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From Perverts to Fab Five: The Media's Changing Depiction of Gay Men and Lesbians 1st Edition

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Rodger Streitmatter (Author)
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Rodger Streitmatter (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 5 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0789036711
ISBN-10: 0789036711
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  • From Perverts to Fab Five: The Media's Changing Depiction of Gay Men and Lesbians
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 232 pages
  • Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (November 20, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0789036711
  • ISBN-13: 978-0789036711
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #416,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 starsA great disappointment
By Gael Sweeney on March 26, 2009
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I was looking forward to reading this book and perhaps using it in my class on LGBT characters and themes in the media. Alas, I won't be doing that. The book is, unfortunately, a mile wide and about an inch deep. In the chapters on material that I have taught a number of times, including "Queer as Folk," "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," and "Brokeback Mountain," there are obvious and baffling mistakes that seem to show that the author really doesn't know that material very well and certainly didn't have anyone check references or scenes for accuracy.

For instance, in the chapter on "Queer as Folk," in the second paragraph he claims that Brian discusses his first time having sex, quoting, "We're all scared the first time," and then proceeds to have sex with Justin. In fact, as anyone who has actually watched the episode would know, this speech and the sex scene happen about a half hour apart in two distinct scenes, with the entire hospital interlude where Brian sees his baby son for the first time coming between them. And that's just the second paragraph! There are numerous mistakes in detail and also in intent throughout the chapter, which makes me not trust the information in other chapters that I'm not so up on. And it's the same in the chapter on "Queer Eye" -- one of the key quotes in the very first episode, one that was featured in all the ads and also served to delineate Carson's character as the master of the cheeky one-liner, was the line, "You put an apartment where the crack den used to be!" The author puts it into the mouth of Butch, the laconic straight guy, where it makes no sense at all (it's HIS "crack den" after all and he liked it!). And so on.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starscollege text book
By SRob on December 20, 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
needed this book for my college class, interesting covers a wide variety of topics, would recommend as a general over view of the major shifts in culture over the years, and historic moments in the LGBT community.
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5.0 out of 5 starsWhy Can't All Professors Write Like This?
By Media Maven on November 15, 2009
Format: Paperback
I just finished reading "Perverts" and I think the best thing about the book is that it is so readable. I can honestly say that I have never read a book about such a serious topic that is also fun to read. Streitmatter makes TV shows like Will & Grace and Queer Eye totally come to life with all of his quotes and anecdotes, but at the same time he makes a very persuasive case that these kinds of shows have had major impact on how the American public has changed its attitudes toward gay people to the point that so many of us now are not just accepting of gays but really are gay rights advocates.

The other part about the book that I really liked was that it showed what forces played major roles in changing the media's depiction of gays. Probably the most significant of those forces is the media's decision to showcase gays because they think gays have a lot of money to spend on products that advertisers want to sell them. But he also makes a really good case that people in Hollywood who have starred in movies and TV shows, like Robin Williams and Tom Hanks, have been eager to appear in movies with gay content, such as The Birdcage and Philadelphia, because being in those movies helps the public change their thinking about gays. So he's really saying that Hollywood sort of does have a "gay agenda" but he does it in a way that is not accusatory or critical, but praiseworthy. I also liked the attention Streitmatter gave to what he calls the gay mafia. He points out that many of the TV shows and movies with positive messages about gays have come about because of the influence of gay people (mostly men) who are working behind the scenes in Hollywood.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsIlluminating and a Great Read, Too!
By Washington Reader on January 10, 2009
Format: Paperback
This is just what I look for in a non-fiction book: something that illuminates a subject while also making the reading experience really, really enjoyable (and easy).

I learned a great deal about the various media products this book looks at, such as the TV shows Soap and Ellen. I also gained new insights on movies I have seen but never thought that much about, such as Philadelphia and Brokeback Mountain. The book was really good when talking about major news stories, too, such as same-sex marriage.

But in some ways the best part of the book of all was that it was such an easy read. You don't always find that with substantive books like this one, but Perverts to Fab Five was the best read I've had in a long time.
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4.0 out of 5 starsGreat author, good topic, engaging book
By Rebecca Helm on August 3, 2014
Format: Paperback
Great author, and if you get a chance to hear him speak, take it! This chapter by chapter approach, highlighting different productions / events through the last hundred years or so, is an engaging way to look at the changing depiction of gay men and lesbians in America's media. (Check out his other books too, A+ would recommend.)
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