Pop Culture Fix: Gen Z Queers Want To See More Gay Besties Navigating Mental Illness in Action-Packed Dystopias Onscreen
Report Shows LGBTQIA+ Teens Want More Dystopias, Queers, Action Scenes and Stories About Mental/Health Illness in TV & Film
The 2023 Teens & Screens report was released yesterday and is causing a bit of buzz for its conclusions about what Gen Z would like to see on television, such as “more platonic relationships” and more content that addresses social issues and “hopeful, uplifting content with people beating the odds.” Most interesting has been the reaction to what they don’t want to see — 47.5% of those surveyed said sex isn’t needed for the plot of most shows. However, it bears immediate mentioning that this survey was conducted with a pool of 1,500 humans from the ages of 10 to 24. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess (or hope, maybe?) that ten-year-olds aren’t clamoring for more sex scenes. Also, 10-13 year olds are Gen Alpha, not Gen Z. But I agree with all of these children and young adults that we need more platonic relationships on television, and that stories about friendship are just as compelling as romantic stories, and yet are so often de-prioritized.
A somewhat troubling fact lurks on page 12 of the survey, however, in which participants were asked to rank 21 provided options for “what they want to watch.” LGBTQIA+ survey respondents’ top five was:
- Nonbinary and LGBTQIA+ Identities
- Mental health/illness
- People with lives like my own
- Dystopian and/or apocalyptic
- Action and/or fight scenes (may include guns and violence.)
The entire group of adolescents surveyed (of whom 63.7% identified as straight) ranked “Nonbinary and LGBTQIA+ Identities” at #19. The only reason it’s not #21 is because there were two ties. (“Systemic Injustice” tied with “Sports” at #14, and “Dystopian and/or Apocalyptic” and “Mental Health/Illness” are tied at #9.)
The Top 5 for the all adolescents 10-24:
- Hopeful, uplifting content with people beating the odds
- People with lives like my own
- Action and/or fight scenes (may include guns and violence.)
- Superheroes
- Friendships and social groups (popular, unpopular, etc.)
The survey’s top-line takeaway is that Gen Z is “tired of stereotypical, heteronormative storytelling that valorizes romantic and/or sexual relationships – especially ones that are toxic – and are looking for more representations of friendship, which is a core aspect of adolescence and social well-being.” While it’s definitely concerning to see toxic relationships on television framed as aspirational, I think doing away with them altogether would hurt a lot of great storytelling.
In general, respondents felt that “romance in media is overused” and 39% want to see more aromantic and/or asexual characters on screen. I agree wholeheartedly! You can currently count the number of asexual/aromantic regular characters currently on television on one hand, and we simply need way more of them.
Other pop culture stories:
+ Last year, former Full House star Candace Cameron Bure hopped from working at the Hallmark Channel to becoming the Chief Content Officer for the Great American Family Channel, where she announced she intended to keep a gay-free slate of Christmas movies. In a new interview with Variety, GAF CEO Bill Abbott was asked repeatedly about this stance, eventually acknowledging that Bure’s comments should not be read as “speaking on behalf of Great American Media.” However, he didn’t indicate a desire to create more queer-inclusive programming, saying instead that they are “just looking to celebrate great stories” and “don’t have an agenda either way.”
+ Mattel has a new line of Barbie Signature dolls based on Ted Lasso, and is launching the collection with figures for Ted Lasso, Rebecca, and our bisexual queen Keeley.
+ Great news, homophobia has been fixed: The NHL is walking back its ban on Pride Tape.
+ The strange queer powers of ‘The Craft’: “How a coven of magical teen misfits sparked my ’90s coming out story”
+ Rapper Tea Fannie speaks up for trans kids with smooth rhymes: “My path is through my voice.”
+ Our Lady J on “Transparent,” “Pose,” and Returning To Live Performance