One of the tiny—but beloved—joys that I have is experiencing a discussion about sex or sexuality in media that I wasn’t expecting, especially when it’s nuanced. Sunday night, my roommate and I decided to start watching Louie, Louis C.K.’s current sitcom, while we ate dinner. After a reasonably funny first episode, we decided to start the next one, and we were treated to the following (NSFW, due to dirty language) scene:
That scene came out of nowhere (literally, it starts the episode), and for seven minutes these butch, poker-playing comedians have a real, genuine discussion about homosexuality. The scene isn’t amazing for the information it imparts, necessarily—although “city jerks” sound kinda hot—but for the way the characters handle and react to the information. Take away the specific contents, and the scene is still about people taking the time to learn about someone who is different from them, a sexual lifestyle that is different than theirs. (And, before you get onto me about calling it a “lifestyle,” note that I’m discussing the particulars of his story, not his homosexuality.)
I love that this scene happened, and I love that it happened on a show where no one expects it to. We need more media to tackle subjects outside of their comfort zone.
“So what you’re saying is that gay people are a good alternative fuel source?”
Thanks for sharing! That is a big change in the way sexual lifestyles are discussed on sitcoms.