Setting Zach straight causes some controversy
Wow I bet no one at NBC saw this you-know-what storm coming, a small decision to “straighten out” Thomas Dekker’s character, the small supporting role of Zach, has struck some nerves across the board. There is little reason provided by NBC as to why they decided to make this move, but rumor has it that it’s due to pressure from Thomas Dekker’s managers expressing concern that their client has played gay characters before and doesn’t wish to be type-cast into similar roles in the future. Dekker’s manager has declined to comment thus far.
Needless to say this is some negative press for the show we know and love and we hope that it gets resolved in a timely and effective manner.
Here are some of the many articles covering this story:
[tags]Heroes, NBC, Controversy, Gay, Zach, Thomas Dekker, Tim Kring, Kring[/tags]
If this occurs, Heroes will have lost a viewer.
I read that TV GUIDE is reporting that the actor’s management wanted the change. If an actor doesn’t want to play the character as is, you write him out or just never show him again — not change his sexual orientation. It sends a dangerous message to all the viewers, particularly gay youth, that there’s something wrong with being gay.
A FINAL NOTE: Hope this actor isn’t counting on a loyal gay fan base.
Love the podcast! Thanks guys.
Bill
Well, the show never says outright that Zach is indeed gay. It is speculated and Jackie makes fun of him for it…but she could just be being the mean and nasty person we know she is capable of. Zach never confirms or disconfirms that he is gay. He says that “he’s happy with who he is” and that he “knows who he is” etc. Also, on Zach’s myspace page, he lists his sexual orientation as “not sure”. I think the creators or writers of the show were hesitant to start “labelling” people when the show was still new and gaining recognition.
Awesome podcast guys! Keep it up!
Joyce
I’m hoping this doesn’t get out of hand, but I think this has got to be one of the silliest arguments ever. This character is fictional, he is also mostly a bit-player, furthermore I’d have to totally agree with Joyce and say that at no time did the character of Zach “come out.”
We should not breath life into this debate, the truth is that Zach will mostly disappear shortly (likely) as the actor has been signed for a different show.
I think it’s actually quite horrible. For once, a gay character who isn’t portrayed as effeminate or sex-crazed, but is instead played as smart and comfortable with himself, is now eradicated from existence.
The fact that Dekker’s people strong-armed the show into “straightening” out Zack is shameful (if that’s the case). It shows the stigma that gays still carry. It’s fueled by hate and bigotry.
If Zack was intended to be gay (and he pretty clearly was IMHO), then it made his speech to Claire about being true to yourself all the more impactful. Granted, the same speech holds true if he were not gay. But, homosexuality is the prime situation where people are afraid to tell their loved ones the truth about themselves, just like Claire.
As a gay man, I was proud of the Zack character. Now the whole thing has become a shining example of how long this country still has to go in considering gays normal people.
No writers on the show ever said Zach was going to be gay.
Jackie and the popular kids were the only people calling him gay, and they were obviously making fun of him.
So it shouldn’t matter anyway and I don’t see why everyone is all mad about it.
Also, after reading some of AfterElton.com’s response to this situation (the part about his favorite movies on his Myspace), that’s kind of type casting gay people, saying that no straight person could like that movie, therefore he MUST be gay.
I want to know that if “Zack” is leaving the show (well the actor is anyway), Why decide now to state “yay” or “nay.” why did it matter? I liked the ambiguousness of the character. You don’t purposely make a character ambiguous and then declare his “non-out-ness” to the media unless the actor in question gets the male lead in a decidedly masculine role. Yes, it’s a stereotype that gay men are feminine, but that’s what John Q. Public knows: stereotypes. Someone must be afraid that “that guy who played that gay guy on the super heroes show” won’t be believable, I guess. That sounds like an acting issue. Ian McKellen can play any role and isn’t afraid to “Fem” it up on SNL or do a skit in drag. So, again sounds like an acting issue.
That was because Ian McKellan was actually gay.
I don’t know why people are getting so upset they never even said if he was gay or not on the show and I never really thought that he was, I was actually hoping that he and Claire would get together. I hope this whole thing doesn’t get out of hand it’s not that big a deal.
Maybe the Haitian’s mind wipe changed Zach’s orientation?
Maybe TPTB have another hero in the planning stage who will be gay (for those who HAVE to have such a diverse cast – maybe we need more representation of the Survivor:Cook Islands type). In the long run, how many more times was he going to be seen on this show anyway – I figured that Claire wasn’t going to go back to school after what happened homecoming.
’squeek’
Look at this….
Sweet site dude, check out mine when you get a min……