Queer As Walford:
How Gays Are Portrayed on EastEnders
By Phil Hansen
(Editor’s note: The following article contains some plot developments that may not been broadcast yet on U.S. public TV, so beware if you don’t want to know what happens ahead.)
Watching two strands of EastEnders on PBS and BBC America, what really sticks out to me are 1999 EastEnders and 2003 EastEnders’ depiction of gay characters. On the episodes showing on my local PBS station, Tony and Simon have just left, and Dr. Fred Fonseca has not come out as yet. In the BBC America 2003 EastEnders, Derek now seems firmly established as part of the Fowler family.
Over the years EastEnders has always strived to present gay and lesbian characters as part of the diversity of modern life, with prominent storylines devoted to Colin and Barry and, later on, Binnie and Della. How do the current episodes of EastEnders measure up?
At best, Tony and Simon can only be written off as ambitious failures. Tony and Simon burst onto Albert Square as the most high-profile, interesting gay characters EastEnders had ever shown. Unlike previous gays in Walford, Tony and Simon were related to major families in EastEnders, thus ensuring front-burner status in storylines. The initial plot of Tony going out with Tiffany only to fall for her brother Simon led up to a highly controversial kiss on Blackpool pier. (Reportedly, this gay kiss was snipped from 45 seconds to about 3 seconds when shown on the BBC’s Sunday Omnibus replay of the week’s episodes after viewer complaints!)
The Tony/Simon/Tiffany story was fantastic and unlike anything EastEnders had shown before.
Unfortunately, all this promise evaporated. Once Tony and Simon became a couple, Tony seemed to wake up in the morning and fancy girls again. Polly (that hair!), Frankie (bitch!) and Teresa (slag!) all hooked up with Tony to no noticeable dramatic effect. It seemed like the writers of EE had no idea what to do to keep Tony and Simon interesting so they made Tony bisexual. It’s a pity that nothing noteworthy occurred because of that.
What happened to Simon was even worse. It’s hard to tell how much of it had to do with the actor who plays Simon, Andrew Lynford, or the EE writers, but Simon grew more and more irritating. He forever seemed to be whining and obnoxious, not having a kind word or glance for anyone but his Mum and Tiffany. I even started to like the homophobic Terry and Irene more! When Simon got a new boyfriend who wanted an open relationship, I couldn’t help thinking that anyone with Simon as a boyfriend would naturally want to see other men!
My dislike of Simon grew to mammoth proportions after the death of Tiffany. His speech at her funeral, where he blamed Grant for Tiffany’s death, struck me as grotesquely inappropriate and in fact spoiled a moving, dramatic episode. Simon’s kidnapping of Courtney, climaxing in a ridiculous (literal) cliffhanger with a deranged Simon on a cliff with Courtney, felt borderline homophobic in its implications. I don’t think the makers of EE intended it to have that effect but, as shown, it felt like the evil homosexual was being portrayed as a destroyer of the family and family values.
Simon’s redemption as a result of his almost burning to death would have been welcome at this point. What we got instead was an EVEN MORE obnoxious Simon, who rejected Tony after Tony steadfastly stood by Simon’s side through his trauma. Tony got Simon’s flat ready for him and even cooked him dinner the day Simon got out of the hospital and Simon still threw Tony out! It is unbelievable that Tony continued to have such strong feelings for Simon that they were able to ride off into the sunset together, to travel around the world presumably forever. Good riddance!
EE’s next gay character, Dr. Fred Fonseca, barely made a blip on the radar. I must confess I have not seen as yet the episodes where the good doctor comes out, or the fallout from that. When I started watching the BBCA episodes, he was gone. In the episodes I’ve been watching from 1999, Dr. Fonseca is bland as tofu. He hardly does anything or speaks to anyone. Occasionally he doles out medical advice.
Dr. Fonseca is the epitome of a sexless gay character, whose only purpose is to prop up the more colorful straight characters. He doesn’t exist as a character in his own right. This is a waste of talent, as Jimi Mistry went on to show considerable charisma in films such as East is East and The Guru. Dr. Fonseca was a huge missed opportunity for the writers of EE.
Happily, the same can’t be said of the production team of current EE. Their sole gay character, Derek, has unconventionally settled into the show as a replacement father figure for Mark and Martin, and as Pauline’s best (only?) friend, making him and Pauline a sort of geriatric Will & Grace.
It is also notable that Derek is EE’s first older gay character. Derek’s introduction was excellent. Pauline ran into her old school friend as part of the cast of the community pantomime and she started to fall in love with him, only to discover Derek was gay when she was introduced to his boyfriend! After Derek broke up with his lover, he started to appear more and more in Albert Square until he was firmly established.
What I love about Derek is how likeable he is. The story in which Martin rejected Derek because of harassment by his friends about Derek’s sexuality to his gradual acceptance of Derek worked so well because of the sympathy I felt for Derek. It’s great to see Derek be there for Martin when it looks like Martin might go to jail.
When Derek fought with Pauline over her recent disowning of Mark, it was heartbreaking to watch Pauline lash out at Derek Equally moving was Derek’s recollection of Pauline protecting him from bullies when they were at school and their eventual reconciliation.
It is also refreshing that a gay man can be shown to be part of a family without having lust for any of the male members of that family. A nasty anonymous letter and Martin’s so-called friends accused Derek of hanging around the Fowlers because of lust for Martin but that is not the case.
Derek has nothing but unconditional love for Pauline and her family. While Derek is not defined by his sexuality, I would like him to gain some kind of romantic interest, if only to see Pauline’s reaction! (I can hear her now. “You’re not good enough for my Derek! He doesn’t need you—he has me!”)
While EE has had mixed results with its depiction of gay characters, the show has scored with one fantastic gay storyline that doesn’t have any gay characters in it.
I’m talking about Steve and Matthew’s hilariously homoerotic relationship! They are forever acting as if they are sleeping together and don’t want anyone to know! Notice how Steve is always touching Matthew—putting his arm around him or grabbing his head. His gifts of money to Matthew and Matthew promising “not to tell” can totally be interpreted the wrong way. I thought I was the only one seeing this until Annie Palmer accused Steve of having a relationship with Matthew! I have such a laugh when the camera focuses on Annie’s bewildered expression every time she sees Matthew and Steve together.
Seriously, it is the chemistry between Martin Kemp and Joe Absolom, who played Steve and Matthew, that makes for such riveting viewing. That is one thing EastEnders has never got right: a compelling gay couple, like Keith and David on Six Feet Under. What are you waiting for, EastEnders? Give Derek a boyfriend. Let him be subjected to a typically tortured Walford relationship!
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