Dark Shadows: Why Such a Huge Gay Following?

[David]

If you go to a Star Trek or general horror/sci fi con, the breakdown between gay & straight attendees is the same as it in life: 90% straight/10% gay.

But here in DS land, fests included, it's closer to 50/50, sometimes even 60/40, the 60 being the gay percentage.

So why does DS have such a huge appeal to gay viewers?
Right now, here in SF, 2 friends & I are meeting once or twce a month to watch DS together.
We're all gay!
One of my best friends, who lives in LA, is a big DS fan.
He's gay, and he has two friends in LA, also gay, who are fans.

So why does DS appeal to us queers?
An interesting question!

David

 

[Willie Loomis]

i guess the men on the show, quite frankly, and their snug fitting pants?     

HMMMMMMMM?   

other than that, it's just a run of the mill horror fest.

[Julia99]

Why do any of the films or actors who seem to have a large gay followings have it?  E.g Joan, Bette, the movie Carrie, etc etc. . .larger than life portrayals seems to be enjoyed by a certain segment of the American population.  Although I do see a definite generational change, younger gay audiences aren't so into the larger melodramatic portrayals--more into edgy, current items--and for some strange reason, anime?!    (I don't think i even spelled it right)

[Nancy]

I don't go to other conventions but I've been around the DS fests enough to make similar observations.  A friend, new to the DS fests, commented to me before going to her first fest that it would be nice to meet a guy and have a romance both sharing a love of DS. I told her "Honey, look elsewhere for your boyfriend . . ."

nancy

If you go to a Star Trek or general horror/sci fi con, the breakdown between gay & straight attendees is the same as it in life: 90% straight/10% gay.

But here in DS land, fests included, it's closer to 50/50, sometimes even 60/40, the 60 being the gay percentage.

So why does DS appeal to us queers?
An interesting question!

[adamsgirl]

Perhaps a good reason has to do with the character of Barnabas Collins. When we meet him, he's a vampire, a creature who's definitely something to be reviled -- an outcast to human society. Yet, as time goes on, he gains acceptance by those around him and a self-acceptance as well. A parallel could be drawn between his experience and that of a gay person dealing with coming out of the closet. I don't know if that's over-analyzing, but I can see where someone who's gay could relate to Barnabas' experiences.

[michael c]

i had this very discussion with another cousin privately several months back so i'll throw my two cents in...

for starters we all hate the so called "camp" reputation our show gets but as a gross generalization i'll say the lavender set(present company very much included)goes for that sort of thing.the outsized drama,the overacting,the grand sweep of the whole thing.it's all good and it's all gay.

it's lumped in with the "sci-fi" crowd for those outside the know but it's truly gothic drama on an epic scale.
so i'm not surpised it has a larger gay following than,say,the x-files.

local handymen/hunks like joe haskell and chris jennings add a certain beefy charm.

the flips,falls and false eyelashes get a fashionista's heart thumping(caftans!gloves!minis!).

but i think a big part of it is the combined diva power of joan bennett/grayson hall/lara parker.it's that whole bitch thing.there is nothing bitchier on this earth than julia slapping cassandra and a good bitch-slap gets alot of mileage with the homos.

i remember watching a scene during 1795 that featured joan as naomi,grayson as the countess dupres and clarice blackburn as abigail.for a show that gets a somewhat "shlock" reputation that was some virtuoso stuff.talk about divas!

again gross generalizations all around but the diva-ness,the campiness and the theatricality of it all holds alot of charm for well,you know.

[scott]

I'm a straight guy, so perhaps not qualified to speculate, but I think adamsgirl is on the mark. There's an essay floating around somewhere--I read it online years ago--by a gay guy who speculates on the nature of the gothic, the outsider-ness, use of solitary outcast characters whom society disapproves of, in fact outlaws, etc...it was a compelling argument to this student of literature.

If I were gay I'd love DS. Oh wait, I DO love DS...hmmm.

[Nelson Collins]

Perhaps a good reason has to do with the character of Barnabas Collins. When we meet him, he's a vampire, a creature who's definitely something to be reviled -- an outcast to human society. Yet, as time goes on, he gains acceptance by those around him and a self-acceptance as well. A parallel could be drawn between his experience and that of a gay person dealing with coming out of the closet. I don't know if that's over-analyzing, but I can see where someone who's gay could relate to Barnabas' experiences.

Yes, it's interesting to see the characters of Barnabas (and Quentin and Chris) struggle with their true "natures."  But to take the metaphor a step further, these characters are constantly struggling against their natures, seeking cures for their condition. 

Interesting also, that when Barnabas is 'cured'  the audience preferred him the other way!

[Heather]

Perhaps a good reason has to do with the character of Barnabas Collins. When we meet him, he's a vampire, a creature who's definitely something to be reviled -- an outcast to human society. Yet, as time goes on, he gains acceptance by those around him and a self-acceptance as well. A parallel could be drawn between his experience and that of a gay person dealing with coming out of the closet. I don't know if that's over-analyzing, but I can see where someone who's gay could relate to Barnabas' experiences.

I kinda agree...
from my own perspective, I've found myself identifying with Barnabas in some ways....also Julia at times too. Not just the reciprocated love issue, but the struggle of who you really are vs. what a certain society wants you to be, also accepting yourself vs. wanting to be accepted, at times having to keep a part of you secret from people, except those you really trust...
I could go on and on.

also, in the line of what msbryk was saying, those of us in the LGBT crowd seem to have an appreciation for drama and all that which is.....

DIVINE!


[sorry, couldn't help myself...  ]

hugs,
Heather H.

[Gothick]

Heather, Darling, that snapshot of Our Favorite Brain Surgeon/Psychiatrist/Obstetrician/Haematologist is truly DIVINE!!!!!  You just made my day!  Thanks so much, sweetie!

For the record, I am "the gay guy" who wrote that essay about the appeal of DS to gay men that's 'floating around on the internet."  Unfortunately, the essay was a DRAFT that I sent to a fan I won't bother to name here as a POSSIBLE contrib to his short lived zine The Secret Room which was meant to be a mag for gay fans of DS.  Well, not only did this character use my DRAFT in his publication as a finished piece of work, he failed to respond to any of my letters, and never even sent me a copy of his bloody zine! And then he had the audacity to post my work on the internet without, of course, bothering to ask my permission!  If I ever run into this individual at a Festival, believe me, darlings, the bitch-slap Julia gave Cassandra is going to look like a little love-tap Miss Sally bestowed upon the Do-Bee of the week with her magic wand by comparison.

Anyhow, I'm glad that this very rough piece of work was deemed interesting reading by a student of literature and human character.  Thanks for the kind words.

Another essay I wrote about the Leviathans storyline for yet another zine is also "floating around on the Internet."  That editor also never bothered to ask my permission or inform me that he was posting my work on his website.  Dontcha just FEEL THE LOVE in our wonderful world of DS fandom?

But, I digress.  This is an interesting thread.  I just hope that the straight dudes among the fans don't feel that their masculinity is too "threatened" by the prevalence of gay/bi DS fans in the group. We know from today's mass media that straight masculinity is something of a fragile, delicate little flower, needing much pampering and coddling to manage to achieve even a modicum of vigor.  At least that's the impression I get from some of the tempest in a teapot debates online...  Again, I digress.

One of my favorite "gay, gay, GAY" things about DS are the scenes where it's the middle of the night and the girls are all in bed with their high heels on.  And there's more than one scene where Liz rises from her bed in full street makeup with her hair down but sprayed and lacquered into a solid shiny mass, her nightgown ironed, pressed and starched, and the requisite heels... I'm afraid I can't explain just why this seems so FABULOUS.  I note with distress that the word "gay" has come to be a synonym of "stupid" among schoolchildren. What times we do live in.

cheers, G.

[David]

I've heard speculation oer the years that Barnabas being in "the closet" about his vampirism is what appealed to so many gay boys back in the '60s.

When I discovered the show in 1967, age 11, I was already noticing my attraction to men (I recall finding Frid cute at the time, LOL)   
but I was too young, too un-enlightend, and not yet experienced to even think about gay issues.
At age 11, I'm not sure if all the "closet" metaphors
even registered.
I liked the show because it was scary!
At that age, I couldn't even see the camp aspects of it & took it seriously.
(I still take the 1967 intro of Barnabas & 1795 seriously~~the rest of it is a fun thrill ride)

I lik DS for the same reason I like Karloff, Lugosi, Price, Cushing & Lee, Burton & Depp.

When I discovered DS fandom in 1983, I was stunned at how gay it was.

Though I must say, this board is so refreshing.
The gays  here are not only out, but comfortable & casual about it.
The queens I met at 1980s fests were semi-out and ashamed. Many of them dealt with their self-hate by spreading false rumors about the sexual activities of other fans~~and even cast members!
It's a sad memory.
Maybe the "Barnabas in the closet" metaphor applies to them.

Steve, I know who you're talking about re: Secret Room.
I once interviewed that guy for a story in San Francisco's Bay Area Reporter.
He just LOVED teling me how "off-kilter" DS fans are.
In his words, all DS fans had "something wrong with them".
While I did find that to be largely true at Fests of 20 years ago, this wonderful board has shown me the other side of the coin.

David

[Joeytrom]

I have a copy of "The Secret Room" zine that I bought at the 1995 Festival.  Would you like me to scan the article and paste it here?

For the record, I am "the gay guy" who wrote that essay about the appeal of DS to gay men that's 'floating around on the internet."  Unfortunately, the essay was a DRAFT that I sent to a fan I won't bother to name here as a POSSIBLE contrib to his short lived zine The Secret Room which was meant to be a mag for gay fans of DS.  Well, not only did this character use my DRAFT in his publication as a finished piece of work, he failed to respond to any of my letters, and never even sent me a copy of his bloody zine! And then he had the audacity to post my work on the internet without, of course, bothering to ask my permission!  If I ever run into this individual at a Festival, believe me, darlings, the bitch-slap Julia gave Cassandra is going to look like a little love-tap Miss Sally bestowed upon the Do-Bee of the week with her magic wand by comparison.

Anyhow, I'm glad that this very rough piece of work was deemed interesting reading by a student of literature and human character.  Thanks for the kind words.

[Nancy]

I have many gay and lesbian people in my life (including a brother who did watch DS and loved Julia) and knowing what I do about their stories of self-discovery, feeling different - an outcast - and keeping a secret for a long time DS is full of things that L&Gs can identify with.  Even though I do not have any friends who are "in the closet"  (that I know of) I think they still look at DS as a show where characters share many of their own dilemmas.   The more obvious example is that barnabas had a secret he felt he must keep even from his family.

By the way, Gothick - you and I have discussed that publication before The Secret Room.   I had gotten a copy for my brother. 

Nancy

[Gothick]

Hey Joey, sure, if the Mods agree and you don't mind taking the time to do so.  It's already "floating around the Internet" and could easily enough be found via Google I would imagine.

I can't remember whether I used the phrase "fag hag" in connection with Julia or not.  If I did and anyone here is offended, I apologize.  As I said, it was a draft--for the dictionary-deprived, I'll underline that this means "piece of work in an unifinished or incomplete state."  

Talking of piece of work, sounds as if there needs to be a portrait of that zine editor in the dictionary under that phrase...

cheers, G.

[Gothick]

Hi Nancy!

I do vaguely recall our having discussed "The Secret Room" zine.  If memory serves, when that zine was being launched I had attended all of one DS Festival and had more enthusiasm than discrimination when it came to the world of Fandom.

Thinking of Barnabas spending two centuries trapped in his coffin in the secret room could indeed seem like the ultimate "closet" tale.  I also thought of Julia's story on the show as preparing a gay viewer for experiencing the pangs of unrequited love for an unavailable man.

cheers, G.