Representation in media for LGBTQ+ youth has always been limited. Queer relationships and characters in movies, books, or TV are known to be heavily consumed by Queer individuals themselves. So whenever there are any straws to grasp at, these young people will embrace them in whatever form that may take. Whether through a new popular TV show or a classic Hollywood film. So much so that in recent years, it has become a known fact in pop culture that when there is this kind of representation, the conversations that form, as a result, create an entirely safe and fun environment for Queer individuals to be a part of. Unfortunately, knowing that this specific audience tends to migrate towards Queer stories leaves them vulnerable to showrunners and producers who can use this to their advantage. They do this by engaging in a practice called “Queerbaiting.”
So what exactly is Queerbaiting? “Queerbaiting is a marketing tactic that nods at queerness but never actually delivers queerness,” said Ricky Hill for Health in the article “Why Queerbaiting in Marketing and Media Is Harmful and How You Can Help Stop It.” Let’s break this down by using a specific media text example.
Looking at the FOX procedural drama 9-1-1, there have been 6 seasons of content and plenty of it highlights one particular duo throughout the series. Firefighters Evan (Buck) Buckley, played by Oliver Stark, and Edmundo (Eddie) Diaz, played by Ryan Guzman. But what is so special about this relationship that makes them a perfect example of queerbaiting?
Ever since the introduction of Eddie Diaz in season 2, there was some immediate recognition of the chemistry between both him and his firefighter partner, Buck. So much so that fans of the show immediately provided feedback on the show’s social media pages and within their own fan pages too. They were all the gossip about this new and growing TV show.
9-1-1 writers and creators acknowledged the “ship” between both characters quite obviously through various scenes. In a particular episode, there was a live stream feed in a medic 9-1-1 call with the patient’s live stream comment section hinting at thinking both men would make a great couple and that they looked cute together. This is a scene that also took place in the same season where Eddie Diaz was first introduced, so the writers made sure to start making something out of this ship fast. In this same season, there is another scene where an employee of a local Santa photographing station mistakes Buck and Eddie for a couple raising Eddie’s son (Christopher) and Buck doesn’t deny it, he simply says “thank you.” Later in the series, perhaps one of the most notable examples of the hints thrown into these two’s storyline, is Eddie making Buck Christophers’ legal guardian should anything happen to Eddie. I also feel like it is important to add that Christopher still has his grandparents and other loving family in the photo for possible custody choices. So just bromance things, right?
These are just a few of the many ways showrunners and writers have capitalized on this new publicity they were gaining from this popular duo, including many more hints of possibly making this duo a real relationship and reeling in a fresh audience of queer fans without actually delivering on that specific queer media. Throughout the show, there were more ways writers had some fun with this concept by creating debatable romantic coded storylines between both characters and took to social media to continue promoting this duo. An entire fanbase for this ship was now born and the writers knew how to keep them enticed without having to flip the script and actually give legit queer representation.
These ideas are far from lost on the actors of the show as well. In fact, Ryan Guzman and Oliver Stark even named their own ship name on an Instagram comment when the ship was just gaining popularity. Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Buck’s sister, also made a video where she emphasized her love for the duo and even supports the ship.
While of course, the fun with this ship is not really where the harm comes from, it does further acknowledge that those who run the show and act on the show know what they are dealing with and who their viewers are. Almost every week of an aired new episode, #Buddie and #gayfirefighershow (yes, this is a real tag,) are some of the top trending hashtags. Everyone knows, and there will continue to be speculation about this duo based on deliberate storytelling that we see through the show’s efforts at reaching this queer audience and using it to their advantage.
What perhaps are some of the most damaging parts of queerbaiting is a result of how the creators take to criticize fans’ interpretations through aloof rhetoric. Some go as far as insulting fans’ intelligence when they claim fans’ theories are valid, but never was the writers intended or saw where the story would come to fruition. These subtle hits reinforce an idea not lost on the queer community where their plea for more positive healthy gay representation oftentimes gets dismissed through claims of nonexistent evidence or proper storytelling to lead up to it. (If enough people have a theory about a potential couple on a show, so much so to where it makes the top 20 list of AO3 ship of the year, maybe some fans might have caught onto something, despite the writer’s “intentions.” But hey! Who knows.)
In a recent 2022 article, showrunner Kristen Reidel says “you can never say never because sometimes the story just takes on a different direction that you didn’t plan on,” in reference to discussing this popular duo, despite shutting down romantic claims the entirety of the article. So having this open door that gives gay audiences hope is their loophole to continue feeding into these queerbaiting practices.
Unfortunately, this is neither the first nor the last piece of media where queer individuals have been at the mercy of the hands of queerbaiting. Shows like Supergirl, Supernatural, and countless movies and books have also known how to use certain calculated tactics to deliver on queerness without actually having to take that final step. All to draw in a new and passionate audience through these intentional decisions. This practice may not even be seen as real or a big issue by some, but at the end of the day it is acknowledged enough by a community that already lacks proper representation. So when there is a subtle mockery and invalidation of queerness, it becomes a valid topic of discussion. As long as the creators continue to include these hints of more queer representation yet fail to bring truth to their advances, we just see how gay love is always going to have to be a different discussion in media.