[Ads-l] queerbaiting: pinkface

Barretts Mail mail.barretts at GMAIL.COM
Fri May 24 19:23:07 UTC 2019


In 2016, I provided some citations for “queerbaiting” on this list (http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-September/143911.html <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2016-September/143911.html>).

Queerbaiting is not in the OED. Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/queerbaiting <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/queerbaiting>) says: The practice of creating homoerotic tension between two characters in a narrative work (particularly a television series) without the intention of ever developing it into an actual same-sex relationship or explicitly addressing the question of either character's sexuality.

On 18 May, the Daily Mail ran an article that goes beyond this meaning:

https://tinyurl.com/y62zx924 <https://tinyurl.com/y62zx924>
Models that could have been used': Calvin Klein apologizes after social media outrage over 'queer baiting' ad showing Bella Hadid kissing robot model Lil Miquela

——
	• Calvin Klein apologized for 'queer baiting' ad featuring Bella Hadid 
	• Model is seen kissing female robot Lil Miquela as part of 'My Calvins' campaign 
	• 'Queer bait' is when homoerotic tension is used to draw in LGBT audience 

…

[Calvin Klein responded:] We understand and acknowledge how featuring someone who identifies as heterosexual in a same-sex kiss could be perceived as queer-baiting.
——

So rather than “queerbaiting” being about homoerotic tension without being explicit, here it means to use a non-queer person in a homoerotic setting to attract a lesbiophilic or general homophilic audience. I believe this is the same thing as pinkface (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay-for-pay#Film_and_television <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay-for-pay#Film_and_television>), i.e., homocultural appropriation. See the “straight-wash” thread on the ADS list today, which reminded me of the Daily Mail article.

This pinkface definition is implied by an Urban Dictionary definition (https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=queer%20baiting <https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=queer%20baiting>) by Ricks Big Dicks on 17 Jan 2017:

——
Being a heterosexual female and donning flannel shirts.
Riley J Dennis: Straight girls wearing flannel is queerbaiting.
——

Benjamin Barrett
Formerly of Seattle, WA
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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