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Dan Savage Takes on "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody"

Wednesday June 17, 2009

I am a huge fan of advice columnist Dan Savage and his essays for "This American Life." His recent commentary on the death of his mother brought me to tears. And I am very impressed with his thoughtful assessment of the Disney Channel series "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody." As a gay man, he remembers the feeling of disconnection he had as a child who never saw on television characters who reflected his view of the world, how he felt, who he wanted to be. And now as a father, he sees his son watching the ostensibly wholesome "Suite Life" and finds it as disturbing a portrayal of heterosexuality as the over-the-top stereotypes of gays he saw when he was growing up. Ten-year-old Zach's fascination with a pretty teenage girl, his advice about how to get "babes" by lying to them, his creepy come-ons, comments like "I'd better practice my kissing" -- Savage says that his son has a "look of concentration" when he watches as though he is "filing things away for future reference." Savage wants his son, a straight boy growing up with gay parents, to see positive models of heterosexual behavior in the media. But "stereotypes are patient," says Savage. "They'll wear you down."

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Comments
Nell Minow
June 18, 2009 2:04 PM
http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/

That is a lovely thought, and I share your wish that the blessings of grace and faith be widespread.

Nancy Spady
June 18, 2009 6:02 PM

Unfortunately, this problem extends much farther than the one show discussed here. Parental controls are no help at all in filtering shows that subtly (or not so subtly) influence our children (boys and girls) in such negative ways about relationships and their roles in society. I try very hard to monitor my 11 year old's tv time and watch with her when I can, but even shows that seem innocent on the surface can carry messages I find disturbing in this way. It takes hard work and vigilance to counter messages that seem so pervasive in tv and advertising. Thank goodness I can count on MovieMom to help figure out what's in films.

Nell Minow
June 19, 2009 7:11 AM
http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/

Thanks so much, Nancy. What keeps me going is the parents who are so careful and protective about what their kids absorb from the surrounding media. Your comment means the world to me.

wow...
July 17, 2009 9:30 AM

I think he is overreacting to the show...i dont think disney channel means to like "turn kids straight" it's really just the character. for comedic purposes really. As a kid of his age it actually seems realistic portraying his character to boys my age. we dont live in the cootie era...

Nell Minow
July 17, 2009 10:15 AM
http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/

Thanks, Wow. I love the idea of not living on the cootie era! But I don't think that means that predatory sexual precocity is a good source of humor for characters of any age.

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