One way that media commodifies queer identity is through the representation of "gay men". Gay men are often depicted as hypersexualized individuals who engage in risky behavior such as drug use, promiscuous hookups, and BDSM practices. This can lead to negative stereotypes about gay men being irresponsible and dangerous. In addition, commercials may portray gay men as wealthy and materialistic, which can perpetuate the idea that they have no values beyond their desire for luxury goods. This can be harmful to the self-esteem of young LGBTQ+ people who do not fit into this image of what it means to be gay.
Another way that commercial media commodifies queer identity is through the tokenization of marginalized groups within the LGBTQ+ community.
Transgender people are often used as props or jokes rather than fully fleshed-out characters. The same goes for bisexual people, non-binary people, and people of color. By reducing these identities to punchlines or background details, mainstream media sends the message that these groups are less worthy of respect and understanding.
Commercial media tends to focus on the most sensational aspects of queer identity, such as coming out stories or sexual encounters. These representations reinforce the idea that being queer is all about sex, even though there is much more to queer life than just sexuality. It also creates unrealistic expectations for young people who may feel pressure to conform to these narratives without fully understanding them.
Commercial media often fails to represent the diverse range of experiences within the queer community. Queer individuals come from a wide variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, with different experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles.
Most representations of the queer community center white, cisgender men who are wealthy and attractive. This erasure leads to feelings of isolation and exclusion among those who don't fit into this narrow mold.
While commercial media has made some progress in representing queer identity, it still has a long way to go in portraying it authentically. Instead of focusing on stereotypes and tokenization, we need more nuanced and varied representations that show the complex reality of what it means to be LGBTQ+ in today's world.
To what extent does commercial media commodify queer identity rather than authentically represent it?
There is no single consensus on how much commercial media commodifies queer identities as opposed to accurately representing them. Some argue that queer people are often represented as stereotypes and token characters whose stories only serve to entertain heteronormative audiences, while others claim that progress has been made and that more diverse representations exist today.