Q-Force (probably) doesn't deserve the hate it's getting right now
Who knows if Q-Force will be any good, but the reactions to the trailer have morphed into attacks on the queer artists who did it.
Q-Force, an adult animated series about LGBTQ super spies created by gay writer Gabe Liedman and starring LGBTQ actors in all LGBTQ roles, has just released its first trailer. However, if you were to judge the series by trending reactions on Twitter, you might get the impression that this series caused by and presumably for queer people is similar to a homophobic hate crime. While it remains to be seen if the show is good, the backlash has gone beyond reasonable criticism and morphed into senseless attacks on creatives.
The trailer is 40 seconds long, and beyond setting the premise and listing the voice actors, it has basically four jokes. Two of them are really funny: the first is when the team leader, Agent Mary, breaks into a room to make an arrest, only to find no one there, and says, "I spent all that masculinity on nothing," and the second is a joke. on how "you can't please gays" without looking like "CitiBank at Pride." The other jokes in the clip, in which Twink calls Agent Mary his "dad from work" and then says "my little ass went crazy", are more stereotypical and not particularly funny.
RELATED: Infinity Train Creator Analyzes Back and Forward Animation Progress in LGBTQ Stories
Q-Force it could go either way in terms of quality, and even the best possible version of the premise would inevitably invite a variety of reactions. For some people in underserved communities, making jokes about stereotypes is fun and empowering, while for others, the topic is too disturbing to laugh at. This type of humor isn't for everyone, but attacking marginalized people for making jokes about themselves that you don't like is not a progressive act.
Borat Y The Boondocks contain much more daring jokes than anything else in the Q-Force trailer, and it's entirely valid that you don't like that content, but if you call Sacha Baron Cohen an anti-Semite or Aaron McGruder a racist, you'd be completely missing the point. The fact is that there is a big difference between the modest humor of minorities and the blunt humor of a privileged place, and the fact Q-Force written, starred and animated by a large number of queer people makes a difference.
RELATED: Sesame Street Welcomes Show's First Gay Couple
On top of that, all of the stereotypical gay jokes in the trailer center on one character in particular, who is one of three gay male leads and one of five LGBTQ leads in the series. Stereotypes become harmful when people act as if they apply to all or even most of the members of a group; When displaying a diversity of personalities within a group, having one more stereotypical character is not that important.
In any case, many of the responses to Twink in Q-Force betray internal prejudices within the gay community where those who fit certain stereotypes of campism, femininity or hypersexuality are rejected for acting "stereotyped." While it is important for people to understand that not all gay men fit these stereotypes, it is equally important to understand that those who do fit those stereotypes deserve the same respect as their peers.
RELATED: Disney's Real 'First Gay Character' Has Been Forgotten
Avoiding the more "stereotyped" homosexuals becomes another form of respectability politics, in which members of a minority judge each other based on what the majority deems acceptable rather than simply accepting each other. It is particularly surprising when people on Twitter claim that it is "harmful" for Twink to speak with a "gay accent", no matter that it is only slightly exaggerated by the actual voice of actor Matt Rogers. We've seen similar forms of this in the debate over whether perversion should be allowed at Pride events – it's an attempt to put people down who aren't hurting anyone, but who others fear will make them "look bad."
Q-Force it could end up being funny or terrible, but it's clearly not being done from a place of intolerance. The fact that the outrage over the trailer has gotten so extreme that several of the show's storyboard artists have had to block their Twitter accounts to block the harassment is downright embarrassing. Let's wait until September to determine if Q-Force he really deserves any hatred, and even if he does, the artists who do yet I would not deserve any harassment.
Q-Force stars Sean Hayes, Gary Cole, David Harbor, Patti Harrison, Laurie Metcalf, Matt Rogers, Wanda Sykes, and Gabe Liedman. It premieres on Netflix on September 2.
KEEP READING: Loki Boss explains the importance of recognizing God's sexuality
Loki can FINALLY show his range of magical abilities
Ruben Baron
Reuben Baron is a writer, filmmaker, critic, and general nerd with a particular interest in animation. He is the author of the ongoing webcomic Con Job: Revenge of the SamurAlchemist, adapted from one of his contest scripts. In addition to writing for Comic Book Resources, he has also published articles on JewishBoston, Anime News Network, Anime Herald, and MyAnimeList. Follow him on Twitter at AndalusianDoge.
More by reuben baron
Reference-www.cbr.com
See also Eric Kim Named EVP Current Programs at CBS Entertainment and CBS Studios
Danny Masterson Rape Trial Begins With Scientology Mostly Off-Limits
Paul Haggis Takes the Stand in Rape Trial: 'For 5 Years I've Been Unable to Clear My Name'
Why won't Disney let us cry in theaters with the soul of Pixar and Luca?
2 Apr 2021 admin
Marvel: 10 heroes who could easily have been villains
Miss Nagatoro !: Naoto's indecision makes Hayase's frustration boil over