Description
Book SynopsisTaking a bottom-up approach through interviews with numerous industry workers, this book deepens our understanding of the intricate processes behind the creation of the LGBT representations that appear on television.
Trade ReviewReading Julia Himberg's recent book in public, even in Los Angeles, is a bit like wearing a statement piece to church. Fellow coffee shop dwellers, lunchers, and friends see the rainbow-colored television screen emblazoned on the cover, their eyes run over the title, and one question generally leads the conversation: "What
is The New Gay for Pay?" * The Advocate *
The New Gay For Pay is a significant contribution to both media studies and gender & sexuality studies, laying out the current landscape. It is also a solid primer for those looking to understand the workings and operators behind the creation and casting of LGBT characters on television. * Lambda Literary *
This book will appeal to those interested in critical TV studies, media activism, and how cultural understandings of the LGBT community gain power...Himberg offers a strong overview of LGBT media scholarship, and readers new to this area of study will still find the book accessible while engaging with key concepts in the field. * Media Industries Journal *
This book is written with remarkable economy, especially admirable in a project which manages so much complexity.
The New Gay for Pay is refreshingly accessible, and I can imagine it being useful to a range of audiences beyond the academy…a valuable study of LGBTQ representations in the postnetwork era and an instructive example of work on television and advocacy. * Critical Studies in Television *
[
The New Gay for Pay] offers a useful contribution to the field by focusing on the perspective of industry representatives and the multifaceted ways in which TV contributes to the politics of representation of LGBT issues and identities. * European Journal of Communication *
Through her meticulous attention to the nuances surrounding LGBT television representations, Himberg constructs a wonderful book that provides a model for this kind of scholarship. Her examinations of industry practices and procedures, the actions of individual human agents and day-to-day decision making provide a detailed, concrete understanding of contemporary LGBT media...By undertaking this ambitious endeavor to work through large-scale questions on such a fine-grained scale, Himberg has created a book that is a welcome addition to any collection. * New Review of Film and Television Studies *
Himberg’s work is an important exploration of how industry workers, executives, and GLBT advocacy organizations co-create sexuality through television...Anyone interested in understanding how sexual politics are deployed beyond the public view will find Himberg’s extensive interviews useful. Himberg’s analysis is unique insomuch as it examines not outward facing discourses of media and its effects, but the complexities of how behind-the-scenes industry workers, executives, and activists co-create the content that millions of people consume. * QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction: The New Gay for Pay
Chapter 1. Visibility: Lesbian Programming and the Changing Landscape of Cable Television
Chapter 2. Advocacy: Hitching Activism to Modern Family’s Gay Wedding
Chapter 3. Diversity: Under-the-Radar Activism and the Crafting of Sexual Identities
Chapter 4. Equality: Proposition 8 and the Politics of Marriage on Television
Conclusion: The Personal Is Still Political (and Profitable)
Notes
References
Index
