That is except for one episode, which is one of the nastiest, most homophobic things I have seen on television.
In some ways, it's worse than that Police Woman episode, Flowers of Evil, with the three lesbian murderesses.
Via a case of circumstances, Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) is led to believe that his son, Lamont (Demond Wilson) is gay.
And when he investigates, confusion happens and Lamont now thinks that Fred is gay.
It's a nasty episode on so many levels. The word "homosexual" or "gay" is never said (except for the name of the gay bar in the center of the confusion - The Gay Blade).
Also, the gay sexual orientation is something treated like it should be avoided rather than celebrated. And to make it all worse, there are two examples of stereotypical gay characters seen in the episode. If you blink, you miss them.
Take it from me when I say blink as much as possible.
"Luckily," the situation resolves itself.
That is if you want to call it a resolution. I call the ending of this episode the real abomination.
Past Know Your LGBT History postings:
Know your lgbt history - In Living Color
Know your lgbt history - Cleopatra Jones and her lesbian drug lords
Know your lgbt history - Norman, Is That You?
Know your lgbt history - The 'Exotic' Adrian Street
Know your lgbt history - The Choirboys
Know your lgbt history - Eddie Murphy
Know your lgbt history - The Killing of Sister George
Know your lgbt history - Hanna-Barbera cartoons pushes the 'gay agenda'
Know your lgbt history - Cruising
Know your lgbt history - Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones
Know your lgbt history - I Got Da Hook Up
Know your lgbt history - Fright Night
Know your lgbt history - Flowers of Evil
The Jeffersons and the transgender community
I should have known better than to watch that while eating.
ReplyDeleteIm a Lgbt black woman. I dont think i would call the episode extreme. Small minded yes. Homophobic yeah, but you have to consider the source. An episode that aired on tv the exact year that homosexuality was removed from the DSM-II. (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) or (DSM). In my opinion I think you give the episode to much power by deeming it "extreme".
ReplyDeleteI note that the title of the episode is "Lamont, Is That You?"
ReplyDeleteThat's reference to the play "Norman, Is That You?" Redd Foxx starred in the movie version three years after this episode aired.
I don't know whether this'll be of any interest to anyone, but the lead actor on the British sitcom "Steptoe & Son"(on which "Sanford" is based), a fellow by the name of Wilfrid Brabell, was gay. But he was also deeply closeted, probably because there were still laws against gay sex in England until 1967.
I don't buy this idea of "giving something power" by calling it what it is. the episode was crude and should serve as a history lesson on how lgbts were treated on television. so that we stay grounded.
ReplyDeleteThis show comes from an era when television was honest and people acted the way they really do. Shows today have all races intermingling with one another and the main characters are almost too accepting. Though that world is ideal, it is not the world we live in. Sanford and Son was an honest show about REAL people and unfortunately we live in a world where most folks still don't accept homosexuality. Enjoy it for it's comedy and entertainment and don't look too much into it
ReplyDelete