EW Questions DC

I did warn you. Kevin Williamson and the other bright minds who write Dawson's Creek have made Jack into a homosexual. Comments about the 'ingenius' plot twist have ranged from anger (those gay-bashers among you) to confusion (did I miss something?) and back to anger (I like how they use such a personal experiance to drive up the ratings!) For my money, Jack's coming out seemed cliche and over-emotional. When my best friend came out to me a year ago, it was done with less tears and fanfare than Jack seemed to require. Anyway, here's what Bruce Fretts, a TV critic for Entertainment Weekly, had to say about Jack McPhee, former closet-case.

From Issue #476, March 12th Edition, of Entertainment Weekly. 'Remote Pratrol' colum, by Bruce Fretts

"Anyone who's ever been a teenager knows that period is one of wild mood swings, sexual confusion, and inexplicable behavior. A trio of TV adolescents has suddenly begun to act in such out-of-character manners. On Party of Five the once-headstrong Julia (Neve Campbell) has shown illogical loyalty to her abusive boyfriend, Ned (Scott Bairstow). Dawson's Creek has seen Jack (Kerr Smith), the beau of Katie Holmes' Joey, floor his family and friends by announcing he's gay. And Faith (Eliza Dushku), formerly Sarah Michelle Gellar's comrade-in-arms on Buffy the Vampire Slayer has seemingly turned sociopath and crossed over to the dark side. Are these abrupt left turns believeable depictions of teen turbulence - or just glaringly inconsistent writing?...
"...Now comes word that the heretofore hetero Julia (of Party of Five) will flirt with lesbianism in May sweeps. I hope that'll be more convincing than Jack's coming-out party on Creek has been. Unless I missed his lustful glances at Dawson, there wasn't a hint of his homosexuality before his secret was revealed during February sweeps. I'm not asking for an Ellen-esque season-long tease, but why are we now to believe that Jack is gay - because he dated a girl named Joey?
"This may be less a fault of Dawson's writers than of Kerr Smith, a singularly inexpressive actor. Rather than a soul-baring catharsis, his "Dad, I'm gay!" speech came off more like a constipated snit fit.

"His limited range stands in bold contrast to his TV sister's. As Andie, Meredith Monroe has etched a multilayered portait of a depressed teen desperately trying to paint a happy face on a dysfunctional family." (*I agree. Andie is the best thing to hit the Creek all season.)

So, there you have it, on the word of a respected TV critic. Well, I'm not sure about respected. But he gets paid for this stuff! I just wanted to be clear, I'm not attacking the decision to add a gay cast member to Dawson's Creek. As I've said, my best friend is a homosexual, and I'd be the first to send a flame to a website that said 'no gays on DC!'. But what the writers on DC are doing is wrong. Jack's 'coming out' was unconvincing and insincere. I got the impression that the writers were mocking the sometimes painful and tramatic experiance of self-acceptance. DC is teensplotation at it's finest, of course, so maybe I shouldn't take stupid TV show seriously. It's important to spread awareness of the alternative lifestyle being gay offers, but when it's used as a plot device on a soap-opera, it's insulting to everyone, not just gay-bashers or homosexuals themselves. Okay, I'm finished the ramble. Btw, for those of you who say DC is more relatistic than Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bruce Fretts had something to say about that as well.

"Ironically, the most credible adolescent about-face has been Faith's on Buffy - the least 'realistic' of these three shows (it is about vampires slayers.)"

I know, immature to type that out. But I've gotta get my digs on where I can - such as BtVS being named the Best TV Show of the Season by Entertainment Weekly. DC was way down on that list. *g* Okay, cya!:-)Nos4a2

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