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Author Topic: Have you seen Queer As Folk? Do you think it shows Gay and HIV world correctly?  (Read 6691 times)

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Offline LatinAlexander

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  • Posts: 599
  • Bogota, Colombia
I just was having this discussion with a friend of mine...What do you think?

Alex
Poz since Jul 19 2006
Initial numbers : CD4-250 VL 3500
First labs after HAART (Dec 04-2006) : CD4-432 VL-<40 (Undetectable)  cd4%=25.11%
Started HAART: Combivir+Efavirenz Aug 26 7:38 pm
Feb 08 2007 - Gradually stopping HAART cause of Myalgia. Protecting Efavirenz. Stopped Efavirenz, ahead with Combivir....
February 17 Combivir stopped.
April 3 -07 : Started ddi+3tc+efavirenz...
Gay and positive (What a lack of Identity...:) )
Looking for my Ben....

Offline GSOgymrat

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  • HIV+ since 1993. Relentlessly gay.
I love Queer As Folk but it is a drama and is probably about at realistic in its portrayal of gays as The Sopranos is of Italian Americans. It has touched on a lot of issues that no other television series I'm aware of has tackled: poz/neg dating, gay adoption, gay marriage, meth addiction, body image, ageism... the list goes on. A lot of the stories I can relate to.

Offline bear60

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Its not supposed to show anything "correctly"...its a show...fiction. In my book it gets an A plus for overall "gay" information and a B for HIV information.  But really....isnt it just great to see HIV, drugs and "relationships"  being dealt with in such a frank and open way?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Poz Bear Type in Philadelphia

Offline poobear

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I LOVE Queer as folk.  I agree that yes it is a drama but does have many iisues.  All I can say is I love it.  ;D

Offline Nadine

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I just saw this show for the first time here at Rodney's.  I think it is a great show, but it is just that, a TV show.

Offline Ann

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Wow, is that show still running in the States? If I remember correctly, you guys have an American version of what was originally a British show based in Manchester. It only ran for two seasons - I was disappointed to see it end as I enjoyed it, but as far as how realistic a portrayal it was, well, I've never hung out on the scene in Canal Street so I can't really know. However, I was happy to see that not all the men were portrayed as a sterotypical flamingly camp queen. Saying that, very few TV shows accurately portray life - they call it artistic license, yes?

Ann
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Offline texasguy

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Ohhh... one of my hot buttons.  I HATED that show.  I'm a gay American living in a somewhat big city (Dallas).  That show was the most unrealistic piece of crap I've ever seen.  I admire them for touching on the "popular" issues of the day, but they never got it right.  I know lesbians with kids, queens hooked on meth, gym bunnies, and all the rest.  Reality is more beautiful and much more ugly.  Yeah, I know, it's just TV.  But a lot of my straight friends at work watched that and were always asking me if that was really the way it is.  How many dance bars/ discos in the US do you know that have sex rooms like that in the back of the club?  No, I'm not talking about some dive cruise bar or a bath house, but a major disco club?  NONE.  And I was constantly having to explain that.  Grrrrrr....... <rant over>

We now return you to your regular programming......
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Offline Iggy

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.
 
« Last Edit: January 12, 2007, 08:57:23 pm by Iggy »

Offline RapidRod

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Not only do I like Queer as Folk but, I like Noaha's Arc too.

Offline BassMan

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Well Ann, as one who *does* hang out on Canal Street, I can say I remember watching some of the scenes in the British version and thinking "ouch, that was a bit close to home!" (literally!) Of course like all drama, it was a distillation of events, people places etc. that ended up being somewhat larger than the real thing; they had 'Anal 'Treet dressed up with more lights than a Christmas Tree and took more than a little license with some of the bars. But character-wise, I think most gay men know at least one person from "the scene" that has a passing resemblance to one of those characters.

I don't think the British version dealt much with the issue of HIV. There was one scene (I forget the exact details now) where the two lesbians were discussing with Stuart that maybe he should get tested because of the number of one night stands he'd had, but I don't recall HIV being actually mentioned by name. In fact, I seem to remember a bit of a stink in the media at the time because the show didn't actually show any of the guys practising safer sex at all.

Whilst the portrayal of gay life was admittedly a little sensationalist at times, QAF did at least have the effect of bringing the gay scene a bit more into the mainstream and it certainly got people talking. I remember my sister remarking to me after she'd seen it that she didn't realise we could "do it" lying on our backs!  ;D

Aww, bless!

Carl
Manchester
« Last Edit: September 23, 2006, 09:41:42 am by BassMan »
Diagnosed December 2002
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Started meds October 2004
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Offline Life

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  • Member 2005
I always liked the original Brit version.. Never really got into the American twist..  I get my saga's right here!

Eep

Offline LatinAlexander

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  • Bogota, Colombia
hmmm...Pretty interesting comments here...Well, I never saw the original british version, bu instead the United States one. (Showtime)...I agree in the fact that even when it is a show, it touches some very real (from my persective) issues on gay live. Legal rights, dating, sero-discordant-relationships, etc.  And in some cases, I inmediately related some characters or particular situations to my owm.

What about the music? Did you like it? (I am referring here to the US version)...

Alex
Poz since Jul 19 2006
Initial numbers : CD4-250 VL 3500
First labs after HAART (Dec 04-2006) : CD4-432 VL-<40 (Undetectable)  cd4%=25.11%
Started HAART: Combivir+Efavirenz Aug 26 7:38 pm
Feb 08 2007 - Gradually stopping HAART cause of Myalgia. Protecting Efavirenz. Stopped Efavirenz, ahead with Combivir....
February 17 Combivir stopped.
April 3 -07 : Started ddi+3tc+efavirenz...
Gay and positive (What a lack of Identity...:) )
Looking for my Ben....

Offline bear60

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I saw the British version.  The American version made very few changes but they were changes to allow the characters to continue to live...so there would be a season two and season three etc.  The British version.....the character dies.
Ok....as far as like sex in back rooms.......you know and I know that there were/are clubs where this happens. Maybe in a dance club its a bit unreal...but still.....it happens.
I am sad that the show had to end. I loved Debby, the character that Sharon Glass developed...... and.... Her gay son....his HIV poz "husband".... her sons boyhood friend who was the sex pistol....his little chicken artist poster boy for gay bashing boyfriend. etc etc
I mean its a loooog way from "The Honeymooners" and Lucy and Desi.
I never thought I'd see this on TV in MY lifetime. I mean, when Ellen came out on TV I thought I had seen it all but as you can tell....we arent in Kansas anymore Toto.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2006, 05:18:29 pm by bear60 »
Poz Bear Type in Philadelphia

Offline AlanBama

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I agree with some that the show is somewhat unrealistic, but I enjoyed it just the same!    Much like the way I enjoy "Nip/Tuck".
"Remember my sentimental friend that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." - The Wizard of Oz

Offline Eldon

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Hey Alex,

Although I am not a slave to the TV Set:

Queer as Folk is an innovative, provocative, and groundbreaking series that has now ended after a five year run, the series chronicled the friendships, careers, loves, trials, tribulations, and ambitions of a diverse group of gay men and lesbians living in Pittsburgh, PA. Blending strong drama with necessary charm and humor, it rivals any other show presented on television.

Over the shows run it has managed to cover a wide range of issues including Aids, cancer, drug addictions and the trials of love.

http://www.tv.com/queer-as-folk/show/3177/summary.html

Have the BEST Day!

Offline fearless

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I loved the English version. It was gritty and had a certain level of realism, albeit a little exaggerated at times for dramatic effect.
I found the American version became melodrmatic and moralistic and unreal.
Be forgiving, be grateful, be optimistic

Offline Benc7

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From a previous post I made on the subject: I liked the British QAF more than the "American" version which, by the way, was filmed entirely in Toronto, with our Church Street doubling for a Liberty Avenue that is nothing like what you see on screen.  The only good things I can say about QAF "American" is that:
 1. It made, at least, a cartoon version of gay life accessible to people who have nothing at all and that, I suppose, is better than complete invisibility.
2. It gave local actors exposure (in more ways than one).  I made a point of going to see Fabrizio Filippo (Ethan)on stage after seeing his performance on QAF. He's an amazing actor. Also, Dean Armstong (Blake) is a very accomplished actor on stage and in film.
3.My partner and I watched every single episode to see, with morbid fascination, how bad the writing could get, how ridiculous the plot line could become and how wooden the main actors could be. Sort of like a gay "Dynasty" for those who remember.
4. Inexpiclably,from about 1994 to about 1999, there was a strange sort of "time warp" back to the seventies here in the Toronto bar scene: a lot of dance clubs and bars suddenly had backrooms, the kind that were re-created in QAF.(I think some of the writers on the show remembered those years)  This all came to an end quickly as it started.
5.The lesbian bars were like a straight-man's fanatasy of what lesbian bars are like. LOL 
6.There were some very hot scenes. I like hot scenes. A lot.LOL

Offline Moffie65

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Now that the show is on LOGO TV; I was excited to be able to watch it for the first time.  I settled into to enjoy the show and it was so insipid and so "fiaryish" that I just couldn't sit through one hour of the show.  Sorry, I lived like that, and spent time with people like that for about a year in the early 70's, but quickly learned I couldn't tolerate these kind of fairies even then. 

Give me a tool box and a car that needs some help and I am a happy camper.

Sorry, can't recommend this one to anyone.

The Bible contains 6 admonishments to homosexuals,
and 362 to heterosexuals.
This doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals,
It's just that they need more supervision.
Lynn Lavne

Offline Matty the Damned

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Re: Have you seen Queer As Folk? Do you think it shows Gay and HIV world correct
« Reply #18 on: September 24, 2006, 03:32:10 am »
I only ever watched one episode the American version of Queer as Folk. It was dreadful. Horrible show. Some vapid twink was freaking out because he had to wait all weekend for an HIV test result or something. Ended up making a promise to "god" about sex.

At least I think that's what happened. I tuned out.

The English version was ok, but if I want to listen to irritating accents and people with bad teeth talk, I'll go to the pub here in my town.

MtD

Offline newt

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Re: Have you seen Queer As Folk? Do you think it shows Gay and HIV world correct
« Reply #19 on: September 24, 2006, 03:35:32 am »
Well said, Benc7 re: the UK version.

Oh TV execs, you can buy the title (and sell it back to the UK too (and why?)), but you didn't buy the genius of Russell T Davies, and, er, forgot the story had a beginning, middle n an end. But there's money to be made....

Have seen some of the US series n was not impressed.  It was shown on Choice, a cable channel, which also premiered Queer Eye 4 The Straight Guy (which lead to an annoying phenomenon of people in the office coming up and saying "You're not at all like the boys" "Whaddaya mean?" "Y'now, in Queer Eye...") - matt
"The object is to be a well patient, not a good patient"

 


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