bother you that there are more red heads on TV than in real life?

dp, who is just reading the entertainment forum for fun and who has always loved Bert and Ernie for what they are. But, yes - I have actually commented on how many redheads are in commercials these days- once you notice it it becomes annoying ( daughter and sister of a redhead). Well, they usually only use one kind of redhead and not the full spectrum of red that is out there.