Originally published 2.1.23

Before same-sex marriage was federally legalized in 2015, queer people rarely got a shred of representation in modern media, and what we did get reduced us to harmful and hurtful stereotypes. That monumental decision led to what felt like a cultural shift in American media. We gained some ground with positive representation that shares beautiful stories, but then we also have what MTV put on our screens on Jan. 20.

The viewership numbers for the first episode of “The Real Friends of WeHo” officially came out late last week. Only 186,000 viewers tuned in, or rather, didn’t change the channel after “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which garnered more than three times that with 578,000 viewers in the time slot prior. Suffice to say, we spoke with our remotes.

I want to make it abundantly clear that this isn’t a review or a complaint directed towards any of the six members of the cast, although some rightfully deserve criticism. This is an open letter to the creative artform.