Queer as Folk vs Looking
My Take: What the Two Shows Represent to Me
Queer as Folk (2000-2005) and Looking (2015-16) and a movie
QAF represents a larger than life, gay nucleus that as the person I am I didn't grow up in a gay neighborhood or have my life revolving around clubs. I also wasn't living on my own at the time and when I was, I was worrying more about getting myself established as household
Looking for me represents a more subdued or practical kind of gayness. It showed what was normal by comparison to QAF. One episode mentioned rent control in San Francisco, it looked at dating your boss, open relationships, different ways we cope, and I would say that this show has its Brian Kinney. We see one guy that's no good at monogamy start to embrace it while we see a few people actually realize what works for them.
The reasons I enjoy both for different reasons are a few
1. Looking is more real to life for me. While I know people like Dom that want to have his own business and are making their dreams come true. I also know some people like Augustin that are going in a direction I am unfamiliar with as an artist trying to find what they really want to do or could be happy with. Even though two of the characters are in their late 20s and one in their late 40s, being happy with your life crosses all kinds of barriers
2. Queer as Folk to me is like a Magnum Opus, something big a heavyweight championship fight that also has its own moments. Yet when I see the two QAF was a lot more hard hitting and unflinching, but that was probably needed at the time. Looking is almost looking at the mundane issues of life that will come up from time to time in a gay man's life. I think Looking has more focus on actual life than the sexual aspect of it without shying away from it or using it gratuitously
3. Age inclusiveness. Gays and aging in popular culture is like discussing a plague. The end of youth, the end of beauty, the end of everything. In QAF Brian obsesses over turing 30 and is celebrated with a death day cake in the shape of a headstone. In Looking, as in QAF aging is brought up but mostly in the lens of Dom and his young tricks, and thankfully there's no fossil jokes.
4. Looking is much more inclusive. Bears, twinks, leather guys, gaymers, Latinos, even Asian men were featured in the show from time to time. QAF was just a white fest so that's part of how Looking was a point better than QAF
5. Time Difference I was at a different part of my life when I watched QAF vs Looking. When I was first watching QAF, I was a young man that was not sure about my sexuality. Like Emmett, I wanted to see the light and turn my back on being gay. Like Michael, I worked in a dead end job and wondered if I'd ever be in a career like Dr David or Brian. Also like Brian, as a Scorpio I looked for sex with any man that would validate my sense of self. While Looking did shine a light on these things, I think it was more realistic as in slice of life instead of the big grand style that QAF was. I liked the slower pace but real feel of Looking because let's face it, I could see more of my life in Looking
So when it comes to which one is better, in my view as slice of life and more relateable to me, Looking comes closer. When it comes to actual entertainment and jarring reality Queer as Folk takes that one. Both have their high points but Queer as Folk appealed more to a young me than the 30 something me I am now. It's mostly nostalgia why I watch it and remembering that some aspects of that show is timeless.
Queer as Folk (2000-2005) and Looking (2015-16) and a movie
QAF represents a larger than life, gay nucleus that as the person I am I didn't grow up in a gay neighborhood or have my life revolving around clubs. I also wasn't living on my own at the time and when I was, I was worrying more about getting myself established as household
Looking for me represents a more subdued or practical kind of gayness. It showed what was normal by comparison to QAF. One episode mentioned rent control in San Francisco, it looked at dating your boss, open relationships, different ways we cope, and I would say that this show has its Brian Kinney. We see one guy that's no good at monogamy start to embrace it while we see a few people actually realize what works for them.
The reasons I enjoy both for different reasons are a few
1. Looking is more real to life for me. While I know people like Dom that want to have his own business and are making their dreams come true. I also know some people like Augustin that are going in a direction I am unfamiliar with as an artist trying to find what they really want to do or could be happy with. Even though two of the characters are in their late 20s and one in their late 40s, being happy with your life crosses all kinds of barriers
2. Queer as Folk to me is like a Magnum Opus, something big a heavyweight championship fight that also has its own moments. Yet when I see the two QAF was a lot more hard hitting and unflinching, but that was probably needed at the time. Looking is almost looking at the mundane issues of life that will come up from time to time in a gay man's life. I think Looking has more focus on actual life than the sexual aspect of it without shying away from it or using it gratuitously
3. Age inclusiveness. Gays and aging in popular culture is like discussing a plague. The end of youth, the end of beauty, the end of everything. In QAF Brian obsesses over turing 30 and is celebrated with a death day cake in the shape of a headstone. In Looking, as in QAF aging is brought up but mostly in the lens of Dom and his young tricks, and thankfully there's no fossil jokes.
4. Looking is much more inclusive. Bears, twinks, leather guys, gaymers, Latinos, even Asian men were featured in the show from time to time. QAF was just a white fest so that's part of how Looking was a point better than QAF
5. Time Difference I was at a different part of my life when I watched QAF vs Looking. When I was first watching QAF, I was a young man that was not sure about my sexuality. Like Emmett, I wanted to see the light and turn my back on being gay. Like Michael, I worked in a dead end job and wondered if I'd ever be in a career like Dr David or Brian. Also like Brian, as a Scorpio I looked for sex with any man that would validate my sense of self. While Looking did shine a light on these things, I think it was more realistic as in slice of life instead of the big grand style that QAF was. I liked the slower pace but real feel of Looking because let's face it, I could see more of my life in Looking
So when it comes to which one is better, in my view as slice of life and more relateable to me, Looking comes closer. When it comes to actual entertainment and jarring reality Queer as Folk takes that one. Both have their high points but Queer as Folk appealed more to a young me than the 30 something me I am now. It's mostly nostalgia why I watch it and remembering that some aspects of that show is timeless.
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