Masculine Gays: Better for Survivor?

Survivor is one of the few reality shows, or any kind of television show for that matter, to make it to eighteen seasons. Therefore, it is no surprise that last week's season premiere was watched by 13.63 million viewers. With all of its seasons consistently ranking in the top 15 most viewed shows, I think I can safely say that Survivor has adapted a successful reality formula that keeps audiences captivated, and more importantly, watching. Spencer Duhm (see right) has emerged this season as the token gay contestant, a ratings tactic that regular Survivor watchers have become familiar with. Over the seasons, gay contestants have come and gone, with Richard Hatch and Todd Herzog being the only out gay men to actually win. Duhm, with his encyclopedic knowledge of the show, seems to take a disliking to the more flamboyant cast members of past seasons. With the million-dollar prize at stake, he has been quoted as saying that he is thankful he doesn't "sound gay" because it could hurt his chances at winning. This mentality is potentially homophobic and is definitely unfair to the other gay contestants. However, Duhm could be on to something.

In the following excerpt from an interview with Reality Blurred that was released a day before the show premiered on February 12, Spencer Duhm spoke about how he sees himself as a gay contestant on Survivor.

"I don't like come across like most of the gay guys but I am, so I'll probably be like-but then again, JP was gay and nobody knew that on the show; he was about the straightest I've ever seen. ... But I won't be Todd, I surely won't be Coby. I won't be Charlie. Holy shit. I talked to my parents and I was like, 'Mom, do I sound like that?' she was like, 'Sweetheart, no, I would never let you go out in public if you sounded like that.' Thank God."
Spencer insisted that his sexual orientation is "not going to be the character I am," and said that he hasn't decided whether to share that with his tribemates. "It'll probably be based on the people around me, if they're homophobes, if they're one of those people, if I tell them, they're going to want to vote me out. Then again, girls feel non-threatened" by gay men, he said. If he does encounter a tribe of people are homophobic, he joked, "I might be bashing some homos myself."

In berating the more feminine gay contestants while praising the masculine gay contestants, Duhm is promoting heteronormatism. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, the fact that he is encouraging the conformity to such social constructs is homophobic. He is normalizing "heterosexual behavior." Also, he is attempting to avoid being labeled as a gay person, thus avoiding whatever treatment he foresees might happen to him as a gay contestant. In creating distance between himself and the number of feminine gay men who appeared on the show, he is insinuating that he is more valuable as a contestant, and as a man. I hope that Duhm's misguided statements were spoken out of ignorance, and not as a reflection of the internalized homophobia he might have.

Duhm mentioned how he could never be portrayed like Coby Archa from Season 10 and Charlie Herschel from Season 17 because of his masculinity. He failed to acknowledge, however, Richard Hatch (see left), the first season winner, and Todd Herzog, the fifteenth season winner. Both were able to win despite, or because of (?), their sexuality. Herzog has said in an interview that he used the fact that he is gay as a strategic move, luring girls into trusting him. Hatch, on the other hand, was not concerned about how his sexuality played a part in his attempt to win. It is important to note that only one gay winner, Hatch, did not fit the "most of the gay guys" stereotype that Duhm seems so concerned with. In fact, Survivor has a good track record of portraying gay characters in a fair and accurate manner, including the other gay contestants who did not make it as far as Hatch and Herzog. Such cast members include Brandon Quinton(Season 3), John Carroll (Season 4), Coby Archa (Season 10), J.P. Calderon (Season 13), Brad Virata (Season 13), Chet Welch (Season 16) and Charlie Herschel (Season 17). Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor, was even honored by GLAD, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, for his positive work. With a variety of gays finding a variety of successes on the show, what is Duhm, the 19-year-old contestant, so worried about?

Spencer Duhm is simply falling prey to the social and media constructions that equate masculinity with strength and femininity with weakness. He, by virtue of the interview he was quoted from above, is participating in the ideology of gender rules, which state that men must be masculine and women must be feminine. Duhm thinks that by being more masculine, he has a better chance at winning. This fits in perfectly with what the media and society have constructed, but I find it unfortunate that Duhm has not yet figured out that as a gay man, gender can not be described as a pure category, because categories come with assumptions.

Duhm's "strategy" of showcasing his more masculine traits does not guarantee him advancing further in the contest, as is evident in past season winners. Also, his tirade against effeminate gays is dangerous. Not only do statements like his create unnecessary rifts in the gay community, but they are also patronizing toward any feminine behaviors. It will be interesting to see if Duhm decides to come out to his fellow contestants this season, and if so, how so. I am committed to watching the rest of the season, especially if Duhm is still on the show. Although I do not know enough about any of the contestants to have any favorites or predictions, I hope that Duhm's actions and the editing of the show portray him and his sexuality in a manner that is fair, accurate, and inclusive, masculine or not.