Best gay writer?!

[satanassa]

Quote from Tim Macavoy's 'Brit Bits' article on AfterElton:

"The big news is that Torchwood will return for a fourth series! Cue the angry shouts about Ianto being killed and how you’ll never watch again. Then get over it, because it’s still made by Russell T Davies, one of the best gay writers around."

Tim my friend, if Rusty is one of the 'best'

Comments

[ceindreadh]

I wonder did he mean 'best writer who is also gay' or 'best writer of gay characters', because honestly, I'm not sure RTD qualifies in either category.

[xtricks]

Well, to put it bluntly, of the people alive and actively writing, RTD is one of the best (also, one of the only). He has consistently managed to bring significant queer content to mainstream media: Queer as Folks was ground breaking and Jack is pretty much the first sexually active, canonical mainstream queer male action hero.

CoE sucked and I won't be watching 4th series and I don't like RTD's concept of the world but it doesn't change what he has done.

[satanassa]

I certainly appreciate RTD for some of the things he has done -- QAF and the initial idea of Torchwood and introducing the character of Ianto -- I'll always remember him for that. But is he really one of the best gay writers around at present? Moffat is a terrific writer (Jack first appeared in a Moffat-penned episode of DW), there are other talented writers for other BBC and C4 programmes. I understand they are not gay (at least that I know of) but it's depressing to think that the only really publicly known gay writer is RTD and that he should be considered the best practically by default.

[xtricks]

Moffat -- really? He created Jack Harkness, not a gay character but a sexually omnivorous one. And have you been watching the new Who under him? No homosexual characters (even minor screen filler) at all, let alone ones with speaking/acting roles. Not that I've seen so far

[ella_caramella]

...there is the occasional 'queer' episode on many serialized tv shows (genearally showing queers as victims of crime and/or victimizers).

Generally showing queers as victims... hmm, isn't that exactly the way he portrayed Ianto in CoE? The victim who gets the abuse from every other character on the scene and then ends up dead?

Didn't he turn Ianto into a random queer character by replacing him with the next random queer character who'll get the high honour to be shagged by Jack?

Where's RTD's originality in this and what makes his tv shows different from the other mainstream tv shows?

[ella_caramella]

Oh, come on! Best gay writer? RTD turned Jack into someone who is just always at the ready to stick his dick into... what was the phrase? Right, 'anything with a hole'.

That doesn't make Jack a GAY HERO. It only makes him a sex addict.

A good gay writer wouldn't have killed off one of the best and interesting LGBT character and above all wouldn't have wiped off the ONLY gay couple so successful to be loved by the majority of viewers just out of spite in favour of his beloved Mary Sue.

Just let them be delusional, I will laugh when they will find themselves watching Gwenwood. At the present moment Gwen is the only central character and she's got all the other males in love with her: Rhys, Andy and Jack. With Ianto out of the picture it will be even more Gwen, Gwen and bloody Gwen.

The best that Jack can have is a quick shag with the 'piece of arse' of the week, who will be dead by the end of the episode anyway.

Nice work for the 'best gay writer'.

[xtricks]

That doesn't make Jack a GAY HERO. It only makes him a sex addict.

Only if you assume that having lots of sex and enjoying it, makes you a sex addict.

It was made crystal clear in early S1 that Jack is not, by inclination, particularly monogamous by our standards, that he like sex *a lot* and enjoys various sexually oriented games like flirting.

It's also clear that he's capable of keeping his mind on his job and doing his job -- one of the definitions of addiction is that it interferes with the healthy functioning of the person's life. Not the case for Jack.

[ella_caramella]

He is a sex addict the moment they deprive him of feelings and intimacy. There's nothing wrong in enjoying sex, even as a recreational activity, but it's totally wrong the moment someone first flirts or 'molests' someone else, then lures them into bed, then just *remembers* that he really cannot commit/couldn't care less and longs for someone else.

It's just dishonest. And maybe wasn't intentional but alas is exactly what they did with Jack and Ianto.

For the moment I'm calling it just bad writing and bad characterization. But I'm afraid one of the reason why they killed off Ianto was so that Jack can shag random people, no feelings attached, in a new 'bigger and better' way *rolls eyes*

If then, being he omnisexual, he will keep pining after his twu luw Gwen, we will be here again discussing the merits of the Best Gay Writer on the planet.

[satanassa]

Thanks for your input, people. I think there are two things we have to distinguish between:

Does RTD deserve kudos for introducing fresh new characters that break the existing mold? Yes, absolutely.

Is RTD one of the best writers/ best out gay writer / best writer for creating gay characters? Here I have my doubts. He throws in characters that are intriguing, but then doesn't really develop them. The only development they get is from the actor's efforts. And I'm not too thrilled with his plots either. Rubbish like 'Planet of the Dead' (Doctor Who) for example.

RTD has done something significant to increase the visibility of non-straight characters on our TV screens, but I'm reluctant to award extravagant honours to him.

Basically, I scorn the opinion of Tim M that since RTD will be involved in TW S4, therefore it is going to be amazing. RTD hasn't done anything to merit that kind of blind devotion.