The New Trend: Faking “Gay”

Why I had a change of heart regarding the popular MTV series “Faking It”

“We are faking being lesbians. Karma is; I’m not so sure.”

Was I surprised? Maybe a little. Was I concerned? Oh yes I was! For a show to make same-sex couples the priority and heterosexuals the outcasts…well, I just wasn’t ready for it.

The thing is I like watching shows where young adults hold the dominant roles. The drama in it is more appealing and interesting to me. So here I was, ready to see the first episode of a show I had waited patiently to premiere: MTV’s Faking It. Mind you, I saw the previews so I knew there was homosexuality in it, but I thought, “Almost every show has it; what’s one more? I might as well just stop watching television now, right?”

Well, I went ahead and watched it. The show was about two teenage girls, Karma and Amy, who had just started high-school and were determined to fit in. Just because they hung out with each other a lot, they were labeled lesbians by the students in their school. BUT get this: their being labeled lesbians made them…popular! Isn’t that a twist on reality!? Mind = Blown. Already craving popularity, they decided to keep the label although initially they were anything but. Their new “lesbian” status earned them the titles of homecoming “queens”, and Karma even captured the attention of one of the most popular boys in school (because some guys think that lesbians are hot). Eventually, this label became a self-fulfilling prophecy for Amy (who begins dating girls and gets into a serious relationship with a girl in the show), while Karma proved to just be in it to get what she wanted: popularity and attention.

I watched three episodes of it before I realized that it wasn’t right. Three episodes too many! I always felt guilty after watching an episode but I was also curious to see how things were going to play out. I worried that I was corrupting myself by watching this show that celebrated being “gay”. I knew deep down it was not pleasing to God. Finally, I decided to stop watching it when I realized that Amy was buying into lesbianism, and that she was going from faking it to the real thing. Although Amy was never interested in homosexuality, all of this happened to her because of peer pressure and her desire to be accepted.

We all want to connect with the people around us and most of us want to fit in. I mean, nobody likes being rejected. Certainly not me. But I think it would be foolish for me to satisfy my desire to fit in, and give into peer pressure, at the expense of my moral values. I consider Amy and the fact that, to begin with, she never liked the label she received. It was only because of being pestered by her friend that she accepted it. Now look at her dilemma.

Yes it’s a TV show but any young person can tell you it is also our reality. Truth is, we can’t be wimps who’re afraid to stand out. It is the easiest thing to give in and say yes—but it takes strength and character to not follow the crowd. BE STRONG!

About the Author:
Princess Gumption is currently pursuing accounting but her ultimate goal is to work in the field of communications. She has a wide range of interests from art to writing to event planning but the number one thing on her bucket list is to go skydiving!

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