In praise of gay friendly HGTV

[Stinky The Clown]

I know this is probably a small thing, but I am watching a show on HGTV called (I think) "What your money will buy". The essential premise is they show what various amounts of money will buy in various markets and feature people who just bought a house in the featured price range.

On this episode, they were looking at what $150K would buy and showed a couple in Asheville, NC. They bought a brand new, very modest 2 bedroom home for $156,000. They showed the couple moving in and had a few quotes from each of them in praise of the house and the town.

The final segment clip showed the couple leaving the house with their dog and walking hand in hand down the street. One of the two closed the segment with a voice over.

"We're very happy with our new house. And we love Asheville. It is a place where we can live our lives as we choose and walk hand in hand without the need to worry about people staring or pointing."

The couple's last name was Brandy. They are two women.

I am a fairly regular HGTV viewer. This show is just the latest in, literally, scores of different shows from all of the network's various series in which gay couples, interracial couples, all sorts of people, are simply featured as ***people***.

And while they have consistently shown gay couples, this is the first time the copple's sexuality was verbally acknowleged.

I say: Good on Them!!

It is such a breath of fresh air. Not only does it get me away from the cablenewz shows, it gives me faith that there is still some reason to have hope for our country and my fellow ..... ***people***.

[grasswire]

1. good point

I sometimes watch TLC's "What Not To Wear" and it is obvious that Clinton is a gay man, but -- as you point out -- it isn't often that the verbalization occurs.

[MarianJack]

2. HGTV...

...often features Gay/Lesbian couples in their shows.

Good for them!

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Yes, as I said in my OP ....

I have, estimating conservativly, seen it scores of times. Maybe more.

The big thing here was overt acknowlegement.

I mean, they've shown homes and featured 'our' bedroom.

Or discussed a renovation in 'we' terms.

But this show made the fact that couple was gay an overt part of the piece.

[JackBeck]

4. I agree. HGTV has constantly been a place where you see

a non-politicized view of American Life. I've gotten past the point where I've gotten excited with my husband over us being presented as "normal" human beings. We have been watching HGTV for home improvement advice, whether we take it or know better, and seeing our inclusion has kept us tuning into the shows.

Shhh...don't tell Focus on The Family...

[Clark2008]

5. One of my best friends works there and three of her four

bosses are lesbians - proving that they don't just do shows about it, but they also hire gay workers and treat them very well.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. That was kinda Sparkly's speculation

That they may have had a few gay staff members.

Praise also goes to whoever owns them, since they've obviously been allowing (encouraging?) this for quite some time.

[ruggerson]

11. Owned by Scripps Networks n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Do we know anything about them as a company?

I just went to their website.

http://www.scripps.com/

A bit of digging tells me that it seems like a company I'd wish to have more media outlets and an all news network!

They own the lowest rated broadcast channel in our city - the ABC affiliate. Maybe I'll start giving their local news a look-see.

[eleny]

6. I'm sorry I missed the episode

They often show homes so out of our price range, it's painful to watch. But it's such an interesting concept for a program. HGTV has been one of my favorite networks since we got it on our cable many years ago. Remember the days when shows repeated two and three times in a 24 hour period? Have to admit that I often watched the shows more than once.

This segment that you talk about is so great. Who would think that HGTV would take that step? But there they are. Giving people the right perspective.

Now - about that Sponge Bob bathroom wallpaper...

[Stinky The Clown]

7. You mean this stuff?

http://www.webstorespro.com/charwallborders/index.pl?c=1

[eleny]

16. cute!

[ruggerson]

9. MTV does it too

which is valuable in that kids watch it and see gay people as they actually are instead of the stereotypes the rightwing wants them to see.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Good for them

We don't watch MTV (we're old farts ... well ... I am. Sparkly's not) and have no MTVers at home.

but yes, it is praiseworthy and important to counter the sterotypes that get put out there. Even when the story on a news show is (or should be) positive, they whole stereotype thing comes into play. Even good stories can go bad .... or be overblown. How much better to just show people being people.

[NMDemDist2]

12. I remember when you mentioned that several months ago

and I realized you were right. It's a good network and I earned several thousand extra $$$$ on my house sale thanks to them too!

there is hope for this country and the people in it.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. Yeup, I posted again this time becuse they didn't just 'show' a gay couple

.... they made it **clear** they were showing a gay couple.

[Ringo84]

15. HGTV

My Mom has almost built a religion around HGTV.

I often make fun of many of the men on HGTV that are obviously gay (this is about 98% of them). Really, though, I'm glad that HGTV is open to gays.
Ringo

[Lisa]

17. there's a TV show in Canada about planning weddings ...

And after the provinces declared it legal, they've featured same-sex events. It's certainly shown that gay and lesbian couples are just as prone to the normal range of cold feet, arguments, tears, and feelings of joy as all the other people featured on the show.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. Canada's enlightened .....

When gays are just more 'other people' here, we'll be far better off.

[987654321]

19. They really do a great job.

I respect the fact that they show gay couples as being no different than any other couple.