[BOOK SPOILERS] The Portrayal of Loras

[Jamie Lannister]

I'm not surprised in the slightest that they'd continue dumbing Loras down to "that one gay dude." I figured they'd latch onto this aspect of his character and milk it dry back in S1.

It doesn't strike me as offensive per se (then again, I'm not gay), just you know... bad writing. There's supposed to be more to his character than this and it's just not apparent at all. I don't think for a second that they'll explore his relation to Tommen, his take on the Kingsguard, his conflict with Cersei, or anything else. His entire role will probably begin and end with being a mistreated gay damsel for the Faith.

[Winter's Knight]

Somewhere in the Rhyonar, Jon Connington is glad he was never cast :dunno:

Him and me both.

[Mladen]

Somewhere in the Rhyonar, Jon Connington is glad he was never cast :dunno:

Amen... Otherwise he wouldn't be talking, just scratching his red beard.

[Roose is Azor Ahai]

I think Loras in show is disgraceful gay stereotype, but this scene will have impact later on, when Faith Militant will arrest Loras for his homosexuality.

[visionary]

Loras having sex with two people on the show hardly seems offensive or stereotypical. You'd think the show was treating him like the ridiculous sexually defined abomination that is Book Cersei from the way people are complaining.

[The hairy bear]

Visionary,

You can't like or dislike Book Cersei, but we can't say that she is solely defined by her sexuality. It's a character with multiple sides and complex relationships. Furthermore, the sexual aspect of her character are actually trying to explore different facets is ome depth.

The character of Ser Loras is reduced as a simple one-note joke.

[ovis alba]

I guess I find it a little annoying that we don't see more different aspects of his character and in a different kind of show I would maybe even consider it as a quiet offensive gay stereotype.

But one basically only has to go back one season and there where the same complaints about Oberyn and Ellaria, so it's kind of just their general way with all the characters they want and need to be a little more "excessive".

I guess that's just what happens when you set the nudity "baseline" quiet high to start with.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

I'm sure he exists in show cannon - he's just too busy fucking every fisherman and pirate in sight to have ever joined the Golden Company

He's kinda mentioned in the DVD stories thingy, as "the hand who fought Robert" or something. But, as I said before, the Griffin's Roost does not exist in the show. In the last season, there is one scene when Jorah is watching a map of Westeros (before he gets exiled), and that part of the Stormlands has been chopped.

Anyway, I suppose Jon Connington saw the leaked episodes and decided to turn back away from that mess. They're conquering Ulthos now... and it was awesome.

[sj4iy]

I think people are getting angry over nothing.

Seems to happen every single time there's a sex scene in this show...doesn't matter who the character is. Basically, I think people just have problems with open sexuality in the first place and think that it's 'dumbing down' a character to show them as a sexual person.

Loras hadn't exactly 'slept around', this is literally only the second person we've seen him sleep with, and the last one was three seasons ago. Clearly, his sexuality will play a part in the season to come, so whatever.

[ambi76]

I do not complain about the sex scenes. I'm a major perv and found that scene hot as hell (see new icon). I complain about it being totally out of book!character for Loras and a tiny-teeny (right) bit dumb. And yes, this obviously sets up a show!plot re Loras's homosexuality, which makes it forced on top of being dumb.

[PatrickStormborn]

I think people are getting angry over nothing.

Yep, LGBT viewers thinking something is homophobic is clearly irrelevant. All that's important is what straight viewers think...

[Jack Bauer 24]

Loved it. It's obviously a set up for something bigger later this Season. Great job by Wise and Brilliant.

[protar]

So far as I'm concerned Loras' portrayal has been pretty Homohobic. Barely a scene goes by when there isn't some reference to his sexuality, and his dedication to Renly has been stripped in favour of promiscuity. Now I do think D+D had good intentions in that regard - they wanted to be egalitarian and introduce more opportunities for non-heterosexual sex. But the end result is it just feels exploitative.

[Jack Bauer 24]

I think people are getting angry over nothing.

Seems to happen every single time there's a sex scene in this show...doesn't matter who the character is. Basically, I think people just have problems with open sexuality in the first place and think that it's 'dumbing down' a character to show them as a sexual person.

Loras hadn't exactly 'slept around', this is literally only the second person we've seen him sleep with, and the last one was three seasons ago. Clearly, his sexuality will play a part in the season to come, so whatever.

This.

[protar]

I think people are getting angry over nothing.

Seems to happen every single time there's a sex scene in this show...doesn't matter who the character is. Basically, I think people just have problems with open sexuality in the first place and think that it's 'dumbing down' a character to show them as a sexual person.

Loras hadn't exactly 'slept around', this is literally only the second person we've seen him sleep with, and the last one was three seasons ago. Clearly, his sexuality will play a part in the season to come, so whatever.

Let's not conflate anger at the show's portrayal of sex to problems with open sexuality. I'm very sex positive but Loras' portrayal has been offensive since Renly's death. There is nothing wrong with a sexual character, but Loras is not a sexual character in the books, indeed he is celibate after Renly's death. So why the change?

[sj4iy]

So far as I'm concerned Loras' portrayal has been pretty Homohobic. Barely a scene goes by when there isn't some reference to his sexuality, and his dedication to Renly has been stripped in favour of promiscuity. Now I do think D+D had good intentions in that regard - they wanted to be egalitarian and introduce more opportunities for non-heterosexual sex. But the end result is it just feels exploitative.

Yes, he's had 1 1/2 sex scenes in 5 seasons! Look at all of that exploitation and homophobia!

Btw, nothing you wrote above makes the least bit of sense. And I don't think you know what homophobia means, either.

[protar]

Yes, he's had 1 1/2 sex scenes in 5 seasons! Look at all of that exploitation and homophobia!

Btw, nothing you wrote above makes the least bit of sense. And I don't think you know what homophobia means, either.

As much sex as the show has most individuals characters don't have that many sex scenes. There are still many characters who have never gotten nude for the show. Especially male characters. But the problem is not that Loras is in gay sex/romance scenes. The problem is that is all he is. He is the show's token gay character. His homosexuality is mentioned virtually every scene he is in and also in many scenes he isn't in. He goes straight from mourning Renly to sleeping with Olivar without any sort of transition period. Those things are demonstrably true. If you don't believe that it's homophobic and exploitative then that's your call, but you cannot deny the sheer volume of references to Loras' sexuality.

[Masha]

I wish they would add more depth to the character other than his sexuality.

The book Loras was deeply affected by Renly's death and became melancholy and depressed, creating conflict with Brianne and seeking glorious death.

The TV Loras just shrugged at Brianne and immediately blabbed to Oliver re: Tyrell's plans for Sansa.

I hope this will lead to some conflict with Faith in this season, and hopefully will make character grow beyond mandatory sexposition scenes.

(I do love how, after criticism of female nudity and violence during last season, D&D just shrugged and added male scenes. Like sex, nudity is a must for this show, but if you complain - here you go - both sides! LOL)

[Good Guy Garlan]

Yep, LGBT viewers thinking something is homophobic is clearly irrelevant. All that's important is what straight viewers think...

It's not just an LGBT issue. I'm straight and I don't like the way they're handling the character, just like how I don't like the treatment of Brienne, Varys, Sansa, etc.

[sj4iy]

As much sex as the show has most individuals characters don't have that many sex scenes. There are still many characters who have never gotten nude for the show. Especially male characters. But the problem is not that Loras is in gay sex/romance scenes. The problem is that is all he is. He is the show's token gay character. His homosexuality is mentioned virtually every scene he is in and also in many scenes he isn't in. He goes straight from mourning Renly to sleeping with Olivar without any sort of transition period. Those things are demonstrably true. If you don't believe that it's homophobic and exploitative then that's your call, but you cannot deny the sheer volume of references to Loras' sexuality.

Oh, please. It would take me half a day to list all of the characters who have done sex scenes in this show, explicit or not. Dany, Cersei, Jon, Ygritte, Tyrion, Margaery, Robb, Theon, Ros...the list goes on and on and on, and those are just the main characters. And EVERY TIME people pop up and complain about it.

Hell, Loras didn't even HAVE a sex scene...it was just him lying with another man talking. How the hell is that 'exploiting' gay people? Do gay people never lie with each other and talk? And it certainly wasn't as explicit as anything involving Theon.

People are truly upset because:

1. Show Loras is different from Book Loras. Whoopdy friggen' do.

2. Instead of 'hinting' at the homosexuality like the book does, the show embraces it.

3. Society has a problem with sex in general. That's why every sex scene is screamed as "unnecessary" or as "exploiting" someone.

I see nothing at all disturbing, exploitative or wrong about Loras' portrayal. We've seen him with two men...and he wasn't even undressed the first time.