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LA Times: Gay superhero marketing

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LA Times: Gay superhero marketing

Postby Ben Varkentine » Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:11 pm

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 1483.story

The story basically focuses on the new Superman movie, but also talks about the general appeal of superhero characters to gay audiences--
as several entertainment and cultural writers have noted, superheroes hold obvious — and growing — gay appeal. In addition to being strikingly good-looking, the characters often are portrayed as alienated outsiders, typically leading double lives.


--and about other "products" that have been succesfully marketed to those audiences.
Despite the gay-branding issues "Superman" might face, there are a number of hit pop culture products that have benefited greatly from gay and lesbian fans.

The 1990s TV series "Xena: Warrior Princess" had a loyal and large following among lesbians (which the show courted) and the rock band Queen maintained a huge audience of young straight males despite the gay imagery of its name, music and stage shows. In comics, it has become increasingly common to not only create new gay characters but also to rework the mythology of long-time heroes to make them gay, as is the case with both Batwoman and Colossus.
Ben

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Re: LA Times: Gay superhero marketing

Postby BBOvenGuy » Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:57 pm

Just an aside - Alonso Duralde is a former roommate of mine from back at Vanderbilt. I've already got him lined up to review The Real Life Channel. :grin

He says his credentials aren't the kind that people usually look for in the review of a YA novel, but I'm letting my publisher worry about that. :p
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Re: LA Times: Gay superhero marketing

Postby billy » Sat Jun 03, 2006 1:26 am

Colossus is gay? That's interesting. I was reading an X-Men trade paperback a month or two ago which included a brief appearance by Karma and she seemed to be gay but the l word was never mentioned.

Somehow I think Batman & Robin's lack of success was down to it being a really bad movie rather than it's homoerotic appeal.
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