Simon Muchardt
Fanart Friday *15
Harvest Moon fanart (artist unknown)
White Roses by Greyson Chance
“I am sure many will take the main character as being shameful of who he is, but that is not the case at all. The character isn’t shameful, but rather he is broken,” Greyson Chance says of the music video for his song “White Roses,” the midpoint of his 2019 studio album, Portraits.
It’s an important distinction to make when discussing a video concept that revolves around a character concealing all or some parts of their sexuality — a tale that was once a reality for Chance.
Directed by Bobby Hanaford and Chance himself, the music video tackles the loss and hurt involved with bursts of free expression, still limited by the confines of current relationships. Rather than have moments of abandon, like the one that occurs at the climax of the video for “White Roses,” be laced with shame, Chance is painting a picture of truly intimate rupture.
“Just like the world around them, each character in the video is likewise broken,” Chance explains, leaving no question as to the radius of impact caused by one hiding their identity from loved ones. “I am portrayed by the boy in the trailer.”
Liberation vs Assimilation in Queer Cinema
Should LGBT cinema try and emulate mainstream movies – or forge its own path? Including examples like One Day At A Time, Modern Family, The Birdcage, La Cage Aux Folles, Dragon Prince, Skins, She-Ra, Moonlight, Pride and more.
Yup, Will from Stranger Things is probably, actually not straight
The original description for Stranger Things character Will Byers (played by Noah Schnapp) may give a clue at Will’s sexuality. Screen Rant reports that the Duffer brothers’ notes when pitching the show to networks described Will as having “sexual identity issues.”
“WILL BYERS […] is a sweet, sensitive kid with sexual identity issues. He only recently came to the realization that he does not fit into 1980s definition of ‘normal.’ His innocent choices, such as his colorful clothes, prove a constant source of bullying. Like Mike, Will escapes through fantasy gaming, where he can be himself, uninhibited. He has a close relationship with his mother, Joyce. His brother, Jonathan, helps raise him in lieu of their father, who abandoned them four years ago,” the notes read.
The description appears to confirm a fan theory that Will is gay. However, it’s unclear if the original character description will follow into the show’s current storylines. Fans began to speculate about Will’s sexuality after season three saw his friends begin to embark on romantic storylines.
Lucas and Max enter an on-again-off-again romance. Eleven and Mike’s own romance has become irritating to Jim Hopper as the tweens only want to spend time alone together. Dustin is also smitten with a girl, Suzie, who he met at camp. In one season three scene, Will leaves Lucas and Mike when he grows tired of hearing them discuss their romantic relationships.
“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls,” Mike tells Will.
Some fans thought this alluded to Will being gay while other fans thought it meant Will just hadn’t grown an interest in romance like his friends had.
