videos

the whole "only queer actors should take queer parts" issue

John Early put it best: straight actors should play gay characters because it's hot

But seriously, I find it odd that anyone thinks that gay cis characters should only be played by gay actors. As long as gay actors also play straight characters, which they can and have done for the entire history of the performing arts, then why does it matter? Generally I'd say it's more important to have queer stories that are written/directed by queer people. If those queer writers and directors are comfortable with casting straight actors in their work then that's cool. If they think a queer actor is better suited for that particular project then that's cool too.

Of course it's quite a different issue when it comes to trans characters, as openly trans actors have historically not been given opportunities in the film/TV industry. There certainly isn't much precedent for openly trans actors playing cis roles in the same way that gay actors have played straight roles. But I think that is starting to change, and we will see more trans actors taking on roles that are not necessarily trans (really the majority of characters in media are not even explicitly stated to be cis or trans, if it's not relevant to the story). For the present time I think it makes sense that most trans characters should be played by trans actors but there's still some grey area. Are there times when it might make sense to cast a cis actor for a trans character, especially if the character is closeted/pre-transition? Yeah maybe, if it's handled respectfully and there are trans people working on the project behind the scenes.

[sorry I haven't seen Sarah Z's video yet so I dunno if these same points were brought up. I'll watch it later]

love me some sarah Z. great video! real people cant queer bait and non disclosing means none of your business. also i believe authentic queer art made by queer people always stands out, people just need to have a critical eye when viewing art instead of demanding to know the sexuality of the potentially closeted artist before consuming.

how I was shocked to see people who say they hate TERFs echoing ace exclusion discourse

Very curious about this, could you tell me more?

[he/him] I really liked this video! It gave me a lot to think about and I'd never heard of their channel before. Thanks!

only queer actors should take queer parts

Still watching the video but this part of your comment really reminded me of something I've tried to work through. Maybe you can help. So race is different, for a lot of reasons I don't want to get into.

But I feel like as soon as you hit the inverse-implying a queer actor can't play straight -theres just a visceral "no".

Now on the one hand, I am sympathetic to the material reasons we should want queer actors in queer roles (just getting more jobs, full stop). So like when we just think of things like jobs, it feels like if a straight person takes a role from a queer person, that's bad for the queer actors income. There's also more lib representational concerns, but I'm less invested in that

However there's also a more aesthetic/theoretical concern. I can't exactly articulate it but perhaps it's because in performance, isn't part of it sympathetically understanding someone who isn't you? So to imply a queer actor can't understand the straight experience or vise versa is a stake in the heart of empathy more generally. Obviously "sincere" queer art has a certain cache, but all art is lies that lead to the truth. (I recognize this is only one school of acting/fiction theory, but it's the school I buy into so that might be it).

I guess part of what bugs me is there's this whole thing about making art "real" and that somehow the more "real" it is the better it is. Here's the fucked up example that I think brings this out. The animated Disney films from the 90s are legit art. Meanwhile every "live action" remake has been shit, even if it's more "realistic". Good art doesn't rely on realism as such.

Obviously casting a queer or straight actor isn't exactly the same as this, but there's a similar impulse behind it (i.e. a queer or straight actor being cast "cis" to their sexual orientation is somehow "more" real than the alternative, and "real" or "authentic" is the metric of quality).

I'm a bit drunk, so feel free to just ignore these ramblings. But if any comrades want to give some clarity on this thorny issue I'd appreciate it.

Video has been great btw.

I don't have a good cleanup to this, except to quote some Shakey from A Midsummer Night's Dream

The poet's eye, in fine frenzy rolling,

Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;

And as imagination bodies forth.

The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen.

Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing.

A local habitation and a name.