Love, Victor review: more gay teen angst solid Love, Simon sp-off | US televisn | The Guardian

Contents:

• 'LOVE, VICTOR': HULU'S GAY TEEN ROM- WAS DUMPED BY DISNEY+: WHY THAT SENDS THE WRONG MSAGE
• HULU’S LOVE, VICTOR IS UGHT UP THE MYTHOLOGY OF WHE GAYNS
• ‘LOVE, VICTOR’: THE SWEET GAY LATX TEEN LOVE STORY IS CANDY FOR THE SOUL
• ‘LOVE, VICTOR’ STAR SAYS GAY ROLE SPARKED HOMOPHOBIA OM HIS FAY, ATH THREATS
• ‘LOVE, VICTOR’ REVIEW: TV’S CUTT GAY ROM-COM MATUR SEASON 2
• LOVE, VICTOR PROV YOU DON'T NEED TO BE GAY TO PLAY GAY CHARACTERS
• LOVE, VICTOR REVIEW: MORE GAY TEEN ANGST SOLID LOVE, SIMON SP-OFF
• LOVE, VICTOR’S COMG OUT WOULD HAVE MEANT MUCH MORE ON DISNEY+A LIKABLE, IF AGGRSIVELY SAFE, GAY TEEN SERI SUFFERS OM S RELOTN AWAY OM DISNEY’S STREAMG SERVICE.BY RICHARD LAWSONJUNE 17, 2020PHOTO BY MCHELL HAASETH/HULUSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVERECENTLY THIS PUBLITN RAN A PRI MONTH LIST OF LGBT MOVI THAT AREN’T ABOUT G OUT, PARTLY RPONSE TO THE IMPENDG (NOW ARRIVED, ON HULU) RELEASE OF THE SERI LOVE, VICTOR. THE SHOW IS A RETURN TO THE WORLD TRODUCED THE 2018 H FILM LOVE, SIMON, THE FIRST-EVER STUD FILM ABOUT A GAY TEENAGER G OUT. WHILE THAT MOVIE WAS ADMIRABLE MANY WAYS, OTHERS LEFT —OR ME, AT LEAST—FEELG A LTLE STARVED FOR SOMETHG ELSE. SURE, THIS MATERIAL WAS NEW FOR A STUD EDY—BUT THE ADOLCENT REALIZATN OF SELF HAS BEEN PICTED SO MANY WAYS, SO MUCH MEDIA, THAT ’S OFTEN TOO EASY TO FET THAT THERE IS A WHOLE ADVENTURE WAG BEYOND.SO I MA A LIST OF MOVI THAT WERE LARGELY ABOUT LGBT ADULTS LIVG MORE STURDILY FED LIV, EXPLORG ALL THAT AFTER ALL THAT FIRST HERALDG OF SELF. BUT LOVE, VICTOR IS STILL SOMETHG WORTH TALKG ABOUT, EVEN IF VERS A LOT OF FAIAR TERRORY. THE SHOW’S CREATORS, ISAAC APTAKER AND ELIZABETH BERGER, ALSO WROTE THE SCREENPLAY FOR LOVE, SIMON, AND THEY PARTLY SHAPED THE SHOW AROUND SOME OF THE D CRICISM THE FILM RECEIVED: CHIEFLY, THAT THE G OUT EXPERIENCE OF SIMON, A WEALTHY ATLANTA WHE BOY WH VERY LOVG PARENTS, SHOWED AN AWFULLY EASY VERSN OF WHAT’S OFTEN A VERY PAFUL AND ALIENATG PROCS.TO ADDRS SOME OF THAT, APTAKER AND BERGER CID TO FOC VICTOR ON A LATX BOY OM A MORE WORKG CLASS BACKGROUND, ONE WHOSE FAY—WELL, EXTEND FAY MOSTLY, AND REALLY ONLY ONE EPISO—DON’T SEEM AS RECEPTIVE TO THE WHOLE GAY THG. PUERTO RIN ACTOR MICHAEL CIMO (NO RELATN TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEER HUNTER, AS FAR AS I KNOW) WAS ST TO PLAY COLOMBIAN-PUERTO RIN VICTOR, WHO MOV WH HIS FAY OM TEXAS TO ATLANTA JT AS HE IS STARTG TO HAVE SOME REALIZATNS ABOUT HIMSELF. HE SPENDS MOST OF THE SEASON ILL-ADVISEDLY DATG A GIRL, MIA (RACHEL HILSON), ALL WHILE AN ALREADY-OUT CLASSMATE, BENJI (GEE SEAR), HAS HIS HEART DOG BACKFLIPS.IT’S ALL VERY CUTE, VERY SCERE. THERE ARE D ENTANGLEMENTS VOLVG SEX AND DRKG (PL SOME SWEARG), BUT OTHERWISE LOVE, VICTOR IS A CLEAN, CHASTE SHOW THAT GLIS AROUND ON SMOOTH RAILS. APTAKER AND BERGER DON’T DO A 180 AWAY OM LOVE, SIMON; THEY ONLY TURN A LTLE, ANGLG THE SHOW TOWARD A B MORE DIFFERENCE AND DIFFICULTY BUT STILL KEEPG MOSTLY BATHED THE SOOTHG GLOW OF SCREEN FANTASY. RELATIVELY SPEAKG, THGS ARE PRETTY UNTROUBLED FOR VICTOR AND HIS BRIGHT-EYED IENDS, EVEN AS THE GHT TOPIC OF SEXUALY TIGHTENS TO AN UNSPOKEN KNOT AT VICTOR’S CENTER.THAT THE KNOT IS THERE AT ALL IS WHAT MAK THE SHOW NOTABLE. IN A MORE PERFECT AND UNRSTANDG WORLD, SOMETHG AS ANODYNE AS LOVE, VICTOR WOULD SEEM ALMOST A RELIC—BUT WE DON’T LIVE THAT WORLD. NOT YET, ANYWAY. LOVE, VICTOR’S GTUR TOWARD TERSECTNALY—SPECIFILLY BETWEEN SEXUALY, RACE, AND CLASS—ADVANCE FURTHER TO THE PROGRSIVE DISURSE THAN LOVE, SIMON SELF TREAD, YET LOVE, SIMON HAD A GLOSSY, RAREFIED POSN AS A WI-RELEASE THEATRIL FILM. LOVE, VICTOR IS ON HULU, WHERE ULD STGGLE TO FD THE RIGHT DIENCE.WHICH IS THE CHIEF FAILURE OF LOVE, VICTOR—ONE THAT’S NOT EVEN S OWN. THE SERI WAS ORIGALLY SUPPOSED TO STREAM ON DISNEY+, THE MOE HOE’S STRGENTLY FAY-IENDLY PLATFORM THAT IS LARGELY REGARD AS A SAFE PLACE FOR KIDS TO ROAM AROUND, GG ON NTENT, WHILE THEIR PARENTS TEND TO OTHER THGS. AFTER SOME DISCSN BETWEEN THE SHOW’S CREATORS AND THE STUD, WAS CID THAT LOVE, VICTOR WAS A BETTER F FOR HULU (RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY DISNEY THEIR PURCHASE OF 20TH CENTURY FOX), SAFELY REMOVED OM THE WHOLOME STRICTUR OF DISNEY BRANDG.WHAT RULTED IS A SHOW THAT FEELS ENTIRELY TOO TAME FOR THE WILDS OF THE BROAR TELEVISN LANDSPE, A QUAT AND FATLY REGRSIVE KD OF SERI (WOULD A KID BORN 2004-ISH AND SEEMGLY NOT PENNED BY A RTRICTIVE FAY OR MUNY REALLY BE SO WI-EYED ABOUT, AND IGNORANT OF, GAY CULTURE?) THAT LOS THE REVOLUTNARY ASPECT OF S CREATN S MIGRATN AWAY OM THE CENTER OF DISNEY. THE EXCG THG ABOUT LOVE, VICTOR WAS THAT WAS GOG TO BE ON DISNEY+, FIRMLY INTIFIED AS A DISNEY PRODUCT. IT WAS AN OPPORTUNY FOR THE STUD TO MAKE UP FOR THE EMBARRASSMENT OF PROUDLY TOUTG SCRAPS LIKE THE “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” THE BETY AND THE BEAST REMAKE BY ACTUALLY CENTERG A NARRATIVE ON QUEER EXPERIENCE. AND THE SHOW SELF WOULD HAVE BENEFED OM S PNEERG STAT. SURE, ’S RNY AND NAIVE, CRICS MIGHT SAY, BUT ’S ON DISNEY! IT’S FOR KIDS!STRIPPED OF THAT NTEXT, LOVE, VICTOR LOS A LOT OF S POWER. THE BOLD POSSIBILY THAT THE SHOW ONCE PRENTED—THAT ULD BE ACCSED BY SOME CUR KID SOMEWHERE, CLICKABLE AND WATCHABLE RIGHT ALONGSI FROZEN 2 OR, Y’KNOW, THE AVENGERS MOVI—IS PLETELY SQUANRED BY STEAD PLACG NEXT TO THE HANDMAID’S TALE AND THE GREAT. VICTOR WASN’T READY TO SKIP SO MANY GRAS; HIS MISSN WAS TO BE A STANDARD BEARER THE LAND OF THE YOUNG, TO CHALLENGE THE ACCEPTED NORMS OF WHAT IS SUABLE NTENT FOR KIDS.PLENTY OF YOUNG PEOPLE, THE ON WHO REALLY ULD BENEF OM LOVE, VICTOR’S LM AND SENSIVE DIAGRAMMG OF SEXUAL AND ROMANTIC DISVERY, N AND WILL SEEK OUT ON HULU. SO LOVE, VICTOR IS BY NO MEANS A WASH. BUT THE IAL TEND BRANDG OF THIS THG WAS SO MUCH OF S MSAGG, HORRIBLY RPORATE-BRA-WORMS AS THAT SENTIMENT MAY SOUND. THE SHOW SUCCEEDS JT FE ON S OWN—’S CHARMG AND CLEVER AND GIV A FEW REASONS TO SWOON (I SPECT ANTHONY TURPEL AS VICTOR’S BTIE WILL W PLENTY OF HEARTS OF HIS OWN). IT ULD HAVE REPRENTED SOMETHG BIGGER, THOUGH, RATHER THAN STANDG AS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DISNEY PPG OUT.MOST POPULARAND JT LIKE THAT… PREPAR FOR ITS LAST SUPPERBY CHRIS MURPHYRACHEL LEVISS SEEMGLY QUS VANRPUMP RUL WH HELP FROM BETHENNY FRANKELBY SAVANNAH WALSHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE STUD MAY POT TO GAY CHARACTERS ON HIGH SCHOOL MIL: THE MIL: THE SERI AS EVINCE THAT DISNEY+ DO NOT HAVE AN ANTI-GAY BIAS. THEY MAY SAY THAT PUNTG LOVE, VICTOR TO HULU HAD MORE TO DO WH CURSE WORDS AND DRKG AND TALK OF LOSG VIRGY. MAYBE THAT TLY WAS THE REASONG BEHD THE CISN, AND THERE IS NO SID STUTNALIZED THKG AT THE STUD THAT THERE’S SOMETHG HERENTLY EXPLIC ABOUT BEG GAY. BUT AS SQUEAKY AND POLE AS LOVE, VICTOR IS, ’S HARD TO SEE WHAT OTHER THAN S QUEERNS ULD BE MORE OBJECTNABLE THAN, SAY, A FALLEN JEDI KILLG HIS DAD. MAYBE IF KYLO REN HAD KISSED A BOY, HE’D BE HANGG OUT ON HULU WH VICTOR, TOO.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— THE 10 BT MOVI OF 2020 (SO FAR)— REVIEW: SPIKE LEE’S DA 5 BLOODS IS GOLD— THE WILD LIFE AND MANY LOV OF AVA GARDNER— INSI PETE DAVIDSON AND JOHN MULANEY’S “MAKE-A-WISH” FRIENDSHIP— NOW STREAMG: OVER 100 YEARS OF BLACK DEFIANCE AT THE MOVI— IS TV SABOTAGG ITSELF WH SHRKG SHOWS?— FROM THE ARCHIVE: EXPOSG MGM’S SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAST RAPE SURVIVOR PATRICIA DOUGLASLOOKG FOR MORE? SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY HOLLYWOOD NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A STORY.RICHARD LAWSON
• LOVE, VICTOR IS ABOUT TO BE THE GAYT THG YOU CAN WATCH ON DISNEY+
• GAY GAY
• LOVE, VICTOR REP: THE PERFECT LEVEL OF GAY

'LOVE, VICTOR': HULU'S GAY TEEN ROM- WAS DUMPED BY DISNEY+: WHY THAT SENDS THE WRONG MSAGE

While Hollywood has broken new ground wh rerd LGBTQ reprentatn and nuanced gay storytellg, Walt Disney Co. " So I was disappoted, but not at all surprised, when Disney+ revealed Febary that "Love, Victor" – a seri spoff of groundbreakg 2018 gay movie "Love, Simon" – would no longer premiere on the fay-iendly service due to s "adult them.

More:Watch the LGBTQ-iendly TV shows, films to honor Pri MonthHavg watched the 10-episo first season of "Love, Victor, " 's hard not to see Disney+'s choice to dump the g-of-age edy as wardly and homophobic; an easy way of passg off the show to sister service Hulu, whout any of the potential backlash om tolerant, pearl-clutchg "Love, Simon, " " Victor" centers on a wsome high-school boy stgglg to e to terms wh his sexualy.

But he quickly velops a secret csh on Benji (Gee Sear), an openly gay, almost illy dreamy barista at the ffee shop where Victor works part-time.

HULU’S LOVE, VICTOR IS UGHT UP THE MYTHOLOGY OF WHE GAYNS

One uld argue that "Love, Victor" is on Hulu, rather than Disney+, bee of subject matter that has nothg to do wh s ma character beg gay. One major issue I have wh “Love, Victor, ” and many other shows reprentg members the LGBTQ+ muny, is that Cimo himself is not gay, yet reprents a gay character.

Acrdg to an terview wh People magaze, Cimo nsulted not only a gay relative but iends the LGBTQ+ muny to effectively perform the role, but this is only a ncsn of such an oversight. Victor is gog through a siar crisis of personal and sexual inty: Though movg to a new town suggts he will be ee to explore his attractn to men, the sual homophobia he experienc at school, at home wh his fay reelg om the move, and by his awkward only iend Felix (Anthony Turpel); the nontatns wh the popular bully on the basketball team Andrew (Mason Goodg), and the social prsure (mixed wh ternalized homophobia) to date a popular girl, Mia (Rachel Naomi Hilson), all make his g of queerns slightly msier than many on screen reprentatns. But over the season, Victor and Simon velop a rrponnce over Instagram DM, turng the character om the first movie to a gay mentor for the trated, sred, and nfed Victor.

Curly, by dog so, Love, Victor plit s own tentns regardg reprentatn, creatg and ntributg to a mythology of whe gayns. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, ma: to simply state that was the first g out movie, or the first gay teen movie, or the first gay movie whout a tragic endg would be an erasure of the queer media that me before, like The Edge of Seventeen, But I’m a Cheerlear, and The Wise Kids. It was the first major, stud-released gay teen movie, and one that was, for all s mers, subject to thoughtful and valid cricism regardg the sulary of s queer perspectiv: s wealthy, whe, mascule prentg lead (played by a straight actor) whose primary goal was to assure the (possibly straight) dience that he was jt like them.

‘LOVE, VICTOR’: THE SWEET GAY LATX TEEN LOVE STORY IS CANDY FOR THE SOUL

As he dol out advice on gettg ed to high school a new place, negotiatg nservative parents, and figurg out feelgs for a guy at school (Benji, also whe), Simon be one of the primary reference pots for Victor’s ia of gayns.

Such a bar begs to alce to a potentially poisono polil project of homonormativy, an ial of queerns that still subscrib to systems and stutns that privilege whe, cisgenr, middle class, heterosexual prentg queer people at the expense of queer and trans people who are not afford the same liberti due to stutnal and systemic jtic (ed by scholar Lisa Duggan). It may be a lot of untentnal baggage to slg around Love, Simon or Love, Victor, but given the plex history of creatn, distributn, and accs of the stori, ’s a necsary asterisk on the praise they receive (the film was ld for s portrayal of a gay youth) and cricisms they garner. But the voic rema subsumed to one person after the episo ends; Simon reverts back to a gay sage, and the acknowledgment of what his diverse roommat had to offer is fotten.

Love, Simon featur another character, ever so briefly, one whose prentatn of queerns was explicly dichotomized between Simon’s gayns. Ethan (Clark Moore), an open, gay, Black femme character whose self-assurance and lived- performance pensated for their mimal screentime.

‘LOVE, VICTOR’ STAR SAYS GAY ROLE SPARKED HOMOPHOBIA OM HIS FAY, ATH THREATS

Simon is sure, the film, to separate himself om Ethan and the kd of gay that danc to Whney Hoton, but — cue sentimental mic — the end, he learns om Ethan.

Simon adms himself that his and Victor’s experienc are almost fundamentally different, a tac self-awarens on the show’s part as far as the lim of whe gayns beg “one size fs all. ” And while there’s sure to be difference of experience wh the other characters of lor (who I thk would be quicker to adm their own fallibily), image the sense of terry they uld have, a psychologil pth afford to them ls equently than their whe gay unterparts. If there were a queer of lor leadg Victor to a gay promised land, as were, at least there’d be an unrstandg that queerns exists beyond what’s whe ont of .

""Love, Victor" follows up on the 2018 movie "Love, Simon, " which was the first gay teen romantic edy ma by a major Hollywood stud. Two nservativ — Neil Gorsuch and Chief Jtice John Roberts — surprised progrsive advot when they joed liberal lleagu supportg the screen, Ortiz hop that by showg a nservative Lato fay g to terms wh their loved one's LGBTQ inty, viewers n siarly see how attus toward gay, lbian and trans people are changg , who believ sexualy and inty are part of a lifelong journey that lls on people to be te to themselv, wants to liver posive msag about change and thenticy to viewers on and off screen.

‘LOVE, VICTOR’ REVIEW: TV’S CUTT GAY ROM-COM MATUR SEASON 2

"I don't want to put myself a box and put myself a posn where if I were to e out as bi or as gay 10 years om now, that I was fendg an inty that was beg te to myself. It’s an unfortable but evable tth of the LGBTQ civil rights movement that whe gay men have always e first, even as others were dog the work. So when “Love, Simon” premiered 2018, beg the first major Hollywood movie to center a gay teen g out, ma sense that was cutie pie Nick Robson who got the part.

The Homo Sapiens Agenda, ” “Love, Simon” follows a closeted high schooler’s secret email romance wh a mystery classmate. Though his dad mak gay jok and seems a ltle too exced abut his new girliend, ’s clear that the Salazars will always, ahem, “Love, Victor. The show tak s sweet time for anythg to happen between the two boys, but Victor’s plentiful swoong over Benji ensur that “Love, Victor” never los sight of s gay heart.

LOVE, VICTOR PROV YOU DON'T NEED TO BE GAY TO PLAY GAY CHARACTERS

Michael Cimo, the straight star of Hulu’s gay-themed g-of-age seri “Love, Victor, ” says he has been attacked by some the LGBTQ muny and even some of his own fay members. In a new terview wh Attu, Cimo — who plays the tular Victor — says: “I got some homophobic ments — I kd of expected that to happen.

“It’s weird … [the Latx muny] is liberal when to thgs about Latos, but when to gay rights, ’s like, eh, qutn mark, ” Cimo said the terview. Meanwhile, the young actor has also faced fierce blowback for takg a role that an out gay actor might have played. “But there are some straight actors who play gay characters, who are all about supportg LGBT rights while they’re promotg their project, but once they’re done, a year later, ’s kd of fotten.

LOVE, VICTOR REVIEW: MORE GAY TEEN ANGST SOLID LOVE, SIMON SP-OFF

”Straight actors playg gay rol has been the subject of bate for some time, often hgg on Hollywood’s history of forcg gay actors to the closet real life and offerg only limed chanc to explore the humany of gay characters on-screen.

Grant, who received an Osr nomatn for playg a gay character “Can You Ever Five Me?, ” said: “I’ve always had that ncern... The transgenr movement and the #MeToo movement means, how n you jtify heterosexual actors playg gay characters? Criss, who has famoly played queer characters cludg Andrew Cunanan “The Assassatn of Gianni Versace: Amerin Crime Story” and Hedwig “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” onstage, said he wouldn’t take gay rol anymore, bee “I want to make sure I won’t be another straight boy takg a gay man’s role.

LOVE, VICTOR’S COMG OUT WOULD HAVE MEANT MUCH MORE ON DISNEY+A LIKABLE, IF AGGRSIVELY SAFE, GAY TEEN SERI SUFFERS OM S RELOTN AWAY OM DISNEY’S STREAMG SERVICE.BY RICHARD LAWSONJUNE 17, 2020PHOTO BY MCHELL HAASETH/HULUSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVERECENTLY THIS PUBLITN RAN A PRI MONTH LIST OF LGBT MOVI THAT AREN’T ABOUT G OUT, PARTLY RPONSE TO THE IMPENDG (NOW ARRIVED, ON HULU) RELEASE OF THE SERI LOVE, VICTOR. THE SHOW IS A RETURN TO THE WORLD TRODUCED THE 2018 H FILM LOVE, SIMON, THE FIRST-EVER STUD FILM ABOUT A GAY TEENAGER G OUT. WHILE THAT MOVIE WAS ADMIRABLE MANY WAYS, OTHERS LEFT —OR ME, AT LEAST—FEELG A LTLE STARVED FOR SOMETHG ELSE. SURE, THIS MATERIAL WAS NEW FOR A STUD EDY—BUT THE ADOLCENT REALIZATN OF SELF HAS BEEN PICTED SO MANY WAYS, SO MUCH MEDIA, THAT ’S OFTEN TOO EASY TO FET THAT THERE IS A WHOLE ADVENTURE WAG BEYOND.SO I MA A LIST OF MOVI THAT WERE LARGELY ABOUT LGBT ADULTS LIVG MORE STURDILY FED LIV, EXPLORG ALL THAT AFTER ALL THAT FIRST HERALDG OF SELF. BUT LOVE, VICTOR IS STILL SOMETHG WORTH TALKG ABOUT, EVEN IF VERS A LOT OF FAIAR TERRORY. THE SHOW’S CREATORS, ISAAC APTAKER AND ELIZABETH BERGER, ALSO WROTE THE SCREENPLAY FOR LOVE, SIMON, AND THEY PARTLY SHAPED THE SHOW AROUND SOME OF THE D CRICISM THE FILM RECEIVED: CHIEFLY, THAT THE G OUT EXPERIENCE OF SIMON, A WEALTHY ATLANTA WHE BOY WH VERY LOVG PARENTS, SHOWED AN AWFULLY EASY VERSN OF WHAT’S OFTEN A VERY PAFUL AND ALIENATG PROCS.TO ADDRS SOME OF THAT, APTAKER AND BERGER CID TO FOC VICTOR ON A LATX BOY OM A MORE WORKG CLASS BACKGROUND, ONE WHOSE FAY—WELL, EXTEND FAY MOSTLY, AND REALLY ONLY ONE EPISO—DON’T SEEM AS RECEPTIVE TO THE WHOLE GAY THG. PUERTO RIN ACTOR MICHAEL CIMO (NO RELATN TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEER HUNTER, AS FAR AS I KNOW) WAS ST TO PLAY COLOMBIAN-PUERTO RIN VICTOR, WHO MOV WH HIS FAY OM TEXAS TO ATLANTA JT AS HE IS STARTG TO HAVE SOME REALIZATNS ABOUT HIMSELF. HE SPENDS MOST OF THE SEASON ILL-ADVISEDLY DATG A GIRL, MIA (RACHEL HILSON), ALL WHILE AN ALREADY-OUT CLASSMATE, BENJI (GEE SEAR), HAS HIS HEART DOG BACKFLIPS.IT’S ALL VERY CUTE, VERY SCERE. THERE ARE D ENTANGLEMENTS VOLVG SEX AND DRKG (PL SOME SWEARG), BUT OTHERWISE LOVE, VICTOR IS A CLEAN, CHASTE SHOW THAT GLIS AROUND ON SMOOTH RAILS. APTAKER AND BERGER DON’T DO A 180 AWAY OM LOVE, SIMON; THEY ONLY TURN A LTLE, ANGLG THE SHOW TOWARD A B MORE DIFFERENCE AND DIFFICULTY BUT STILL KEEPG MOSTLY BATHED THE SOOTHG GLOW OF SCREEN FANTASY. RELATIVELY SPEAKG, THGS ARE PRETTY UNTROUBLED FOR VICTOR AND HIS BRIGHT-EYED IENDS, EVEN AS THE GHT TOPIC OF SEXUALY TIGHTENS TO AN UNSPOKEN KNOT AT VICTOR’S CENTER.THAT THE KNOT IS THERE AT ALL IS WHAT MAK THE SHOW NOTABLE. IN A MORE PERFECT AND UNRSTANDG WORLD, SOMETHG AS ANODYNE AS LOVE, VICTOR WOULD SEEM ALMOST A RELIC—BUT WE DON’T LIVE THAT WORLD. NOT YET, ANYWAY. LOVE, VICTOR’S GTUR TOWARD TERSECTNALY—SPECIFILLY BETWEEN SEXUALY, RACE, AND CLASS—ADVANCE FURTHER TO THE PROGRSIVE DISURSE THAN LOVE, SIMON SELF TREAD, YET LOVE, SIMON HAD A GLOSSY, RAREFIED POSN AS A WI-RELEASE THEATRIL FILM. LOVE, VICTOR IS ON HULU, WHERE ULD STGGLE TO FD THE RIGHT DIENCE.WHICH IS THE CHIEF FAILURE OF LOVE, VICTOR—ONE THAT’S NOT EVEN S OWN. THE SERI WAS ORIGALLY SUPPOSED TO STREAM ON DISNEY+, THE MOE HOE’S STRGENTLY FAY-IENDLY PLATFORM THAT IS LARGELY REGARD AS A SAFE PLACE FOR KIDS TO ROAM AROUND, GG ON NTENT, WHILE THEIR PARENTS TEND TO OTHER THGS. AFTER SOME DISCSN BETWEEN THE SHOW’S CREATORS AND THE STUD, WAS CID THAT LOVE, VICTOR WAS A BETTER F FOR HULU (RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY DISNEY THEIR PURCHASE OF 20TH CENTURY FOX), SAFELY REMOVED OM THE WHOLOME STRICTUR OF DISNEY BRANDG.WHAT RULTED IS A SHOW THAT FEELS ENTIRELY TOO TAME FOR THE WILDS OF THE BROAR TELEVISN LANDSPE, A QUAT AND FATLY REGRSIVE KD OF SERI (WOULD A KID BORN 2004-ISH AND SEEMGLY NOT PENNED BY A RTRICTIVE FAY OR MUNY REALLY BE SO WI-EYED ABOUT, AND IGNORANT OF, GAY CULTURE?) THAT LOS THE REVOLUTNARY ASPECT OF S CREATN S MIGRATN AWAY OM THE CENTER OF DISNEY. THE EXCG THG ABOUT LOVE, VICTOR WAS THAT WAS GOG TO BE ON DISNEY+, FIRMLY INTIFIED AS A DISNEY PRODUCT. IT WAS AN OPPORTUNY FOR THE STUD TO MAKE UP FOR THE EMBARRASSMENT OF PROUDLY TOUTG SCRAPS LIKE THE “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” THE BETY AND THE BEAST REMAKE BY ACTUALLY CENTERG A NARRATIVE ON QUEER EXPERIENCE. AND THE SHOW SELF WOULD HAVE BENEFED OM S PNEERG STAT. SURE, ’S RNY AND NAIVE, CRICS MIGHT SAY, BUT ’S ON DISNEY! IT’S FOR KIDS!STRIPPED OF THAT NTEXT, LOVE, VICTOR LOS A LOT OF S POWER. THE BOLD POSSIBILY THAT THE SHOW ONCE PRENTED—THAT ULD BE ACCSED BY SOME CUR KID SOMEWHERE, CLICKABLE AND WATCHABLE RIGHT ALONGSI FROZEN 2 OR, Y’KNOW, THE AVENGERS MOVI—IS PLETELY SQUANRED BY STEAD PLACG NEXT TO THE HANDMAID’S TALE AND THE GREAT. VICTOR WASN’T READY TO SKIP SO MANY GRAS; HIS MISSN WAS TO BE A STANDARD BEARER THE LAND OF THE YOUNG, TO CHALLENGE THE ACCEPTED NORMS OF WHAT IS SUABLE NTENT FOR KIDS.PLENTY OF YOUNG PEOPLE, THE ON WHO REALLY ULD BENEF OM LOVE, VICTOR’S LM AND SENSIVE DIAGRAMMG OF SEXUAL AND ROMANTIC DISVERY, N AND WILL SEEK OUT ON HULU. SO LOVE, VICTOR IS BY NO MEANS A WASH. BUT THE IAL TEND BRANDG OF THIS THG WAS SO MUCH OF S MSAGG, HORRIBLY RPORATE-BRA-WORMS AS THAT SENTIMENT MAY SOUND. THE SHOW SUCCEEDS JT FE ON S OWN—’S CHARMG AND CLEVER AND GIV A FEW REASONS TO SWOON (I SPECT ANTHONY TURPEL AS VICTOR’S BTIE WILL W PLENTY OF HEARTS OF HIS OWN). IT ULD HAVE REPRENTED SOMETHG BIGGER, THOUGH, RATHER THAN STANDG AS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DISNEY PPG OUT.MOST POPULARAND JT LIKE THAT… PREPAR FOR ITS LAST SUPPERBY CHRIS MURPHYRACHEL LEVISS SEEMGLY QUS VANRPUMP RUL WH HELP FROM BETHENNY FRANKELBY SAVANNAH WALSHRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHTHE STUD MAY POT TO GAY CHARACTERS ON HIGH SCHOOL MIL: THE MIL: THE SERI AS EVINCE THAT DISNEY+ DO NOT HAVE AN ANTI-GAY BIAS. THEY MAY SAY THAT PUNTG LOVE, VICTOR TO HULU HAD MORE TO DO WH CURSE WORDS AND DRKG AND TALK OF LOSG VIRGY. MAYBE THAT TLY WAS THE REASONG BEHD THE CISN, AND THERE IS NO SID STUTNALIZED THKG AT THE STUD THAT THERE’S SOMETHG HERENTLY EXPLIC ABOUT BEG GAY. BUT AS SQUEAKY AND POLE AS LOVE, VICTOR IS, ’S HARD TO SEE WHAT OTHER THAN S QUEERNS ULD BE MORE OBJECTNABLE THAN, SAY, A FALLEN JEDI KILLG HIS DAD. MAYBE IF KYLO REN HAD KISSED A BOY, HE’D BE HANGG OUT ON HULU WH VICTOR, TOO.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— THE 10 BT MOVI OF 2020 (SO FAR)— REVIEW: SPIKE LEE’S DA 5 BLOODS IS GOLD— THE WILD LIFE AND MANY LOV OF AVA GARDNER— INSI PETE DAVIDSON AND JOHN MULANEY’S “MAKE-A-WISH” FRIENDSHIP— NOW STREAMG: OVER 100 YEARS OF BLACK DEFIANCE AT THE MOVI— IS TV SABOTAGG ITSELF WH SHRKG SHOWS?— FROM THE ARCHIVE: EXPOSG MGM’S SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAST RAPE SURVIVOR PATRICIA DOUGLASLOOKG FOR MORE? SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY HOLLYWOOD NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A STORY.RICHARD LAWSON

When 20th Century Fox released “Love, Simon” 2018, was the first stud movie to feature a gay teen g out story.

The story followed Simon Spier—a young, whe, affluent male stunt—as he went through the trials and tribulatns of beg a teenager while also g to terms wh beg gay.

Set the same universe as the 2018 h movie Love, Simon, LOVE, VICTOR is about a high school sophomore named Victor (Michael Cimo) who mov om Texas to Simon's old home town, and attends the same high school, where Simon's romantic legacy is remembered by all. " Thgs are ed pretty rocky for Victor at his new school, for spe the iendly prence of his new neighbor and iend Felix (Anthony Turpel), Victor immediately velops a rivalry wh cky basketball player Andrew (Mason Goodg), a nfed flirtatn wh classmate Mia (Rachel Hilson), and a monster csh on openly gay Benji (Gee Sear). The story of a closeted high schooler figurg out his sexualy had been told on the outskirts for years smaller films, but posng at the centre of a wi-releasg stud edy was unprecented, and s most succs was a sign yet aga that reprentatn is not only important but there’s not exactly been a sh to make more gay-onted films of s size sce (Billy Eichner’s Judd Apatow-produced Universal rom is set to be the next), s impact n be felt on the smaller screen as LGBT characters have ntued to further populate teen shows, om supportg characters Riverdale to, most notably, Euphoria which dared to allow a queer character to arrival of sp-off seri Love, Victor then feels both evable and many ways, harr to celebrate.

LOVE, VICTOR IS ABOUT TO BE THE GAYT THG YOU CAN WATCH ON DISNEY+

His fay is the relig, blue-llar equivalent of Simon’s, new to the area after a cross-untry move and, unsure of whether he’s gay or bisexual, Victor cis to reach out to Simon, rather angrily on Instagram, after a disastro first day at ’s a far-fetched vice that’s rried through the season, an almost nstant stream of msag between the pair that’s much ls volvg and much ls believable than the myster email flirtatn that powered the movie. It’s ls ncrete this time round wh Victor tryg to date a girl Mia (Rachel Naomi Hilson) while velopg a csh on a gay guy, Benji (Gee Sear), he works wh, and how this msy unsurens plays out is one of the show’s strengths, Aptaker and Berger refg to make as simple as Victor simply wantg a beard to throw others off the while the show do briefly dabble wh knottier issu of performative genr rol and hered bigotry, ’s a mostly easy ri, a slightly gay versn of a CW show but arguably, given how horny that work has bee, way more sexls. Makg Victor a twky, basketball-playg teen who fds iends stantly stas the fantasy world of the movie but oddly, the homophobic tnts that Simon and his gay classmate endured have been entirely excised.

Benji, Victor’s openly gay object of affectn, appears to gli through school and the muny at large whout ristance om those around him, a utopian ial that’s sweet but unlikely. The mere existence of a gay-led teen show on a major streamg platform still feels like an enuragg move the right directn, but this is a baby step at bt.

The show is a return to the world troduced the 2018 h film Love, Simon, the first-ever stud film about a gay teenager g out. The show’s creators, Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, also wrote the screenplay for Love, Simon, and they partly shaped the show around some of the d cricism the film received: chiefly, that the g out experience of Simon, a wealthy Atlanta whe boy wh very lovg parents, showed an awfully easy versn of what’s often a very paful and alienatg addrs some of that, Aptaker and Berger cid to foc Victor on a Latx boy om a more workg class background, one whose fay—well, extend fay mostly, and really only one episo—don’t seem as receptive to the whole gay thg.

GAY GAY

After some discsn between the show’s creators and the stud, was cid that Love, Victor was a better f for Hulu (recently acquired by Disney their purchase of 20th Century Fox), safely removed om the wholome strictur of Disney rulted is a show that feels entirely too tame for the wilds of the broar televisn landspe, a quat and fatly regrsive kd of seri (would a kid born 2004-ish and seemgly not penned by a rtrictive fay or muny really be so wi-eyed about, and ignorant of, gay culture?

It was an opportuny for the stud to make up for the embarrassment of proudly toutg scraps like the “exclively gay moment” the Bety and the Beast remake by actually centerg a narrative on queer experience. This Pri Month, the gay teen rom- seri Love, Victor is g to Disney’s flagship streamg platform, Disney+, as Variety first reported. Disney has e unr fire the past for the notable lack of LGBTQ+ reprentatn among s properti — and most recently, for s ial lack of opposn to the anti-LGBTQ+ “Don’t Say Gay” legislatn Florida.

Employe wh animatn stud Pixar (which Disney owns) recently alleged that executiv have actively censored queer ntent, mandg that animators cut “nearly every moment of overtly gay affectn. ” The statement me njunctn wh wispread employee walkouts rponse to the rporatn’s “Don’t Say Gay” Locke and K Connor dish about adaptg Alice Oseman’s beloved graphic when pared to other streamers like Netflix and HBO Max, which have hosted and produced shows like Heartstopper and Steven Universe that nta explicly queer characters and are aimed at youth dienc, Disney’s rerd is lacklter.

LOVE, VICTOR REP: THE PERFECT LEVEL OF GAY

“When we were greenl, I was told by certa Disney learship that I uld NOT reprent any form of bi or gay relatnship on the Channel.

“Dear Simon, ” wr high-school sophomore Victor (Michael Cimo), who has jt moved to Atlanta om Texas wh his relig, workg-class Lato fay, “Screw you for havg the world’s most perfect, acceptg parents [and] the world’s most supportive iends, bee for some of , ’s not that easy. This is, after all, a gay g-of-age narrative which the protagonist, who’s revealed to be queer om the get-go, spends most of the but season a relatnship wh a girl.