Gay Characters in Housepets!

[Amazee Dayzee]

I don't think he is gay. I just think that he hasn't gotten used to the culture of humans yet so he just seems too friendly.

[GreatKitsune]

I say don't read into these things so much. If Rick wants his readers to see a character as gay, he'll write it that way. Otherwise, it's all theory and assumption and doesn't really matter to the story.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Well that is why we have a topic to discuss whether or not a character is for the people that do read into it. LOL

[Sleet]

Or alternatively the orientations of characters are mostly regardless of how they read, other than explicitly telling us (or showing us, in the case of the couples of the comic).

[GreatKitsune]

I'm just seeing a lot of assumptions. It seems as if some of the posters in this thread are trying to make characters gay rather than just accepting them the way they're presented.

[Fish Preferred]

I don't understand this. How exactly does an author add more "gay characters" without resorting to stereotypes and/or gratuitous exposition on their sexual orientation? As far as we know, any cast member who is not in or actively seeking a heterosexual relationship could very plausibly be gay, much like anyone who is not depicted relying heavily on their right hand could easily be left-handed; they just wouldn't be compelled to make a big presentation out of it. This is probably because they value their own distinct personalities, which are not defined by this single ordinary characteristic, but are as varied and unique as those of the rest of the populace (well, except Daisy ... maybe). Why, then, should orientation be focused upon at all?

[Sleet]

An author can depict characters in relationships, or mentioning attraction to another person or having a significant other. This can be done fairly tastefully and subtly, depending on the genre.

But really, having confirmed gay characters isn't particularly important unless there are enough confirmed straight characters to make their absence suspicious (which Housepets! has).

Just for fun, if we assume people are 90% straight and 10% non-straight, here are the ranges of numbers of non-straight characters that can be considered believable (95% confidence interval) for a few ensemble sizes:

1: 0-1
2: 0-1
3: 0-1
4: 0-2
5: 0-2
10: 0-3
20: 0-4
30: 1-6
50: 2-9
100: 5-15
200: 13-20
300: 22-39
500: 39-61

[NHWestoN]

Within the context that Rick intends Housepets to be militantly "PG", he does a lot of playing and exploring species, gender, and cultural images and expectations. Clearly, with Bruce and Roosey, his Christian faith allows for depicting a positive gay couple. In another episode, Karishad the Fox interprets Keene Milton's comment "I need you" as a carnal flirtation. He responds by striking a flirtatious pose and offering to start with dinner and a movie. Cory the Skunk, trying to con poor Zach, is also flirtatious in a homosexual way. When Mungo embraces and smooches Fox when he delivers Summer's letter to the husky, well, clearly his therapy fog instincts are kicking in. Still, Fox is pleasantly taken aback when he might have regarded Mungo as ... let's say ... Disrespecting his professional and sexual boundaries. The Housepets cast is often touchy-feely; that's one of the things we love them for.

Remember, one of the very earliest sightedness to emerge in the strip was gender confusion over whether Grape was male or female. Peanut and Grape also engaged in a little on-screen gender swap when they acted out Romeo and Juliet. Peanut played Juliet to Grape' s Romeo, at a time when Peanut thought she was a guy. Must have been some smooches there. And Grape tells Peanut she got him to take the female role to broaden his horizons. [Grape can be very patronizing to Peanut.] The Bigglesworth cat mob also do comedy based on gender confusion:-).

HEY, RICK, THINK ABOUT MAYBE DOJNG A FLASH-BACK OF PEANUT AN D GRAPE DOING "ROMEO AND JULIET"!!! (Just a thought if you need a diversion).

Regards

[madmarten]

Am I the only one thinking there's something between Keene and Breel?
Just, uh, just saying. :>

P.S. Yes, I did make an account to say that, hello

[Sleet]

I think it's pretty much a given at this point that it is. :3

[NHWestoN]

Well, if not, they're officially kissin' cousins NOW.