Vicious

[Thorn Wilde]

Anyone seen this yet?

 

 

It's Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi's new sitcom. Two of the grand old gays of the British stage. It's really funny, actually.

 

Originally, it was meant to be titled Vicious Old Queens, but Sir Ian protested.

.

 

As an aside, here's Ian McKellen talking about coming out:

 

Edited June 22, 2013 by Thorn Wilde

[Former Member]

I'll have to look into it on my own means.  Hopefully one of the millions of Chinese-youtubes will have something about it.  I certainly hope so.  Sounds interesting!

[Bill W]

Looks as if it will be a riot to watch.  You've got to love Ian McKellen. 

[Slytherin]

If I'm lucky that show will come to Sweden in 5 years or so.. I'm a big fan of Ian Mc Kellen

[eroticwriter]

Sorry, dreadful. Do we honestly need more camp gays in shows? Sadie J is a very funny kids show on CBBC. It has a gay teen. It was a great chance to put an 'ordinary' gay teen out there. Sadly, they made him a camp queeny boy. The 'all gays are camp' mindset just has to be challenged.

[Sasha Distan]

and the hottest guy from Misfits? I'll totally be there!

 

but i agree with Ken, especially considering what I've been writing for the last month. We need more 'not camp and not glittery' gay teens and older role models. apparently all you can have on TV right now are Queens or Bears, and while both of these things are awesome, it's not all there is.

 

Sorry, dreadful. Do we honestly need more camp gays in shows? Sadie J is a very funny kids show on CBBC. It has a gay teen. It was a great chance to put an 'ordinary' gay teen out there. Sadly, they made him a camp queeny boy. The 'all gays are camp' mindset just has to be challenged.

[Thorn Wilde]

These are good points, of course. But what I really love about Vicious is that, while the characters are stereotypes in the extreme, it's showing a gay couple who have been together for nearly 50 years, and I think that's lovely. Besides which, it's well written comedy. It takes an awful lot for me to enjoy a sitcom, usually I just find them embarrassing.

[Sasha Distan]

These are good points, of course. But what I really love about Vicious is that, while the characters are stereotypes in the extreme, it's showing a gay couple who have been together for nearly 50 years, and I think that's lovely. Besides which, it's well written comedy. It takes an awful lot for me to enjoy a sitcom, usually I just find them embarrassing.

 

I also agree. i can't love and go hmmm at the same time. i love the idea of the "old married couple" being gay.

[Yettie One]

The writing was masterful. I do love real classic British whit, which Vicious was full of, and let's be honest, Ian and Derek were perfect for the rolls. I don't think it would have been anywhere near as good without them in it.

 

As for the stereotypical campness. Yeah I do agree, it would be nice if the perception of being gay was not all about camp bitchiness, but it is somewhat ingrained into social psyche now, and it will take a long time to change that.

 

But a good laugh is a good laugh, and I do think that these two did a fine job at something fresh, new and light hearted. Good to know that real good sitcom can still be made.  

[Zombie]

Sorry, dreadful. Do we honestly need more camp gays in shows? Sadie J is a very funny kids show on CBBC. It has a gay teen. It was a great chance to put an 'ordinary' gay teen out there. Sadly, they made him a camp queeny boy. The 'all gays are camp' mindset just has to be challenged.

 

Hmm, trying to think of any comedy show where a gay character is just a regular guy. Stumped.

 

I guess a writer would ask "what's the point of a gay character unless that gives an 'angle' I can use to make gags" - and if the character is no different from str8s in terms of appearance or behaviour ... then what would be the point of making him/her gay?

 

Because the only opportunity that sexuality would offer the writer for gags would be the reaction of others to that sexuality - and that would become very old very fast. 

 

So if anyone has an idea how to do this then ... make it so!

[eroticwriter]

Hmm, trying to think of any comedy show where a gay character is just a regular guy. Stumped.

 

I guess a writer would ask "what's the point of a gay character unless that gives an 'angle' I can use to make gags" - and if the character is no different from str8s in terms of appearance or behaviour ... then what would be the point of making him/her gay?

 

Because the only opportunity that sexuality would offer the writer for gags would be the reaction of others to that sexuality - and that would become very old very fast. 

 

So if anyone has an idea how to do this then ... make it so!

Well all the straight guys in comedy are regular straights. Are you saying the only funny gays are the camp ones. I can be very funny but I'm not at all camp - mostly But it's more about the everyday show. The gay must be camp. And if I see another camp chat show host, I will eat my sofa.

[Henry_Henry2012]

Well, I've seen the series up to episode 6, which I think comprises the whole 1st season. The first few episodes took a bit of time to soar through and there were funny moments but entirely it was a bit flat. Up until episode 3, and episode 6 were hilarious.

 

As for the campy-ness, Ian Mckellan's character was not entirely camp and I think stands for the whole patriarchal figure in the family. And he delivers his lines with such male bravado despite lines which overtly hints about the stereotypical gay verbiage (which I think is fantastic).

 

And so is Derek Jacobi's slightly effeminate campy role, because I've seen more campier character than he is - trust me. They're great together as a fun couple to watch but the script needs a bit of fine tuning. It's getting there and I hope the second season has more episodes.

 

There are comedies out there that doesn't get a gay character to be "In Your Face". The american sitcom, "Happy Endings" which I think is so underrated has an exceptional gay character called "Max" that is not the stereotypical gay character you see in the telly.

 

He's the gay slacker and underachiever in the cast, which I think is a different take on homosexuality. Not only did I not realise that he was gay in the first few episodes but only when his girl friend mentioned that he was indeed gay, made me more interested in his character, despite already having a riot with his character and the whole cast. 

 

And the fun thing about Max is he's a slob, and he doesn't have those identity crises and he knows himself fully well. He's the gay college room mate who is set to become your bestfriend who turns out to be gay and has zero chance of being attracted to you, because you just know each other too well.

 

Homosexuality on the glittering screen still needs some readjustment and eventual evolution to truly capture the individuality that sets aside gender, whilst focusing on personality differences for a character role.

 

We just need to see more of Max-like-characters in most gay series: the non-stereotypical gay dude who doesn't need to look at you like he's about to eat your face to know that he's gay, or gives out disturbing sexual innuendoes that he wants to shag you. 

[eroticwriter]

How about hubby, wife and two kids are as camp as toadstools. Gay builder painting house is straight and loves footie. The neighbours are also camp. The 'straight' gay teen son and boyf love a good game of rugger of a weekend, while a night watching drag is for the parents..

[Zombie]

Well all the straight guys in comedy are regular straights. Are you saying the only funny gays are the camp ones. I can be very funny but I'm not at all camp - mostly But it's more about the everyday show. The gay must be camp. And if I see another camp chat show host, I will eat my sofa.

 

No, I'm saying a comedy show writer would say "why bother making this guy str8-acting-gay?"

 

He would ask "What comedy opportunities does a str8-acting-gay guy give me?"

[Aditus]

I think it's the nature of sit-coms that the characters are/act (a bit) exaggerated, whether they are gay characters or str8 characters. The typical st8 macho who comes home, throws himself on the couch and demands his wife brings him his beer? The bratty teenager, the annoying neighbor b?&ch with her boobs hanging out of her skimpy t-shirt etc.

Sometimes it's lame, sometimes it's good, it's not so much the stereotypes acting stereotypically (this is not a word I think) as the script which makes it good. And the actors of course.

[Zombie]

Sometimes it's lame, sometimes it's good, it's not so much the stereotypes acting stereotypically (this is not a word I think)

 

Yes, it's a good word

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/stereotype

[Aditus]

Yes, it's a good word

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/stereotype

Thanks, I'm still learning, I even had to look up camp. I guessed it right though.

Edited June 24, 2013 by aditus

[Sasha Distan]

How about hubby, wife and two kids are as camp as toadstools. Gay builder painting house is straight and loves footie. The neighbours are also camp. The 'straight' gay teen son and boyf love a good game of rugger of a weekend, while a night watching drag is for the parents..

 

I wish i was a screen writer right now....

[Zombie]

I wish i was a screen writer right now....

 

Here's your pitch ...

 

At the beginning of each episode, off-camera announcer gives a brief description of the convoluted storyline and gives a teaser of what's to come ...

"In tonight's episode, Mark arranges a football date with gay-but straight Gary-The-Builder hoping for something more, but Gary thinks straight-but-gay Mark is looking for something less  - more or less. Confused? You won't be, after this week's episode of... "It's All Just So ...... Gaaaaayyy!!!"

 

At the end of each episode - as the credits roll - off-camera announcer asks a series of life-or-death questions in a deadpan style:

"Will Chester discover Jessica's secret lesbian love-child ...?"

"Will Jessica discover Chester's hidden stash of rubber dresses ...?"

"Will Benson discover Chester's hairy chest?"

... and concludes with the trademark line:

 

"These questions - and many others - will be answered in the next episode of..."It's All Just So ...... Gaaaaayyy!!!"."

 

 

----------------------------------------------

*apologies to the makers of Soap *

 

Edited June 24, 2013 by Zombie

[Sasha Distan]

Here's your pitch ...

 

At the beginning of each episode, off-camera announcer gives a brief description of the convoluted storyline and gives a teaser of what's to come ...

"In tonight's episode, Mark arranges a football date with gay-but straight Gary-The-Builder hoping for something more, but Gary thinks straight-but-gay Mark is looking for something less  - more or less. Confused? You won't be, after this week's episode of... "It's All Just So ...... Gaaaaayyy!!!"

 

At the end of each episode - as the credits roll - off-camera announcer asks a series of life-or-death questions in a deadpan style:

"Will Chester discover Jessica's secret lesbian love-child ...?"

"Will Jessica discover Chester's hidden stash of rubber dresses ...?"

"Will Benson discover Chester's hairy chest?"

... and concludes with the trademark line:

 

"These questions - and many others - will be answered in the next episode of..."It's All Just So ...... Gaaaaayyy!!!"."

 

 

----------------------------------------------

*apologies to the makers of Soap *

 

 

and now all i can do is chuckle     

[Yettie One]

Good grief Zombie.

Just looking at all that lot, are you sure you were not one of the writers of Vicious?????

[Former Member]

That was brilliant.  Just brilliant.  Please do more.