Tristan as a ‘stereotype’.
I love reading everyones feedback from season 12! I love & appreciate all of your support & will always try to find new & exciting ways to communicate with you all.
As i’ve read critiquing & feedback, there is one thing that jumped out at me that i feel i should explain. Its the opinion that Tristan is a stereotype, & is so a certain extent offensive. I want to talk about this because i feel very close to my character, & want to make sure that even if you dont like him, you understand him.
First thing is first. Tristan has a unique personality that i havent seen on degrassi before. He is sassy, confident, & dramatic, but he also has a soft side. Anyone who says the show should bring on a gay character that is different from the ones before is asking for what they already have in Tristan. The Riley story line followed a more masculine character, coming to terms with his sexuality. We followed Marco come out as gay, & while Marco wasn’t completely masculine, he wasnt necessarily flamboyant or sassy either. Degrassi has done a terrific job introducing different personality types in their characters.
The second, most important, and last point is: sexuality doesn’t have a personality. Saying Tristan is a stereotype for acting flamboyant is basically saying any gay man who acts that way is a stereo type as well. So then, if everyone starts acting masculine to avoid being stereotypical, doesn’t that mean gay men acting masculine becomes the stereotype? Hope i didn’t lose anyone there. My point is, there are stereotypes- & i think on behalf of every teenager on this planet, i’ve been ‘falsely’ stereotyped before, & it sucks. But, then again, no matter what you do in life, whether you be yourself, or act like someone else to fit in- you WILL be considered a stereotype or put in a group by someone, so why not just be yourself?
The time will come in your life when you realize you can’t make everyone happy. If you do everything someone tells you to, you’re a pushover. If you don’t listen, then you are stubborn. If you listen to gaga you’re gay, & if you listen to Manson you’re a freak. But those last couple sentences? Bullshit. Be you. Be proud. Let Tristan be an example like he was for me.
Sticks & Stones may break my bones, but haters make me wealthy.
Love, love, love you all.
xxoo
Lyle
