Gay Army
Gay Army is a Danish[1] comedy reality television series. It centers around nine effeminate gay men put into the hands of a drill sergeant who puts them through military training exercises. The series was first broadcast in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The series has also been sold to Italy, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and Poland, although protests led to the show being cancelled in Poland before it aired.[1]
Gay Army | |
---|---|
Genre | Reality |
Developed by | David Sidebotham Karsten Bartholin |
Starring | Tony Rosenbum |
Country of origin | Denmark |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers | David Sidebotham Karsten Bartholin |
Production company | Babyfoot |
Release | |
Original network | Kanal 5 |
Original release | April 27, 2006 |
Synopsis
In each episode the gay recruits face new training missions featuring stereotypically masculine tasks to prepare them for a mock military operation. Contestants are treated to nights of partying and other rewards if the missions are accomplished.
Reception
LGBT rights activists protested the show's stereotypical premise. A Swedish organization called the 'Homo-, Bi-, and Transsexuals in the Armed Forces' (informally associated with the Swedish Armed Forces) met with the production director to ask the network not to air it.[2] Despite this, the show has been very popular with audiences, and has been nominated for awards at the Rose d'Or as well as the 2006 Danish TV Awards. It also caused a small outcry in the media, which was quickly silenced.
References
- "'Gay Army' TV Series Axed in Poland Before Being Screened". Archived from the original on 2013-06-17. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
- Rautiainen, Riina "Portraying Gays on Reality TV: Case Gay Army and Its Reception", http://www.helsinki.fi/jarj/sqs/sqs1_08/sqs12008rautiainen.pdf