Representation has always been a problem. Not for the reason you think!
Mainstream media has always struggled to find the balance between storytelling and accurately depicting reality, as much as a film or television show about fictional characters represents reality. And while people have always called the industry out on it, the demands to see oneself in the characters we love have grown stronger over the years. Thanks to the hubbub on social media we’re witnessing increasing attempts to incorporate diversity in, quite possibly, the worst possible way.
You see, studio executives care about one thing, and one thing only, their bottom line– which often conflicts with the creative team’s vision for their characters and plot. At first, this resulted in a glaring absence of queer or racially diverse characters of any kind. After all, gay people don’t exist! However, on the rare occasion when queer (or potentially queer) characters were introduced, their roles were either minimized, hyper-sexualized, erased, or turned into caricatures. All this resulted in rampant queerbaiting, the rise of the bury-your-gays trope, and intense disappointment amongst the queer community.
Today, while representation has increased, it is not that much better. Yes, there are more queer characters on screen, but their storylines rarely go beyond the classic coming-out tale, and the characters themselves seldom have an identity in the story beyond being queer. Don’t get me wrong, some shows are getting it right– look at Heartstopper, Young Royals, or Sex Education. But for every one of these shows, two don’t get the memo. Representation has turned into another box to check while creating new content for consumption, especially since the queer community has solidified itself as a source of box office and viewership numbers should they decide to rally behind a film or TV show.
Therein lies the problem. Queer people are complex individuals too and deserve authentic representation in the stories they consume– characters who already know themselves, who serve a purpose beyond being a blatant representation card, unable to be anything else. And this is where the audio-fiction community of creators is inadvertently coming to the rescue.
The rise of podcasts has been accompanied by the resurgence of the audio-drama genre in a modern package. The low threshold for entry has enabled many independent creators to enter the scene and flourish. One of the biggest reasons creators have such little power over their projects in mainstream content production is that they don’t hold the purse strings. Money runs the shows, and creators aren’t the ones funding their projects. Except, when it comes to podcasts, they are.
Podcast creators, especially audio-drama creators, have come with a unique form of funding wherein they forgo traditional advertising and rely instead on their committed yet niche audience for support through Patreon, Kickstarter, and more. This direct relationship with the audience means that both parties know what the other offers and enjoys. Moreover, most of these creative teams are highly diverse themselves, naturally leading to better results.
Podcasts are creating a space where representation is so deeply woven into the world and plot of the stories themselves that it doesn’t seem forced. Queer characters are not just sidekicks or flamboyant villains (though some of them are) but rather main characters in their own right. Furthermore, they go beyond the false gay/lesbian/straight trifecta and expand the scope of queerness, which is often left untouched in film and television across a plethora of genres.
If any of this has intrigued you, here are five audio-fiction podcasts I recommend you check out.
1. Welcome to Night Vale: A classic in the fiction podcast genre, WTNV is a satirical presentation of a small desert town called Night Vale, replete with weather forecasts, news, announcements, and nuggets of information about its wonderfully queer host Cecil. Fans of surrealist horror, non-linear storytelling, and voice so soothing you could fall asleep should give WTNV a shot.
2. Penumbra Podcast: A science-fiction, noir story following an angst-ridden, sharp-shooting Detective called Juno Steel, the Penumbra Podcast has more queer characters than not. Its protagonist Juno is a non-binary, he/him identifying lady, more than capable of kicking some ass, and is sure to delight noir fans who wish their favourite hard-boiled detective would learn to love himself.
3. EOS10: An absolute riot, EOS10 is full of humour, action, and heart. Featuring an eclectic cast of characters– space doctors, deposed alien princes, gay space pirates, and a nurse more than capable of winning a bar fight– I would recommend this podcast to all fans of Scrubs (the TV show).
4. The Magnus Archives: A horror-fiction anthology following the archivist, Jonathan, as he attempts to organize a neglected collection of supernatural statements, The Magnus Archives exemplifies subtle representation that reveals itself over time. Not for the faint of heart, I would recommend this to people who enjoy and have the patience for a good slow burn.
5. Critical Role: It doesn’t matter if you’ve played Dungeons and Dragons before because Critical Role promises a fun time for fans of improv storytelling and fantasy. The cast, comprising professional voice actors, creates diverse characters unafraid to explore their sexuality. The lengthy nature of each episode and subsequent campaign ensures you will never run out of new content featuring your favourites.
I hope you give these a listen because, as a queer person myself, discovering the world of fiction podcasts made me feel seen. They proved that diverse narratives bring audiences and ensure that I am no longer willing to settle for subpar representation.
