Tickled Pink

Last updated

Tickled Pink (full title Inside TV Land: Tickled Pink) was an hour-long television special which aired multiple times during July, 2006, chronicled television shows that homosexuals have identified with over the years. The show featured such entertainers as Richard Andreoli, Kelsey Grammer, Sandra Bernhard, Diahann Carroll, Susan Saint James, Bruce Vilanch, Marc Cherry, Lynda Carter, Bob Mackie, Jean Smart, Jason Stuart, Frank DeCaro, Barbara Eden, Mike Gray, Carson Kressley, Rue McClanahan, Judy Gold, Thom Filicia, and Mario Cantone. [1] Tickled Pink was produced for TV Land by Linda Ellerbee’s Lucky Duck Productions.

Contents

Shows cited in Tickled Pink

In addition to The Golden Girls, Batman, and CHiPs, Maude , Xena: Warrior Princess , Will & Grace , Sex & the City , The Mary Tyler Moore Show , Designing Women , Friends , Ellen , The Simpsons , The Odd Couple , Laverne & Shirley , Cagney & Lacey , Kate & Allie , Wonder Woman , Dynasty , and Buffy the Vampire Slayer were also cited in Tickled Pink as shows that "became ‘homosensational’ ", providing gays with characters who were depicted as "strong, independent and outrageous" and whose "bond with their friends resonated with their own lives". [2] According to NPR, the first shows to earn the honor were actresses from the 1970s, who may not have been gay but broke away from the happy homemaker mold that defined too many adult female roles in the medium's early years. "Mary Tyler Moore" fit the bill; so did "Maude," another 1970s sitcom starring Bea Arthur as the outspoken title character. [3]

Gay and lesbian subtext

According to producers and critics as well as fans of television shows that are perceived to have a sexually ambiguous or homosexual theme, such shows rely upon a subtext created through double entendres, situational irony, intentional ambiguity, and straightforward gay couplings.

Xena and Gabrielle


According to Liz Friedman, producer of Xena: Warrior Princess, the show’s writers played on the ambiguous relationship between Xena and her traveling companion, Gabrielle: "One episode starts with the camera looking at some bushes," Friedman, herself a lesbian, explains. "We hear Gabrielle asking, ‘How was that?’ Xena answers, ‘Very nice!’ Gabrielle says, ‘Really? I wasn’t sure,’ and Xena replies, ‘No, no, you’re doing great.’ Then we see them, [a]nd they’re fishing—naked!" "They’re such a perfect little butch-femme couple." However, the intent is not to affirm or to deny Xena’s lesbianism; rather, the show maintains an ambiguous position with regard to this question, Friedman declares, "the whole point behind subtext is that people can enjoy the show however they wish". [4]

Oscar and Felix

According to some critics, the television situation comedy The Odd Couple, starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, also played upon the ambiguity of "two divorced, heterosexual men sharing a Manhattan apartment, where they cooked, cleaned (or refused to clean), bickered, and negotiated the dilemmas of everyday existence together," and "Randall’s uptight, opera-loving Felix" may have "functioned as a ‘stealth gay stereotype’ in the still-closeted world of '70s prime time." Alternatively, some critics contend, "if slobhood is code for heterosexuality and neatness for homosexuality (a trope that persists today in shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy ), The Odd Couple might be read as an unconsummated love story between a straight and a gay man." Even during the airing of the show, executive producer, Garry Marshall, remembers that Midwestern focus groups were turned off by The Odd Couple because "they thought it was about homosexuals," and Klugman says that the show’s outtake reels contain "a lot of scenes of us kissing and hugging... because the network was concerned people thought Oscar and Felix were gay, and we were trying to make them nervous". [5]

Wonder Woman and her Amazon tribe

Wonder Woman has long been popular among lesbians because the character lives in an all-female society of Amazons and bests men in combat. Wonder Woman repeats are scheduled for frequent broadcast on France’s "first [television] station aimed at homosexuals". [6]

Batman and Robin

According to George Clooney, Batman is gay. In an interview with Barbara Walters, Clooney said that, as Batman, he wore "a rubber suit" with "rubber nipples" and, although he "could have played Batman straight," he preferred to portray the character as being homosexual. The portrayal of Batman as gay could have derived from psychiatrist Fredric Wertham’s 1954 observations about the comic book character and his partner, Robin the Boy Wonder.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xena</span> Fictional character from the TV series "Xena: Warrior Princess"

Xena is a fictional character from the Xena: Warrior Princess franchise, portrayed by New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless and co-created by Robert Tapert and John Schulian. She first appeared as a villain in the 1995–1999 television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys before joining forces with Hercules. Xena was popular with fans, so the producers decided to create a spin-off with the character in the starring role. She later appeared in the subsequent comic book of the same name, as well as the spin-off animated film The Battle for Mount Olympus, and non-canon expanded universe material, such as books and video games.

<i>Xena: Warrior Princess</i> American fantasy television series (1995–2001)

Xena: Warrior Princess is an American fantasy television series filmed in New Zealand, which aired in first-run syndication from September 4, 1995, to June 23, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Lawless</span> New Zealand actress (born 1968)

Lucille Frances Lawless is a New Zealand actress. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, as D'Anna Biers on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series, and Lucretia in the television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand and associated series. Since 2019, she has starred as Alexa in the television series My Life Is Murder.

Gabrielle (<i>Xena: Warrior Princess</i>) Fictional human female

Gabrielle is a fictional character played by Renee O'Connor in the American fantasy TV series Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001). She is referred to by fans as the Battling Bard of Potidaea. Her trademark weapons are the Amazon fighting staff and later, the sais. She was also an Amazon Princess and later an Amazon Queen. The character's development and progression is a story that spans the entire show's run, with her first appearance in "Sins of the Past" seeing her as a naive farm girl, and the final episode, "A Friend In Need ", seeing her as a fully formed but rational warrior, set to follow in Xena's footsteps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Randall</span> American actor (1920–2004)

Anthony Leonard Randall was an American actor of film, television and stage. He is best known for portraying the role of Felix Unger in the 1970-75 television adaptation of the 1965 play The Odd Couple by Neil Simon. In a career spanning six decades, Randall received six Golden Globe Award nominations and six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning one Emmy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Klugman</span> American actor (1922–2012)

Jack Klugman was an American actor of stage, film, and television.

Femslash is a genre which focuses on romantic and/or sexual relationships between female fictional characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT themes in speculative fiction</span>

LGBT themes in speculative fiction include lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBTQ) themes in science fiction, fantasy, horror fiction and related genres.[a] Such elements may include an LGBT character as the protagonist or a major character, or explorations of sexuality or gender that deviate from the heteronormative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shipping (fandom)</span> Relationship created or desired by fans

Shipping is the term for the desire by followers of a fandom for two or more people, either real-life people or fictional characters, to be in a romantic relationship. Shipping often takes the form of unofficial creative works, including fanfiction and fan art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT themes in comics</span>

In comics, LGBT themes are a relatively new concept, as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) themes and characters were historically omitted from the content of comic books and their comic strip predecessors due to anti-gay censorship. LGBT existence was included only via innuendo, subtext and inference. However the practice of hiding LGBT characters in the early part of the twentieth century evolved into open inclusion in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and comics explored the challenges of coming-out, societal discrimination, and personal and romantic relationships between gay characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural impact of Wonder Woman</span> Impact of Wonder Woman in culture

Wonder Woman is a character created for comic books in 1941, the medium in which she is still most prominently found to this day. As befitting an icon of her status, she has made appearances in other forms of media and has been referenced and meta-referenced beyond the scope of traditional superhero entertainment. For several years in the 1950s, the only three superheroes to have their own comic book were Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

<i>The Odd Couple</i> (1970 TV series) American sitcom (1970–1975)

The Odd Couple is an American sitcom television series broadcast from September 24, 1970, to March 7, 1975, on ABC. The show, which stars Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison, was the first of several sitcoms developed by Garry Marshall for Paramount Television. The series is based on the 1965 play, The Odd Couple, written by Neil Simon, which was also adapted into the 1968 film, The Odd Couple. The story examines two divorced men, Oscar and Felix, who share Oscar's Manhattan apartment, and whose contrasting personalities inevitably lead to conflict and laughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ representation in children's television</span> Aspect of childrens television

LGBT representation in children's television is representation of LGBT topics, themes, and people in television programming meant for children. LGBT representation in children's programming was often uncommon to non-existent for much of television's history up to the 2010s, but has significantly increased since then.

Xena: Warrior Princess has been referred to as a pop cultural phenomenon and feminist and lesbian icon. The television series, which employed pop culture references as a frequent humorous device, has itself become a frequent pop culture reference in video games, comics and television shows, and has been frequently parodied and spoofed.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (<i>Xena: Warrior Princess</i>) 4th episode of the 2nd season of Xena: Warrior Princess

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is the fourth episode of the second season of the syndicated television series Xena: Warrior Princess. The 28th episode of the series overall, the episode was written by Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster, was directed by T.J. Scott, and first aired on October 21, 1996. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is also the title of a multipath adventure game by Slingshot Entertainment which is based upon this episode.

In American mainstream comics, LGBT themes and characters were historically omitted intentionally from the content of comic books, due to either formal censorship or the perception that comics were for children and thus LGBT themes were somehow inappropriate. With any mention of homosexuality in mainstream United States comics forbidden by the Comics Code Authority (CCA) until 1989, earlier attempts at exploring these issues in the US took the form of subtle hints or subtext regarding a character's sexual orientation. LGBT themes were tackled earlier in underground comix from the early 1970s onward. Independently published one-off comic books and series, often produced by gay creators and featuring autobiographical storylines, tackled political issues of interest to LGBT readers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality in the Batman franchise</span> Gay interpretations of Batman

Gay interpretations have been part of the academic study of the Batman franchise at least since psychiatrist Fredric Wertham asserted in his 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent that "Batman stories are psychologically homosexual". Several characters in the Modern Age Batman comic books are expressly gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

Historically, the portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in media has been largely negative if not altogether absent, reflecting a general cultural intolerance of LGBT individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in the positive depictions of LGBT people, issues, and concerns within mainstream media in North America. The LGBT communities have taken an increasingly proactive stand in defining their own culture, with a primary goal of achieving an affirmative visibility in mainstream media. The positive portrayal or increased presence of the LGBT communities in media has served to increase acceptance and support for LGBT communities, establish LGBT communities as a norm, and provide information on the topic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay characters in fiction</span>

Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term's use as a reference to male homosexuality may date as early as the late 19th century, but its use gradually increased in the mid-20th century. In modern English, gay has come to be used as an adjective, and as a noun, referring to the community, practices and cultures associated with homosexuality. In the 1960s, gay became the word favored by homosexual men to describe their sexual orientation. By the end of the 20th century, the word gay was recommended by major LGBT groups and style guides to describe people attracted to members of the same sex, although it is more commonly used to refer specifically to men. At about the same time, a new, pejorative use became prevalent in some parts of the world. Among younger speakers, the word has a meaning ranging from derision to a light-hearted mockery or ridicule. The extent to which these usages still retain connotations of homosexuality has been debated and harshly criticized. This page examines gay characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes in cinema and fantasy.

References

  1. "Inside TV Land: Tickled Pink". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  2. Strong, Stephen (2005-05-11). "ambiguously titled both "Tickled Pink, premiering on June 1, 2005 only on TV Land!" (sic) and "TV LAND GIVES A WINK TO GAY AMERICA WHEN NETWORK PRESENTS INSIDE TV LAND: TICKLED PINK" (sic)". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  3. 'Tickled Pink': Gay-Friendly TV Through the Years, by Andrew Wallenstein, NPR Day to Day, June 1, 2005, http://n.pr/QREMSr
  4. "Xena - The Subtext FAQ for alt.tv.xena". Xenite.Org. 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  5. Stevens, Dana (2004-05-20). "ambiguously titled both "The Odd Couple's sexual ambiguity." (sic) and "Odd Man Out"". Slate. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  6. Burleigh, Marc (2004-10-24). "Homosexual TV offers gay porn, Wonder Woman". Independent Online. Retrieved 2008-05-27.