Did 'Katy Keene' take Jorge/Ginger's character too far? Why viewers are saying his portrayal is 'very insulting'
"You know what? I've heard it all before. You know, too soft, too fem, too gay, too skinny... Thank you, very much. But I don't care," said Ginger (Jorge) Lopez (Jonny Beauchamp) in 'Katy Keene' Episode 1. From then on, started an epic rendezvous to the introduction of a character that spiced up the otherwise all too 'shiny' show. From an attitude that reeks of confidence and the audacity that speaks true to himself, the show brought in a positively wild portrayal of a gay man that loves to dress in drag.
While Jonny Beauchamp's Jorge/Giner Lopex brings its own narrative to the series - from being attacked on the streets while dressed in drag to having a threesome - not all fans of the show appreciate the characteristics of his character.
The show brings in the very real issues of the discrimination of the LGBTQ community along with the lack of acceptance they face in a judgemental society. It's not a new narrative, it has been told before, but the awareness is definitely brought upon in the series. "I think we need more of it: a queer person playing a queer person. The best queer stuff goes to heterosexual men. It’s high time we start allowing queer people to interpret and display and actually be the vessel. Since we’ve walked in the shoes, we can bring something that a heterosexual male maybe cannot," said Jonny Beauchamp's of his role in The CW series.
While the shows seem to be well received some feel as though his character may have been taken too far - subpar compared to reality. "On #KatyKeene, the Writers are wrongly portraying #JorgeLopez — who is #Gay — as a gay guy unable to stay in a committed relationship. The Katy Keene Writers are #Clueless about how real gay relationships work. The portrayal of Jorge is very insulting @TheCW @KatyKeeneWriter," tweeted one user.
While the notion, we're sure, wasn't to insult viewers - some are wondering if the character is just a filler or is the character bringing substantial positivity to the storyline? "The singing and dancing is over the top and this is useless filler since they're lacking storylines as well," said a Reddit user.
Some viewers were not too keen on the drag costumes on the show either but if you've watched the show, you'd see that Ginger is almost always in drag most episodes. "I think it boils down to her attire and makeup. This is supposed to be NYC drag. Her wigs and makeup are just not up to par in my opinion. I'm am not attacking the performer, I just think the network could do much better. For example, in the latest episode when Ginger tells her mom about what she does at the club, her wig looked fake and her eye makeup didn't look right. I really like the character. I know this seems petty as well. I just wish they would fix this," said one user of Reddit.
The show dwells quite heavily on a singular storyline with Jorge's character and while some appreciate the realistic portrayal in injustices, some are wondering if he needed to be this extra? He seems to have a role to fill in the 'gay best friend' aspect of things, which seems a little offputting considering his storyline is so singular? For the most part - even if he seems to be overhyped as a character - he is well received, but there should be a balance of how his character is portrayed instead of putting him headfirst into dealing with all stigmas at once.
'Katy Keene' airs on Thursdays at 8 pm EST on The CW.