EastEnders and Heartstopper
A couple of weeks ago I was looking for something new to watch and saw Heartstopper mentionrd on twitter.
Im probably twenty years older than the target audience and dont really go for teen dramas. But I fancied something different.
Watching it, I really wish it had been around twenty years ago because there was a lot to resonate with. It was wholrsome and sweet. It showed the characters having to face homophobia but overcoming it. There was friendships and romances and feuds. It sent some very strong positive mrssages across.
Then you have EastEnders. Where a lot of the LGBT+ characters are ever underused till they are killed off or axed. Or then theres Ballum, a couple who portray a poisonous relationship we are supposed to ship.
Yes theres an argument that why should gay characters be happy when straight characters are miserable. I get that. But theres a balance and Im sorry EastEnders is not achieving that balance. Ben's answer to tackle homophobia was to put the homophobes in hospital, injuring his own nephew in the process. His actions have been excused by his own mother. The upcoming rape storyline is a disgusting way to try and get sympathy for his character.
As a gay man I totally feel let down by a show that has always been part of ny life and feel much more of a connection to a show where Im not the intended audience.
The LGBTQ+ characters need an absolute overhaul.
Yes there should be drama. But you need to be able to root for the gay characters and not detest every moment they are on screen. Ballum seems to have a very small but vocal following on twitter. One of the senior writers Pete Lawson seems to pander to them.
The show needs to look at Heartstopper and Its a sin and while not replicate them but be inspired by them. Both these programs had high viewerships. EastEnders could easily tap into that market.
Im probably twenty years older than the target audience and dont really go for teen dramas. But I fancied something different.
Watching it, I really wish it had been around twenty years ago because there was a lot to resonate with. It was wholrsome and sweet. It showed the characters having to face homophobia but overcoming it. There was friendships and romances and feuds. It sent some very strong positive mrssages across.
Then you have EastEnders. Where a lot of the LGBT+ characters are ever underused till they are killed off or axed. Or then theres Ballum, a couple who portray a poisonous relationship we are supposed to ship.
Yes theres an argument that why should gay characters be happy when straight characters are miserable. I get that. But theres a balance and Im sorry EastEnders is not achieving that balance. Ben's answer to tackle homophobia was to put the homophobes in hospital, injuring his own nephew in the process. His actions have been excused by his own mother. The upcoming rape storyline is a disgusting way to try and get sympathy for his character.
As a gay man I totally feel let down by a show that has always been part of ny life and feel much more of a connection to a show where Im not the intended audience.
The LGBTQ+ characters need an absolute overhaul.
Yes there should be drama. But you need to be able to root for the gay characters and not detest every moment they are on screen. Ballum seems to have a very small but vocal following on twitter. One of the senior writers Pete Lawson seems to pander to them.
The show needs to look at Heartstopper and Its a sin and while not replicate them but be inspired by them. Both these programs had high viewerships. EastEnders could easily tap into that market.
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Comments
Modern viewers wanted a savage Ben and got him.
Modern fans wanted a ROBRON on Eastenders and got it.
Throw in a love story (abuse), stunts, death and a few suggestive scenes and voila.
Got to keep the masses entertained...
Oh how I wish we would get an interesting trans character in EastEnders.
I fell in love with pretty much all the characters and the writing. It was like drinking a lovely warm Irish coffee on a cold Winters night.
Nothing like my school experience in the early 2000's sadly!
It was a really refreshing change to see a queer show focused so much on love, acceptance and optimism instead of just pain.
Roll on series 2.
There was love acceptanca and optimism but they also had obstacles they had to face. It wasnt plain sailing.
With EastEnders it is just pain. All the time
It was nothing like my school experience in the 90s. Oh how I wish it had been that way.
Even just having a teacher you could confide in. But then I went to a catholic school where they preach tolerance even if they dont bother actually being tolerant at all.
I made a similar point in the thread about Ben's upcoming storyline, and I believe the comparison with Heartstopper is incredibly relevant. On the one hand we have a show that focuses on young LGBT characters, their hopes, fears, complex emotions, relationships and friendships. A positive, optimistic portrayal of young love and friendship.
Then we have EastEnders, where LGBT characters live miserable, hopeless lives, surrounded by hatred, bigotry and danger. Their most prominent gay character, Ben Mitchell, has experienced endless trauma and abuse since childhood. Their newest gay male character is about to be revealed as an aggressive sexual predator. EastEnders already has a poor record when it comes to LGBT representation and they're just doubling down on the misery.
My experience of being a young gay man was certainly not plain sailing, but neither was it endless pain. And I realise this isn't exclusive to EastEnders, but they are particularly bad for it.
Thanks.
I think what annoys me the most is that EastEnders has hit the mark before. It aires the first gay kiss. Johnnys scene with Mick received huge praise.
But recently its been sending very dangerous messages to viewers. Mainly that London is an unsafe place to gay men and they should go around beating up any homophobes they come across whilst the police and their moms turn a blind eye. Its bewildering.
So weird you have made this post because I have been watching this series with my daughter, it's all the things you mention, it's lovely, beautifully written and down to earth. As I watched I wondered why soaps can't just do this, something loving, and real that resonates, Eastenders came to mind as I feel there was a time it was more than capable to doing that.
Characters like Ben and other gay characters feel so unrealistic and one dimensional compared to the wonderfully written teens in this series. Then people wonder why young people prefer Netflix to the BBC, this is an example.
@Polly_Perkins Everything with soaps has to be sensational these days and thats what puts people off.
It really does need to look at what other programs people are watching and whilst it shouldnt replicate them it should certainly try and adapt eastenders in a way that entices those people to tune in.
My thoughts on religion are probably best left for another thread.
You and me both
EastEnders does the exact opposite.
Very good Post Scrabbler.
I agree with everything you say above.
@vaslav37
I have a feeling Pete Lawson is the one behind this storyline. Its sad the gay writers are letting us down.
👍
To be fair, this has never been the vibe with EastEnders and I don't think the fans would like it much if the programme changed to become that way.
Its why I said in my opening post EastEnders should not try and replicate Heartstopper. But Heartstopper has aqcuired such a following that it shows theres a market for decent LGBTQ+ content.
What EastEnders is giving us at the moment is just drivel. Angst after angst after angst. There needs to be some moments. It doesnt need to be as twee as Heartstopper but it needs to change what its doing at the moment.
I have said before on here how odd I find it.
It's not like they are covering new ground, I think nearly all the gay male characters have suffered homophobia on this show now.
Homophobia is still out there, but the way it's being portrayed in London of all places is absolutely ridiculous. It's worse than that Russian documentary that was on the BBC once.
I've been through it myself, and to be honest, as much as it may be controversial to some, the only experiences I have had over the past decade (aswell as friends of mine) is ''imported homophobia'', which I think they covered with Syed and his family.
👍
The whole Syed/Christian relationship and love story had much more depth to it than Ballum.
EastEnders are going in the wrong direction with their LGBTQI representation.
Its like they started the homophobia plot but didnt know how to end it so just kept going. Once Bens raped I wouldnt be surprised if that ends all yhe homophobic attacks he has been getting.
Its a shame that EastEnders has dropped the ball with trans characters.
Yeah, Heartstopper was real refreshing and wholesome - it's one of the only[?] generally light-hearted LGBT media I've seen.
EE just rehashes the same angst and misery that... actually isn't that realistic in this country [compared to, say 20 ago, and of course much further back than that - but 2003 was when I came out in college, after LGBT was not mentioned at all throughout my secondary life...] Naturally, it's not all sunshine yet, but it's still far different now.
EE feels like it's stuck in the 80s / 90s in representing [almost].
Only Cryed broke the mould a bit by having it being about religious beliefs and sexuality, and then eventually happiness. Married. They even adopted!
What have 'Ballum' newly brought to the table [that isn't being recycled over and over]? Where's any positivity?
Hell, Lewis looked to be the freshest, fun gay [male] character the show has had in years, yet we know he's now a one story Gray.
And if you're a lesbian in this show? Good luck getting a storyline / partner. And you'll never be centre stage....
Soaps should be the opposite, they have the luxury of telling stories and developing characters over many years.
The only soap that has managed it well is Neighbours. Not as well as this series obviously but they treat the gay couple like any couple.
I disagree, Eastenders has had many poignant moments, with the brutal world they live, they were all survivors and got on with it, with that came many wonderful character moments.
We just don't see it now in the same way.