2015 Theses Bachelor's

A Little Bit Gay: The Near Representation of Queerness in American Sitcoms

Caputo, Sarah M.

An examination of queer depictions in American sitcoms from the late 1970s through 1997. This paper argues that, though the queer themes and characters in American Sitcoms during this period are at times problematic, tokenized, and often forgotten, there is still power in the theme being present at all. This paper traces the development of queerness on TV through shows such as Cheers, The Facts of Life, The Golden Girls, Roseanne, Friends, and Ellen, and appreciate the strides each depiction took to increase the presence of queer representation on television.