"Warning...does not represent the opinions of the entire LGBT puppet community"

LOGO’s new animated show “Rick and Steve” is without a doubt one of the most hilarious bits of LGBT representation that I have seen in quite some time! New in July 2007 on the LGBT television channel LOGO this show is sure to cause quite a stir in the queer community with its highly satirical approach to the community, no one is safe from their hilarious portrayal of what gay life for many has become for many. The show is set in “West Lahunga Beach” the “gayest of gay ghettos.” Cut off from heterosexuality West Lahunga Beach even has it’s own time zone, when you leave you must set your clocks to straight time which was “five minutes ago.” The show is clearly making a mockery of the reality of what much of the privileged gay culture has become in the United States and it is quite funny. The show opens with a “warning” about amongst other things” graphic language…and puppet-on-puppet sex.” The warning goes onto express that the show is not intended to be a “role model and does not represent the opinions the entire LGBT puppet community.” This “Warning” Label can be read as commentary on the pressures which are placed on queer media artifacts to portray positive and inclusive images of the entire (and highly diverse) community.

Accentuating the stereotypes of the queer community, this show like other animated satires such as South Park challenges the preconceived notions of it’s viewers and offers deep and opinion social criticism, however in the case of Rick and Steve this cultural critique is specifically aimed at the LGBT community. In the show the lesbians are completely obsessed with having babies, and attempting to obtain sperm is the driving force in their lives. Within the context of this show, the purpose of constructing them in such a way is to offer critique on the ways in which lesbians and lesbian culture has been hijacked by non-queer media and is shown as being entirely about being domestic and having babies. In this satirical sense I think that their portrayal is quite hilarious and showcases the problems with the ways in which lesbians are most frequently constructed.

The main critique that I have of the show is the portrayal and representation of the trans community. It is my suspicion given the rest of the show, is that the construction of trans characters is intended to (like the gay men and lesbians) to be satirical and to showcase problems and stereotypes within the larger LGBT community. However, I feel that in some ways this is less apparent not necessarily because of the ways in which it is addressed within the show but because of the deeply rooted transphobia within much of the lesbian and gay community. For example Rick and Steve are considering having a threesome and after a complete lack of success in attempting to pick up a man at a bar (which as a side note did address the systemic racism which exists in much of the queer community) the two head home. On the way they run into the pornstar with the 10.5 millimeters dick they had watched earlier in the episode, he offers to have sex with them and the three return home. Once in bed they realize that his dick is a “snap on” and freak out. His retort to them is that they should have watched the rest of his movie. Later the two call him a “lesbian” when it is fairly clear based on the construction of this character that he is gay male identified. This showcases so many of the problems which trans folks face in the gay and lesbian community where trans identities are not understood or respected. However given that the viewing audience of this show is by my guess primarily wealthy gays and lesbians (based on the need for cable television) I do have some concerns that the satirical value of this satirical value of trans representation will be missed by the larger viewing audience given the large lack of understanding in the community. Because of my personal connection to the trans community, I found this and the representation of the lesbian mothers with the baby whose assigned sex they did not know hilarious. The mothers had started two savings accounts for their child one for college and one for “sexual reassignment surgery.” The mothers refused to shove gender roles upon their child and thus were attempting to raise “she/he” as far removed from gender as possible, by simply not insolating its existence. Again I think that because of the larger gay and lesbian communities lack of understanding of trans and generqueer experiences there is a chance that the intended cultural meanings will be missed.

Another cultural critique expressed within the show occurs when Steve’s evangelical parents come to visit (although they are not aware that he is gay). There is some expected humor when they want to go out with the boys saying “I’ve seen this place the Eagle down the street, it sounds very patriotic” only to then think that the leather clad masters and slaves are part of some sort of masquerade ball. But prior to this when touring the house his mother tells Rick and Steve that they need a “queer and his eye” to redo their home, and that they had “a queer” in to decorate. This is a clear reference to “queer eye for the straight guy” and commentary on the ways in which queerness has become acceptable within the larger mainstream society so long as it is serving the straight community. It further reinforces the ways in which this sort of representation doesn’t alter societies oppressive and homophobic opinions as his mother comments that hell will be very well decorated. Despite the chance of misinterpretation in regards to trans characters I found the show to be quite funny, and probably the most interesting queer themed show that I have seen in quite some time. It relies entirely on cultural knowledge of being a member of the queer community, providing a space for queer humor without a translator for the straight folks.

Part 1 of Eppisode 1 can be viewed here: