One that came to mind that I think might be largely overlooked is from the show Reaper. I say this because the show was never a huge hit and didn't last that long (only two seasons from '07-'09).
I'm going to pause here to mention that under the picture there will be some spoilers to the show.
In the second season, the main characters move into an apartment and meet their neighbors, a gay couple of Tony (played by Ken Marino) and Steve (played by Michael Ian Black). Now, there are definitely some stereotypes, as Steve is more the typical effeminate gay man who helps the protagonists with their cooking and decorating. Of course, even then, a comment is made by the characters that they have traded in their parents for two gay men, and it was the best decision they ever made.
Later we find out that Tony and Steve are demons, which seems bad. But then, when Steve is thought to have been destroyed, it turns out instead that he has gone back to being an angel because of his good deeds.
Okay, let's back up a bit to make sure the full significance of this sets in. Reaper subscribes to a set of beliefs pretty common in Christian mythology. The Devil and all demons are actually fallen angels that were cast into Hell after attempting rebellion against God. Like everything else that goes to Hell, the demons are supposed to be resigned to their fate for eternity. But then Steve, the more stereotypically gay of the two, manages to do what no other demon in the history of the universe has been able to do: get back into God's good graces and be admitted back into Heaven as an angel. It suddenly sets a precedent that anybody--even a demon--can be a good enough person to get to Heaven.
Now, I'm not saying Reaper doesn't have its share of problems when it comes to cutting-edge liberal portrayals. It fails the Bechdel Test fairly spectacularly on a regular basis. But it is interesting to note how unarguably positive the image of a redeemed gay angel is. I can only imagine how many Moms from the One Million would have their heads explode if they saw that.
I can answer that significantly less than 1 million moms would have their heads explode. Before removing their facebook page, they had significantly less than 100,000 likes. I can't remember the exact number, but it was around 40,000, I think. Anyway, their page was overrun with Ellen and JC Penny supporters. I guess this may be one reason Jesus told us to love our enemies and support people instead of condemn them in public. Because clearly, they looked like a bunch of bigoted loons than anything else.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat.
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