ABC Family takes on LGBT issues

Yeah, I really love what they're doing with "Huge". The bullying of Alistair seems really realistic, but they show the fallout from it, how he's hurt and how the other characters go through the process of understanding what they did and trying to make amends.

I especially love the overall theme of the show, which seems to me to be that we have to get to know people who are different, learn to understand them and empathize with them, and then treat them better. Nerds, fat kids, losers, insecure kids, gays, people with family traumas, they're taking a pretty comprehensive look at people trying to be less awful to one another. I love it!

I recently watched the first season of Huge and I agree, Alistair's storyline was really well done. The whole show was.

I also wonder if it's going to come out later that Wil's a lesbian? It's never specifically been said that it's the Ian side of the Ian-Amber pairing that gets her so upset, and there's been a couple of times when I've felt like they were deliberately avoiding declaring it.

ABC Family seems to be really good with diversity in general. Many of their shows have multicultural casts, and several of them have LGBT teen or college-age characters. Apart from Alistair, there's also Calvin, Heath and Grant on Greek, Griffin on Secret Life of the American Teenager and Mandella on the recently-cancelled 10 Things I Hate About You.

Cheers.

I didn't see Wil as a lesbian. In the book the show is based on, she's definitely straight (and she falls for the jock guy!). Plus I think TV is not too big on the lesbian MCs. It's an interesting interpretation tho.

Yeah, I'm not sure that I want Wil to be a lesbian, necessarily -- I've just noticed the show being a bit coy about it. Or at least being coy about whether they're being coy. Becca clearly knows something that she's not shared from reading Wil's journal, and I don't think, given the strength of Wil's reaction, that it's something as basic as her having a crush on Ian. But maybe I'm wrong. The show's delightfully subtle in many ways, and I think that leaves character motivations more open to interpretation than you generally find.

As an example, I wondered if Trent was going to end up being gay for a couple of eps after he was desperate to hang around with Ian. Then it became clear that it wasn't a crush situation, but a "oh, he's cool" situation, and was a nice flip on the general idea that jocks are popular and music nerds are not.

Kitty, would you recommend the books? I've heard they're not much like the show beyond the two main characters.

Cheers.

It's just the one book. I enjoyed it a lot. Not as much happens in the book, and it focuses on fewer characters. I think the book gives a deeper understanding of the MC, and there's a more interesting sidekick.

The regular ABC was one of the first to tackle teen QLTBAG issues when My So-Called Life aired. Can't speak to ABC Family, as I've never really watched it.

Thanks, Kitty. I'll be on the lookout for the book, then.

Cheers.

Cool clip! But sad... I hope the show doesn't fall on the side of the old "showing same-sex attraction as long as it's always an unhappy situation" scenario. That's so tired.

Wow. I need to start watching TV again.

ABC Family just cancelled Huge. Pah.

They cancelled "Huge" in favor of renewing "Melissa and Joey" and "Pretty Little Liars", two inane shows that appear to be cast entirely with wooden mannequins. Seriously, those shows would be better acted if they starred Country Bear Jamboree. Sigh.

Kitty Pryde said:

They cancelled "Huge" in favor of renewing "Melissa and Joey" and "Pretty Little Liars", two inane shows that appear to be cast entirely with wooden mannequins. Seriously, those shows would be better acted if they starred Country Bear Jamboree. Sigh.

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There's very fun images in my head right now.

My favourite part of PLL is playing Name that Actor Who Once Had a Career and is Now Playing Second Fiddle to a Bunch of Teenagers. Holly Marie Combs! Laura Leighton! Nia Peeples! Chad Lowe! And, saddest of all, Bryce Johnson, who really seemed like he might go somewhere after Popular, but instead made a movie about two pop star brothers who have sex with each other that was pretty much the writer/director's slash fiction about Nick and Aaron Carter. He then followed it up with a movie about a guy who dates a girl who is, you know, close with her dog. Yeah, like that.

PLL is fluffy fun, flaws and all, but I thought Huge was something special. I'm disappointed that it's over before it really got going.

Cheers.