#jim h

[hgrve]

[yesnoidkiguess]

ate and left no crumbs

[ichayalovesyou]

Why Do Old-School TV Duos Have SUCH MLM Vibes?!

I think there’s something very specific about the formula and writing style of non-serialized/semi-serialized shows from the 60s to 80s that featured two grown men going on wacky dangerous adventures that makes my gay little literary analysis brain go absolutely off the wall bonkers. I’m trying to figure out why!

I’m writing this on my Trek blog because I don’t think this pattern in people actually shipping these types of relationships the way they do if fandom as we know it wasn’t born via TOS in syndication. That being said! I also think it has to do with the way these shows are designed that makes myself and others OBSESSED with a specific character dynamic that feels (to me) damn near impossible to replicate in modern television. In a way that’s more than just fandom, it’s in the way TV like this was written at the time!

Further explanation under the cut!

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I think what it usually boils down to is this. There’s a charming protagonist whom without the series could not operate, frequently top billed or the title character! (See: Wild Wild West, Starsky & Hutch) BUT he doesn’t have anyone to play off of! So what do they do pretty much every single time? Give Mr. Idealized Vision of Time-Period Masculinity For Genre a second guy to rhyme with!

See but the other guy has to play opposite but parallel to our hypermasculine protagonist. So what frequently ends up happening is that in order to play off our “normal” guy, even though he’s also a white dude, is that he’s still somehow Other.

They’re always perfect for each other, and they always get into scenarios that would be written, shot and interpreted by conventional audiences as romantic IF either one of those characters were a woman! Especially at the time these shows were made in.

If the one is aggressive, the other is gentle. If the protagonist is violent, his counterpart is intellectual. If the one is stoic, the other is emotional. Which (while one size def doesn’t fit all) usually makes the second guy come off as much more queer-coded (and sometimes other minorities like neurodivergent/disabled etc) than the other because of the traits associated with masculinity vs gayness at the time! Our prime examples in these gifs are Spock, Hutch, Artemus, and also *BJ!

*(M*A*S*H is a bit of a unique case since the show flirts with queerness more openly in ways that people more into the series have explained better than me but I think it still fits the formula I’m discussing.)

Here’s the thing though right? We’ve got two best friends, and the show NEVER really feels right if one of them is missing unless the focus of the story is how A & B operate without each other while trying to find the other one. They stick with and rescue each other unfailingly in scenarios that might destroy a regular friendship.

Hell, there’s often stuff that would emotionally/physically destroy a regular person/character in modern media. But because it’s not serialized they always seem to pull through seemingly through the power of friendship alone or dealing with it off-screen! Emotional consequences? Yuck! (Unless it’s M*A*S*H or Starsky & Hutch, like I said, not monolithic)

Here’s the thing that some people might say throws a wrench into the interpretation I’m discussing. What about the absolutely non-stop parade of conventionally attractive women the main protagonist (and less frequently the supporting man) goes through?

I would reply: how many of those female characters actually emotionally impact our protagonists as characters long term?

The answer is of course, because it’s NOT serialized, almost none! Kirk can watch Edith Keeler get killed by a car accident and still be making eyes at Spock the next episode. Hawkeye can have a “life changing” romance with a Vietnamese humanitarian woman, then share a blanket with BJ next episode like she never existed!

The Doylist explanation of course is not just the fact it wasn’t serialized but also just, constant, blatant 20th century sexism. Which SUCKS!!! As well as not wanting a long term love interest to throw off the character dynamic of our duderagonists. It’s the 20th century tv equivalent of bros before hoes.

However the Watsonian explanation always seems to result in no love interest EVER being more important than what the two protagonists have no matter whether you think they’re queer or not. No attractive woman could make our reputed babe-hound protagonist abandon his buddy. There’s no earnest romance our more queer-coded supporting man doesn’t end (or get ended for him) often for the protagonist’s sake.

Now some of these women are incredibly well written and straight up GOOD matches for our guys. So why wouldn’t they get involved in something long term UNLESS!! They were in love with each other the WHOLE time?

What if protagonist (frequently the babe hound) doesnt know he’s queer, or knows but doesn’t know he’s in love with his bestie, or any number of similar fruity explanations? The supporting man also runs into this explanation but people tend to believe he’s already aware that he’s queer but either also doesn’t know he’s in love or is keeping it to himself because time-period homophobia and/or thinking (probably not unreasonably) that babe hound is straight?

Between the inherent closeness of being narrative foils. The regularly scheduled life or death drama creating sometimes insanely romantic (in the narrative if not a literal sense) drama between the two. The revolving door of weekly women they never seem to get attached to enough to leave one another. The non-serialized nature resulting in sparse personal information/history about the protagonists as a result.

I think between the very NATURE of the way tv shows were written at the time. Plus the way fandom was shaped by a dynamic that has rippled through how media works and is interpreted by fans for decades upon decades. It’s not hard to imagine getting really emotionally invested in the possibility of the protagonists being in love is a fantastic way to enjoy the media!

In conclusion, it’s really fun and easy to go “these bitches gay! Good for them good for them!”

[arcadebroke]

link

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Jack the Giant Killer (1962)

[urethrachr0nicles]

had a (poorly made) vision

[gurumog]

Dawn of the Dead (1978) Laurel Group Dir. George A. Romero

Scott H. Reiniger as Roger Jim Krut as Chop-top Zombie

Special Effects by Tom Savini

[yeti-zeus]

watching my old man shows in hd on modern technology is such a tossup, watching star trek tos is great because I get to appreciate all the eyeshadow and guy liner, watching m*a*s*h is awful because there is no amount of suspension of disbelief in the world that makes radar look like a teenager with that hairline

[hrhprincedickheads]

[aurinkomoukari]

[hgrve]

[sincerelymarner]

i love u hockey nepotism <3

i just think hockey connections are neat and the hughes have a lot. so here's a noncomphrehensive review of their connections (as it relates to their teams) through their dad jim. and this also kinda doubles as a background about him.

so jim hughes grew up on long island and has many ties to the area, hence the “comin home” comment from luke during jack’s draft and jack’s walk up song being “i’m coming home”. 

currently jim is a director of player development at CAA hockey (2016-) and previously was the director of player development for the leafs (2009-15). he also has 20 years of coaching experience which has brought him to new jersey, orlando, boston, new hampshire, and toronto. but before all this, he played hockey at providence college (1985-89) which is where he overlapped with tom fitzgerald, current president of hockey operations and gm of the devils, for two years. if you were ever curious why jim and ellen were seated next to the gm of jack and luke’s team at brady tkachuk’s wedding, now you know.

jim hughes 1985

in fact, jim was a huge factor in why fitzgerald attended providence as jim hosted him for his recruiting trip. during jim’s time at providence, he was represented by ray shero who was the gm for the devils from 2015-20.

devils GM ray shero meeting with the hughes family at the 2019 nhl draft

while jim was an assistant coach with the orlando sun bears (1999-2001), he became acquainted with head coach peter horachek who was a scout for the devils in 2019 and is currently an assistant coach for them.

jim hughes (left) is in this photo, idk if peter horachek is but this from when the solar bears won the turner cup and that's how the photo of jack in a cup came about

after orlando jim had been named as an assistant coach for the bruins (2001-03) and that’s where he met, then head coach, robbie ftorek, who became a close family friend. following his tenure with boston he went to new hampshire where he was assistant coach for the manchester monarchs (2003-05) under previous canucks’ head coach bruce boudreau. when jim became head coach (2005-06), his assistant coach was derek clancy who is currently an assistant gm for the leafs and previously was one for the canucks.

pretend that derek clancy is here with him (well he is, just off screen)

then settled in toronto as an assistant coach for the marlies, then as director of player development for the leafs. here jim and the boys got to know leafs legend willy nylander.

not at all connected to the boys’ teams i just wanted to include this photo, sue me

again, this is a noncomprehensive review and there is probably so much i missed, but i wanted to put this together for reference.

↳ info taken mostly from this the athletic article and this sportsnet article + some supplementary sources such as elite prospects

[muppet-facts]

Muppet Fact #852

In the original Skeksis language, the Trial by Stone ritual is called Haakskeekah.

Source:

The Dark Crystal. A. C. H. Smith and David Odell. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. October 1982.

[adoctornotatumbl-r]

are you guys a star trek gay or a mash gay

[k00ldino]

[spineless-lobster]

Why do all the (male) six idiots look amazing in drag??? Like no wonder they do it so much they’re absolutely KILLING it! (PSA: We need Martha in drag pretty please and thank you x)