Topic: The Shift of Queer Representation in Television
Purpose: Explore how LGBTQ+ representation has shifted over time, why it’s shifted, and why it matters.
Thesis Statement: The increased positive representation of LGBTQ+ individuals from the 1990s to today both implies a greater acceptance of them in society and perpetuates their normality.
Introduction
Attention Strategy/Orienting Material:
- Encourage people to think of a time they related to a TV show character
- “I’m going to discuss the shift of LGBTQ+ representation in media, why it happened, and why it matters.”
Body
- Establish the shift
- Early depictions showed LGBTQ+ people as criminals
- The 1970s-1980s gay characters were shown more positively, but they weren’t main characters
- 1997 Ellen came out and was the first main character that was gay
- Laid groundwork for Will and Grace
- Why media representation has shifted
- Increased visibility in politics
- Prevalence of AIDS in the 1980s
- Public anger after LGBTQ+ targeted hate crimes such as Matthew Shepard
- More LGBTQ+ people came out as social acceptance increased and it was more normalized
- Celebrities
- Increased visibility in politics
- Why this matters
- Representation for any minority is important for society to increase their understanding and acceptance of other groups
- Helps dismantle stereotypes surrounding certain groups of people
- Give examples of diverse TV shows or movies
- Media shapes adolescents
- Find study?
Conclusion
Concluding Remark – Look to the future, emphasize the importance of representation for any minorities in the media, how it affects attitude development of society, but especially young people
Notes: one slide for each main idea
Sources:
https://scholar.utc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1133&context=honors-theses
https://web.uri.edu/iaics/files/Y.-Anthony-Chen.pdf
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2011.546729
November 8, 2019 at 8:48 pm
I think, while your outline doesn’t give explicit pieces of evidence you are going to use, it has the potential to be really strong. I think your introduction/hook of having the audience think of a time they related to a TV character shows a strong sense of audience, and I think the way you have the talk structured, establishing the shift, why it shifted, and why it matters, carries this audience awareness throughout the speech. In addition to your hook, before your transition to your body material, I would forecast what you are going to discuss by saying something to the effect of “I’m going to talk about the shift in LGBTQ+ representation on TV, why it happened, and why it matters”. This will give the audience cues for things to listen to. I think at some point, to keep on-brand with the TED style, I think it would behoove you to include some type of personal anecdote to make your talk more relatable. Looks good!!