I hate to admit it but it took me a couple of seconds to realise this was a Rent reference. The Jellicle and Imp completely disagree with me on this but I reckon Rent is much more a part of Gay Male culture in the UK. Having said that I really love La Boheme and thus I love Rent too.
And I do have a weakness for Maureen who is unfortunately the stereotype of the cheating bisexual.
Don’t get me wrong, I have such sympathy for Joanne but she’s so buttoned up! Of course she’s in the rich patron position so she’s fighting am losing battle for being likeable.
The thing is though, we have so much more content than Rent these days. The Rocky Horror Show was fifty this year and yes that counts as ours. Internalised transphobia or not Richard O’Brien is one of ours and historically we take what we can get. It’s got homosexual love front and centre and that was hella unusual.
But these days, we’ve got so much more. Hell The L Word was groundbreaking when I was in my twenties, genuinely groundbreaking and now it’s mostly pretty cringe.
I mean come on? Anne Lister was the star of a mainstream period drama?!
That’s the other thing, we’re not the leavings now. We’re not vaguely hand waved at with some takes on Magenta and Columbia. We’re not the background Joanne and Maureen in what was deservedly a very male centric portrayal of the AIDS crisis. And yes lesbians were a part of that history but aren’t is very centred on the male story. That’s why The L Word was such big news because of that intersection of feminism and lesbian history.
But Anne Lister is very front and centre and I guess maybe Gentleman Jack is my current favourite LGBT show.