When it comes to movies and television, we’re used to seeing the different tropes presented, from the classic damsel in distress to the final villain. One trope commonly presented today is the character of the gay best friend. One of my best friends has brought the “gay best friend” trope to my attention within my personal life, and it’s led me to question if the gay best friend trope is being overused in media.
I haven’t watched a lot of television or film compared to most people, but I like to hear about what others think of new movies, even if I won’t ever go see them. A popular idea I started hearing about a few years ago was referencing the main character’s gay best friend – and not just in one movie, but multiple television shows and movies. Whether it was “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “Mean Girls” or “Emily in Paris,” the term gay best friend is used a lot in modern media.
In “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” we have Lucas, who is initially introduced as a love interest for the main character, before his status in the movie is dropped because of the revelation of his sexuality. Throughout the film, Lucas is seen giving romantic advice to the main character and providing emotional labor, but this is the extent of his character development. Should there be more? And in addition, why was this character specifically not given more screen time? Because Lucas was initially introduced as love interest, I’m left wondering if his screentime wasn’t higher because he would instead be the “gay best friend,” and therefore didn’t need as much development.
With that, I answer the initial question of, “Is the gay best friend trope being overused in the media?” by saying no, in most cases it’s not being overused. However, the important thing to note in this case is how the gay best friend is being portrayed. If they’re not being given nearly as much screentime as other characters, the trope is not being overused. But if in the future, nearly every movie has a gay best friend character that completely rules the screen, then we’ll be faced with the potential consequences of the trope being overused. As of right now, even if the character Lucas didn’t get as much screentime, his character was still developed portraying the gay best friend and giving the title for the role, while not overusing the trope.
