What are you hoping fans will take away from the episode, especially teenagers that are gay themselves?
Thank you for asking me that. I really hope that if Kurt and Blaine do anything for society or the world or anything like that, I really just hope it kind of sets the standard for gay kids. I don’t mean to upset anyone by saying this, but it is just kind of a known fact that a lot of gay kids are very promiscuous and non-exclusive with each other when they have relationships, which is really sad. But I think with Kurt and Blaine, I would hope would set an example of what something should be and could be. You know, two people finding each other and really loving each other and wanting to give the world to each other.
Quickly, because I really don’t have the time and I’m seeing a lot of this everywhere right now.
1. He’s 21 and he’s been out for 2 years. I’m not saying someone shouldn’t talk to him, maybe, about portraying open relationships as “sad”, but it’s not gonna be fandom that changes his mind. He’s still a baby gay, just a super-famous one. At 21, I’d have said similar.
2. For a writer/debate genius, he is terrible with words when he’s speaking. For instance: “I think the show is infamous for handling sensitive topics with care.” And there’s a YouTube video out there where he basically can’t get a sentence out that makes sense. To know he actually meant what he said, someone would have to press him on it. And that is not going to happen, ever.
Edited to add:
Thanks to Rae Votta commenting below, we have this to add. In another interview, Mr Colfer may have worded himself a bit better.
Theirs is a groundbreaking relationship that needs to be seen. Especially since I think there’s a misconception that relationships between two young gay guys usually aren’t monogamous. And that’s sad. I’m glad that Kurt and Blaine are an example of what a relationship could be, and that’s one of the reasons I think fans have grown to love them so much.
It’s less factually untrue at any rate.
Deconstructing Glee 
I have feelings on this…but I am not totally certain on how to express all of them.
The obvious one…yeah, he certainly doesn’t sound like he was a limited prep person when he did forensics (excuse my brief moment of limited prep snobbery…okay, it has passed). 🙂
By saying, “a lot” he is giving himself a bit of a linguistic pass on what he said.
One of my main feelings, is that I get frustrated with this insistence that queer relationships should be more like a heterosexual ideal (says this “married” dyke, who is trying to reproduce, I still wonder how I became so domestic), where I generally think that it all depends on the people involved. That being said, he is probably speaking for himself there, and feeling that that is kind of sad from his perspective seems pretty normal.
There is a lot of baggage there both in the personal and the public, which makes it so much more complex.
So I read this as soon as the interview was posted, and my heart kinda went “oof” because I agree with you — I love subculture and even “promiscuity” and don’t think we need to conform (said the other married dyke with family ambitions) but then I carried on without comment, mostly for the reasons named above.
But then it was all over my Tumblr dash and people were proper hating on him and I was like, oh hell no.
I mean, I’m a lot older than him, so maybe I give him a pass based on that, or something. Because he’s very young. He hasn’t had the benefit of experience (or even post-secondary education, really). He doesn’t get to meet a wide variety of people daily. He can’t even go to gay bars. It’s unlikely he’s discussing queer theory anywhere on the internet.
Yeah, I don’t see it as hate worthy. Discussion worthy, and interesting discussion worthy, but not hate worthy. It is complex, and messy, and deals with that scary emotional shit.
And to be honest I think there is an unreasonable pressure from both sides. To be a good homo “You must be a [pick one] big, gay, slut/be married and just like the straight people.” And both sides are be hurtful when it is imposed.
That being said, I can’t imagine doing my big, messy, queer young adulthood in public. It was weird enough done in private.
Yeah, I have to agree with Nellie that it’s pretty obvious Chris didn’t do debate at all, and probably only did prepared speech events (and not impromptu, extemp). I think that’s the case.
I think also that you can take “gay kids” and just scratch out the gay: I don’t think kids are known for their fidelity, period. Nor — imo — should they be. Honesty and openness, awesome; one true love forever, chosen at 15, terrifying.
Well, I don’t think he was saying kids these days are serial monogamists. I think he was saying they hook up casually, which I think is true regardless of “gay” or “not gay” or whatever. Kids are far more sexually savvy in many ways and still just idiot kids in other ways, which is sort of dangerous.
It’s just that he specified gay kids that makes things so very problematic.
I think Chris meant to say that that is a stereotype, but… Not a good day of interviews for Chris. To me, he usually seems much more measured about what comes out of his mouth, like he’s thought it through and he doesn’t say anything that he hasn’t thought about the implications of. And he repeats himself a lot because of that. I’m wondering if he was particularly nervous about this storyline/tired/something that messed up his filter and ability to articulate.
I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say that he meant it’s a stereotype, because he seems to want to affect the behaviour of gay teens, and so seems to think it needs affecting?
On the other side of it, his straight dating life may be somewhat limited. (thought not entirely from what I’ve heard) and may only feel able to comment on gay dating and his own disappointment in the casual nature of the scene. He also still calls himself a “kid” quite regularly (even at 21), so it’s unclear what agegroup he considers part of “kids”.
That is a really good point. I may have been projecting a bit about wanting to change stereotypes and assuming without carefully reading what he was saying.
On the other hand, I could still read that as gay teens behave that way because there is that perception and that is what he is hoping to change with the portrayal of Kurt and Blaine’s relationship — so he wants to change the stereotype because the stereotype affects the behavior. But he is still saying that the behavior is that way (and I was explaining away that he didn’t mean what he said, I guess I should give him some credit for knowing what he’s saying). And there could be some personal disappointment there.
I know it’s like a day old and thus pointless on the Internet already, but the ETOnline answer to the same sort of question is so much better phrased, at the very least.
Theirs is a groundbreaking relationship that needs to be seen. Especially since I think there’s a misconception that relationships between two young gay guys usually aren’t monogamous. And that’s sad. I’m glad that Kurt and Blaine are an example of what a relationship could be, and that’s one of the reasons I think fans have grown to love them so much.
Hey! I did see that but yesterday was a mess, so thanks for posting it. No way I would have remembered today!
Wow, this has sure created a fandom mess and a half. I feel bad for Chris, because everyone is yelling at him right now, for shipping Kurtofsky or for the episode or whatever it is everyone is angry about, and now this.
I mean, I can at least kind of understand fandom’s reaction, particularly tumblr and the younger LGBT contigent. Because, well, when I read this, it stung, and it confused me, because this is someone I look up to and who inspires me and for me and many other kids is a lot of the reason we’ve come out to *anyone*, so hearing that can be… disconcerting. And not fun.
But, of course, I can see it from the other side as well. All Chris’ interviews recently have been very different, and I think that he was probably, and understandably, nervous about the presumed backlash from the episode. Some of the crap that gets back to him must be enough to muddle *anyone’s* words. And you’re right, he’s very young, he came out almost by accident in the public eye and I doubt he’s really had a lot of time to stop and think about all of it and what it means, etc etc.
Also, in regard to the conversation going up somewhere up the top there: speaking only from my perspective, as someone else who also does a lot of speech and debating, and a lot of limited prep stuff… I’m good with speeches, and prep debates and extemporised talking and making things up _when I’m in that setting_… But there are times out of that setting, even just in conversation, where I actually cannot string two words that make sense together. And, well, talking about sexuality is even more infinitely difficult. So I can totally relate to his word-vomit thing. 🙂
I think he did all of this bunch in one day. He could have been sick or not slept the night before.
Chris Colfer is a disgusting person. I’m glad he lost lots of fans because of this interview. I really am. I’m offended by his ignorance and arrogance in every interview.
I’m publishing this comment as much as it upsets me. You are entitled to your opinion but more nasty personal comments like this may lead me to review my very open moderation policy.
You may find it helpful to qualify your comments by giving examples you find problematic instead if just using harsh language.
Jenny, can’t really understand the vagaries of your argument here, and yet I don’t really want you to explain further, somehow…
I know Chris Colfer to be far from disgusting: he is in many ways extremely generous and kind. Your criticism of his ignorance (I’m assuming it’s in relation of this interview above) I think has a lot to do with his age and the world in which he grew up (I grew up in the same Valley he did, and I think of how “open minded” I felt I left that environment, and how I look back now at how intensely unworldly I really was). He’s a 21yo kid just a couple of years out of a really horrendous town & high school; and the years since he’s left have been lived in a bubble of endless work and sudden, voracious fame. Some slack is in order; and that’s if you even disagree with his comments, which, of course, some people don’t.
Your criticism of his arrogance carries no weight with me, though, because I have no problem with talented, capable, motivated young people comfortably claiming these things; if more 21yos spoke of their abilities and accomplishments and ambitions rather than their disillusion and dissolution, I think that would be a great and meaningful change.