Ever since its inception, the It Gets Better campaign has received mixed reviews within the LGBT community. Some people will slap your face off if you even try to criticize it. Others are quick to draw attention to the project’s many limitations—how it makes it seem like discrimination will magically disappear after you graduate high school and leave all those awful bullies behind. Oh, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Find the right person, and you’ll be listening to a five-hour rant about how Dan Savage basically ruined everything.
You see, navigating the modern gay world, even as an adult, isn’t always as fabulous and flowery as Katy Perry, Hilary Clinton or Ms. Jay Alexander might lead you to believe. There’s still going to be a whole lot of hateration in this danceree, and most of you won’t be too surprised to hear where it comes from… Our own “community”.
::Begin the part of the post where I finally get to the point::
This is where It Gets Betterish comes into play. In the first two episodes of the web-series, born from the brilliant minds of Eliot Glazer and Brent Sullivan, their characters confront the hypocrisies within our own culture and beyond. We find self-proclaimed “little monsters” chastising those who don’t share their love of Lady Gaga, despite the fact that they religiously spout their “Born-This-Way-Love-Everyone” mentality. We find straight people actively accepting gay individuals, but disappointed that they’re not gay enough.
And that’s not all! Our faithful heroes aren’t merely pointing the finger. They’re quick to highlight their own flaws, as you’ll soon see by Brent’s antics in the “Gay Republican” episode.
We have to apologize to Brent and Eliot for over-analyzing their work, because there’s one important part about It Gets Betterish that we haven’t mentioned yet. It’s fucking hilarious, and there are a bunch of hot dudes! Eliot was also kind enough to offer up this small spoiler of future installments: “there WILL be a shot of me in the shower and one of Brent on the toilet”. Wait, stop right there! You had us at “me in the shower”.
– Dewitt
To watch the first two episodes of “It Gets Betterish”, follow the JUMP:
BRENT:
ELIOT:
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LADY GAGA:
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GAY REPUBLICAN:
hahahahahahahahaha I didn’t stop to laugh… any similarity with reality is just a coincidence… hahahahaha
Meh. Funny, but not not hilarious.
It wasn’t bad. I didn’t laugh, but I did respect their attempt to be themselves, even though it failed.
Loved, loved, loved these two episodes. But I’m not exactly sure what this has to do with the “It Gets Better” campaign. I would like to see these guys take on that campaign though, as I tend to fall in the “Let’s vote Dan Savage out of office as self-appointed emperor of homonormativity” camp.
… I’d actually love to hear Enya’s cover of Paparazzi.
I was bullied as a child and I applaud The It Gets Better Campaign and The Stand Up Foundation for trying to help children cope with bullying problems. However after reading this blog and watching the videos, I realized that I am still being bullied, but now its by other gay men. I live in an area where a high percentage of gay men live and have noticed that the gay community is not very accepting of other gay men that don’t “fit in”. I don’t wear the latest fashions (I like jeans and t-shirts), or listen to the current trendy music (can’t stand Gaga), I don’t enjoy lavish dinner parties or going clubbing (I like to cuddle on the sofa with my partner and watch TV). It would be nice to enjoy frienship with other gay men but I’m treated like I’m an outcast because I am not gay enough.
Our “community” spends so much time trying to be treated fairly by heterosexuals yet we discriminate against each other.
The gay republican was adorable!! I want him.
ROFL
The gay community misses the supreme irony of the the whole “it gets better” campaign: while we bemoan and whine about how poorly we perceive being treated by the hetero community, we are oblivious to the self-hatred directed within our OWN community on a daily basis… we have no problem spewing venom at other gays based on body type (“no chubs or hairy guys!”), age (“NO ONE OVER 30!!”), race (“I like vanilla & spice, NOT chocolate & rice!”), mannerisms (“str8 acting dudes only — no femmes!”), or even trivial shit like fashion & taste in music! Hell, we don’t even like/respect the female members of our community! Is it any wonder the outside world can never take us seriously?
sadly, it DOESN’T get any better. Ironic indeed!