Entertainment should reflect the audience consuming it.

Of the 879 series regular characters expected to appear on broadcast (ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX, and NBC) primetime scripted programming in the coming year, 90 (10.2 percent) were counted as LGBTQ. The CW (youngest target demographic) counts the highest percentage of LGBTQ series regulars of all series regulars at 15.4 percent.

GLAAD is calling on the industry to make sure that 20 percent of series regular characters on primetime scripted broadcast series are LGBTQ by 2025. GLAAD and Harris Poll’s Accelerating Acceptance study shows that 20 percent of Americans aged 18-34 are LGBTQ.

#1 The CW 15.4%
#2 NBC 12.5%
#3 ABC 10.4%
#4 FOX 7.9%
#5 CBS 5.5%

Maybe it is because I am old, but 20% seems high to me. Also CBS has very large viewership but a very old audience. Should they aspire to the same percentages as CW (keep in mind CBW owns half of CW)?

Viewers over 7 million
11.439 CBS NCIS
8.979 CBS FBI
8.510 CBS Young Sheldon
8.234 NBC Chicago Med
8.074 NBC Chicago Fire
7.544 CBS Blue Bloods
7.085 CBS Hawaii Five-0

As I walk through the world, I am generally unaware of the sexual orientation of others. Shouldn’t there be television where 20% of the characters are LGBTQ, but it isn’t important to the story?

Why 20%? Why are they seeking over representation?

"A record 4.5 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a new Gallup estimate. The percentage, which works out to more than 11 million U.S. adults, is up from 4.1 percent in 2016 and 3.5 percent in 2012, the year Gallup first started tracking LGBT identification."

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/record-4-5-percent-u-s-adults-identify-lgbt-gallup-n877486

I am like Mosca. I only know the sexual orientation of people that are obvious (married or with a partner when I see them) and even that can be wrong...some could be bisexual instead of one or the other. The rest? No idea, for the most part. People are pretty much people to me.

This is a major reason many of us have tuned out. They want to be overrepresented by a factor of 18-20.

Nobody listens when we say to tell that group to take a hike, they will never be satisfied.

Quote: RonC

Why 20%? Why are they seeking over representation?

One of the male aliens in Roswell New Mexico gets involved with a male soldier, and black female bartender. I think they are trying to tick off boxes.

There are more than demographic reasons.

Complicated sexual relationships are more interesting than traditional sexual relationships in some cases?

How many shows feature incest? And, what percentage of the population engages in incest?


How many shows feature cops and detectives, what percentage of the population is Law Enforcement?

How many shows feature space marines fighting aliens, what percentage of the population engages in extraterrestrial warfare?


The point is most shows do not represent the average population in terms of careers, lifestyle, sexuality, or recreation. We tend to watch shows about people are who more interesting than us.

As for artificial quotas to mandate sexuality, I don't agree with, I think the free market will (and already is) be inclined to feature diverse characters..... Also, sex is not that interesting to me unless it is a major plot device, so I have no desire to know to sexual orientation or interests of most characters.....

maybe somebody will tell me I am way off base, but the 'kissing thing' with male gays just doesn't seem right - I mean the kind that is passionate

so what I'm saying is the writers of these programs want to get the idea across that someone is gay by showing them kissing passionately. But as for the gays I know, I just don't think that is their thing at all. Naturally almost all of their sexual life is hidden from me the same way mine also is from the general public - but I doubt if I am wrong.

then there is Buttigieg's partner wanting to kiss in public. I get this feeling Buttigieg wanted to say "come on Dude this is not our thing!" but couldn't say anything of course

Hey, what do I really know, maybe I'm totally wrong, maybe really, really wrong, if so I'd like to know

Quote: Gandler

The point is most shows do not represent the average population in terms of careers, lifestyle, sexuality, or recreation. We tend to watch shows about people are who more interesting than us.

Exactly. The show has to be something that invites your attention. If they don't have viewers, it is hard to get advertising dollars.

Quote: RonC

Exactly. The show has to be something that invites your attention. If they don't have viewers, it is hard to get advertising dollars.

Which is exactly why I like to point that out when people argue about demographic representation in TV shows....

By that logic the majority of shows should be about while male truck drivers driving for hours, sleeping, then driving again, and retail workers clocking in, stocking shelves and clocking out. And, a large percentage of shows about restaurant workers, office and call center workers.....

Of course all of those shows would be boring.... (yes I am aware this forum is based off of The Office), but generally speaking, those would not make for exciting shows.


The very nature of entertainment currently and historically is to see things that we normally do not see.....

Why do you value other people's sexual orientation so much ？