Only a valid argument when the media does not spend a significant chunk of time developing an heterosexual romantic plotline with a different set of characters that is not integral to the plot.
Which is the vast majority of media. Hollywood cannot help but shove straight love interests into absolutely every man-woman character pair they see without any regards for plot relevance.
It’s so pervasive that when it doesn’t happen (e.g. Mad Max: Fury Road) it’s as much a marked point of pride as if they had a gay romance.
When a straight character does it, it’s “building a deeper emotional connection with the audience”.
When a gay character does it it’s “pandering”, a “political statement”, “unnecessary”, “irrelevant to the plot”, and “something that should have been left for the audience to read between the lines”.
Only a valid argument when the media does not spend a significant chunk of time developing an heterosexual romantic plotline with a different set of characters that is not integral to the plot.
Which is the vast majority of media. Hollywood cannot help but shove straight love interests into absolutely every man-woman character pair they see without any regards for plot relevance.
It’s so pervasive that when it doesn’t happen (e.g. Mad Max: Fury Road) it’s as much a marked point of pride as if they had a gay romance.
When a straight character does it, it’s “building a deeper emotional connection with the audience”.
When a gay character does it it’s “pandering”, a “political statement”, “unnecessary”, “irrelevant to the plot”, and “something that should have been left for the audience to read between the lines”.