To what extent does the emergence and recognition of a gay consumer culture leads to an increased social acceptance of homosexuality?

Résumé du document

'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Five gay men. Out to take over the world. One straight guy at a time''. This is what people hear and read when watching the show commonly called Queer Eye. What do gay people do to ''take over the world''? The emergence of this kind of show seems to reveal the existence of a specific gay lifestyle, which has material implications. Are they just trends or is there an actual gay consumer culture? While conducting some research to answer this question, another interesting concept surged: social acceptance. This led me to wonder: To what extent does the emergence and recognition of a gay consumer culture lead to an increased social acceptance of homosexuality? To answer this problematic, it first seemed relevant to analyze the gay consumer culture through two prisms: the perception of both gay and straight people of the gay consumer culture, and the actual comparison of both ways of consuming. Secondly, a better understanding of the commoditization of gay consumption habits by marketers and the theorization of their practices by resorting to Veblen, Schor, Twitchell or Bourdieu, was necessary.

Extraits

[...] While cultural visibility is essential to a positive portrayal of gay individuals, the commodification of gay consumer culture hides another significant part of this culture. Images of middle-class gay consumers define queer identities only in terms of ''style, textuality, or performance play produce imaginary gay/queer subjects that keep invisible the division of wealth and labor these images depend on.''[14] This commodified imagery does not take into account homosexuals who are manual workers, working-poors, or unemployed. Furthermore, according to a study led by Michael J. [...]

[...] Juliet Schor and Douglas Holt, p. 205-210. James Twitchell ''Two cheers for Materialism'', in The Consumer Society Reader, ed. Juliet Schor and Douglas Holt, p. 281-291. Exhibit 1. Source : Yaksich, M.J., 2004-08-14 "Consuming Queer: Buying Style or Acceptance", Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Hilton San Francisco & Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel, San Francisco, CA. QUESTIONNAIRE: THE GAY CONSUMER CULTURE 1. How would you describe your consumption patterns? [...]

[...] Several stereotypes are conveyed to ease the appropriation of the gay consumer culture by marketers as well as consumers. These stereotypes include obsession with fashion, cultural trends, and overt expressions of femininity.”[4] As taught in the marketing classes in the universities, gays represent a profitable niche, as they usually do not have any children, are said to be wealthier, and dedicate a lot of their budget to entertainment, clothes and travels. According to Schulman, media tactics “makes gay people simultaneously an ideal group for niche marketing and for the containment inherent in commodification to straight consumers.” The presence of popular gay programs, such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, a TV Show in which five gay men are changing one straight man lifestyle and consumption habits, in the media within the past 5 to 8 years demonstrates that marketers have focused on the idea of targeting a profitable gay market. [...]

[...] L'émergence et la reconnaissance d'une culture gay permettent-elles une meilleure acceptation de l'homosexualité ? ''Queer Eye For The Straight Guy. Five gay men. Out to make over the world. One straight guy at a time''. This is what people hear and read when watching the show commonly called Queer Eye. What do gay people do to ''make over the world''? The emergence of this kind of show seems to reveal the existence of a specific gay lifestyle, which has material implications. [...]

[...] As previously discussed in the paper, gay consumer culture has been adopted by marketers and converted into a fashion trend. Yet, the high turnover rates of consumer trends may mean that the metrosexual and television programs that feature gay casts may also be considered a consumer trend . which are liable to go out of fashion. One could easily imagine the gravity of considering a trend linked to sexuality, and thus, more generally, considering a sexuality out of fashion. Furthermore, metrosexuality is so popular because of the transgressive aspect of it; as Yaksich said in 2005, ''for the time being there is nothing straight about metrosexuality. [...]