'Six Feet Unr' Ma TV History Wh First Portrayal of Gay Marriage

Contents:

• DAVID FISHER ON ‘SIX FEET UNR’ WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THREE-DIMENSNAL PORTRAYALS OF A GAY MAN ON MASTREAM TELEVISN
• ‘SIX FEET UNR’ MA TV HISTORY WH FIRST PORTRAYAL OF GAY MARRIAGE

DAVID FISHER ON ‘SIX FEET UNR’ WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THREE-DIMENSNAL PORTRAYALS OF A GAY MAN ON MASTREAM TELEVISN

This week, we pse on one of HBO’s greatt shows, Six Feet Unr, which featur one of the most fully realized gay male characters ever seen on televisn, David Fisher, played by Michael C. Premierg as did after The Sopranos and provg HBO’s swaggerg arrival to prtige TV was no fle, Alan Ball’s melancholy medatn on ath, mental illns, and sexualy, neverthels always felt, as David Fisher himself, like the dutiful, kda gay, and oft-ignored middle child HBO’s ey; Six Feet Unr th lived (and died) the shadow of s more popular and charismatic olr brother.

The first scene, which tak place at an ATM, tablish the easy timacy of a young gay uple before a tr of men (“You thk you n do offensive sh like that public? In rewatchg “A Private Life” preparatn for today’s post I had to stop myself om jottg down every le the gay-related scen.

Here we wns the way difference towards the LGBT muny, and an unwillgns to speak about homosexualy particular, is jt as damagg as the srit spectre of gay life: AIDS. Marc’s body, brought to Fisher & Sons to be readied for viewg later that week, prompts David to face his own closeted homosexualy, seeg Marc’s ghost a remr of his own ner mons:.

‘SIX FEET UNR’ MA TV HISTORY WH FIRST PORTRAYAL OF GAY MARRIAGE

Next Week: We talked at length about how 1998 was a pretty gay year for HBO, but was also marked by tragedy (not unlike that picted "A Private Life"): the horrific murr of Matthew Shepard shook the natn October that year and we will get to talk about that episo at length when we look at The Laramie Project. When Six Feet Unr buted on HBO 2001, David Fisher’s personal circumstanc matched perfectly wh what was gog on wh portrayals of gay people on televisn. TV had e a long way om the days of gay characters nvertg to straight or beg mcg stereotyp (we’re lookg at you Dynasty and Bewched) but they weren’t exactly nuanced.

Most of the out characters were safely rdoned off the ghetto of “gay shows” like Queer as Folk or as sanized versn of gay people on mastream fare like Will & Grace, where gay characters were allowed to make jok about Liza Mnelli but weren’t allowed to actually kiss on the mouth.