Since identifying Hudson Yang as "probably gay," I've been going through his tv series, Fresh Off the Boat, about a "fresh off the boat" Taiwanese-American family in the 1990s. There are a number of recurring gay characters who interact with the adults, but I'm looking for gay texts and subtexts among the sons, Eddie, Emery, and Evan. Episode 3.2, "Breaking Chains" (2016) has some, plus beefcake and homophobia.
I'm skipping the A Plot, where Dad Louis (Randall Park) hires a housekeeper, thus insulting his wife Jessica, who thinks that he thinks she is a failure as a woman (because her gender identity is based on her ability to clean up?)
In the B Plot, Eddie (Hudson Yang) and his friends are about to enter eighth grade, so they'll need either great gear or great stories.
Trent (Trevor Larcom) has great gear: he went to a theme park and got a scrunchie depicting the mascot.
Walter (Prophet Bolden) tells him that it "looks like a gay raindrop."
Homophobic comment, buddy.
Brian (Dash Williams) has a great story: he had mono, so he stayed inside watching Cinemax. Now he knows a lot about boobs, and wants to become a pizza delivery boy. Ugh, heteronormative girl-craziness.
Dave (Evan Hanneman) argues they don't need gear or stories, because they'll be eighth graders, practically upperclassmen. Eddie (Hudson Yang) agrees: "We'll be men among boys!" Sounds like their middle school covers grades 7-9, and high school grades 10-12.
Cut to a fantasy of the guys as grown-up musclemen flexing and grinning. I count six girls and one boy swooning over them -- but the one boy acknowledges the existence of LGBT people.
Eddie's brother Emery is also impressed. He gasps, "Who are those MEN?"
"Nah, son," Adult Eddie answers. "We're eighth graders."
Ok, two boys are swooning over the musclemen.
In case you were wondering, Trent becomes Chris Kimball (below); Walter, Cleveland Berto, Dave, Colin Owens; and Eddie, Chen Tang (left)
Some dicks after the break