Dexter Walker - Tom Green & Charles Cottier

[evey_girl26]

Excuse me while I just ...

asasgjk;adggadhh; *flails*

Dex said, and I quote;

"Kate and I, we're not really a couple." // "I'm paying her. Well, actually that sounds kind of suss. I'm tutoring her, and in return she's pretending to be my boyfriend."/"Don't you mean girlfriend?"/"Isn't that what I said?"

boyfriend

Called it. Dex likes boys, and is doing anything in his power to not think about the fact that he can't stare at Casey/Xavier/Romeo (take your pick) without getting butterflies. So he pretends to date girls, and convinces himself that he has a crush on April. I'm not calling his feeling for April fake, because to him they are real, it's just that it's all a front. Dex has never really had any friends -- so when someone shows him a scrap of attention that doesn't involve calling him names or pointing out how odd/weird he is, he takes it and latches on. It's a crush. What Dex confessed, however intentional of not, is something bigger.

So, excuse me. I'm just going to go and complete my Dex/Casey fanfic, with the knowledge that I'm not making all this up in my head.

I thought that he said "boyfriend" because he was thinking "I want to be your boyfriend"...but actually you're probably right though, now that I think about it.

[Illyria]

I couldn’t help picking up on that line as well.

And I’m also concerned about where the Dex/April ship is sailing myself… I’m still in two frames of mind about Dex being paired up with anyone else at all, actually. I quite like that he’s the “single one” because it allows him to be his own person, instead of “so-and-so’s boyfriend/girlfriend” like some of the other characters have become at times. Although I guess it has to happen sooner or later – in this show, no one remains single for long, unless they’re people like Irene, Alf, etc… ;)

In terms of a favourite Dex, mine is definitely Number 2. I didn’t find the first one all that memorable to be honest, although that wasn’t helped by his extremely short stint on the show. At least Charles has had a much longer time to establish himself in the role.

I just wrote a big blog about this on my new Tumblr account, actually (yeah I’m a tumblin’ newbie ;D ); I like the fact that he’s so different from all the other teens on the show at the moment – he’s not the buff, sexy surfer dude that all the girls obsess over, he’s just a cute, intelligent, quirky type of geek who isn’t afraid to be who he is, despite the fact that other people find him to be a complete weirdo at times. He’s still managed to make friends for himself anyway, and adds a different and deeper dimension to the current teen group.

As for the “he’s gay!” suggestions, hmm… I wouldn’t mind seeing that as a possible storyline either, because there are so many angles that could be shown if done correctly and with sensitivity and the same humour that Dex provides to the show at the moment. But given how the Charlie/Joey storyline turned out, I wouldn’t hold much hope in it being treated the way it should be, let alone being done at all.

Which is obviously a great shame, since it wouldn’t exactly be unrealistic to have an openly homosexual regular character in the show – I’m sure there must be some living in or near Summer Bay, right? =oP It doesn’t even need to be Dex, it could be anyone. Ah well… we can always live in hope that it might happen again one day!

[Miranda]

I don't particularly want a macho character to be gay, it could be anyone. I have just realised that (even though I think Dex is gay) he isn't necessarily gay just because he's different. Because then people could say 'oh he's just gay, normal people aren't like that! Don't worry everyone, keep calm' It really annoys me when they make 'different' or 'weird' characters gay as part of their 'weirdness'. e.g. Zoe/Eve, who was obviously a crazy person, yet to add to that, they made her gay as well, like they were saying 'gay people are weird, weird people are gay'. Gay should not mean people are weird. So therefore I'd like to see 'one of the ordinary guys' as a gay character, someone who's an average bloke, so the show is not saying 'gay=weird' again.

I hope that makes sense, I'm very tired atm.

Heath gay, hm.... I can see what you're saying Perry , but I think Zetti might have a word to say about that

Edited June 23, 2011 by Miranda

[Zetti]

Heath gay, hm.... I can see what you're saying Perry , but I think Zetti might have a word to say about that

You are so right! Heath is not gay, it just can't happen Miranda, hang your head in shame!

As for Dex, just because he is different doesnt mean he is gay! I dont want him to be gay, if he is then great but I dont like the message that comes with it, if you are 'even' a little bit 'odd' then you are gay? Totally not true, one of my best friends is gay and is as normal as any straight person.

Edited June 23, 2011 by Zetti

[Miranda]

As for Dex, just because he is different doesnt mean he is gay! I dont want him to be gay, if he is then great but I dont like the message that comes with it, if you are 'even' a little bit 'odd' then you are gay? Totally not true, one of my best friends is gay and is as normal as any straight person.

I think we are echoing each other

[jodlebirger]

To have a criminal as gay character is worse than anything else!!! What would the critics have said then??? That being gay is a part of his criminal side??? It will be almost like Zoe, only maybe Heath is more of a realistic criminal character (from what I've read on here, dealing with drugs, doing real crimes and not only being a psycho)... Heath/The braxtons/the river boys are the worst characters to have in a storyline like that.

His crimes make him more weird than Dex for instance. And because he is a very good looking guy, critics are going to say that is the only reason they will make him gay - because of the sensationalism. Why not Dex?? He is the only normal looking guy on the show (besides Xavier maybe), the others are models!! Dex has only personality,he is not a criminal and he is not weird (maybe the only normal teen, from what I've seen of him??) and he would be believable in the role.

But then again, after seeing the dreadful charlie and Joey storyline again on Norwegian screens this year, I don't want H&A to do a gay storyline again. Never!!!

[MACYLIGHTFOOT]

I don't want Dex to be gay because I think he and April are adorable together. If they do get together I want them to be the couple that stays together forever. I really can't imagine Dex with anyone else, April is a great fit for him, they did a great job developing that friendship.

As for the gay storylines in general, like the post above me says, if they can't do it right, for whatever reason, they should just not bother doing them at all.

[Jen]

Okay, so I’ve spent some time reading the posts in this thread, and I found some of the opinions really interesting. Obviously, I’m firmly in the Dex Likes Boys camp and don’t plan on changing any time soon, but it was fascinating to see where other Dex fans (I’m assuming we all are) sat on the possibility.

The main argument I read against Dex being gay was that it would be too stereotypical. The nerdy, quirky boy, who doesn’t have many friends/girlfriends coming out as gay – Too predictable. But the thing we have to keep in mind is that all the characters on the show are, to some extent, stereotypes of a certain type of person. Casey is the Bad Boy – He wears dark t-shirts and ripped jeans and isn’t afraid of getting his fisted involved. Romeo is the surfer – He walks around without a shirt, has blonde hair, blue eyes, and has a similarly hot, bikini-babe girlfriend. Ruby is more on the ‘hippy’ side of things with her curly hair and feathers, she much prefers to go with her emotions rather than think things through. April is the European environmentalist, who is very passionate about issues and dresses in barets and scarves, and speaks French. Dex is on exactly the same level as these characters. He is no more of a stereotype, than Colleen is as the town gossip or Morag as the tough lawyer. We need to remember that these are characters and as such there are only so many layers to explore. The situations in which they find themselves are extraordinary, and not real to life, and that’s why we watch the show. But I guess I’m getting off point. I just think that saying Dex being gay is too stereotypical isn’t a very strong argument against it.

I honestly don’t know if the writers intend to go that way or not. Some of the writing of the character makes me think that it is more plausible now than it was at the beginning of the year, purely because of some of the things he’s done/said/the way he interacts with girls. But I honestly wouldn’t be shocked if he remains straight. For me, it’s more about the fun of speculating, ‘what if’. And yes, I was one of those fangirls who were/are on the Gaden ship of fantasy which never happened. Did I realistically ever think it would? No. Was it fun to speculate? Heck yeah. And to a certain extent that is the appeal of shipping. The will they or won’t they of it all.

I agree that I don’t want a gay storyline thrown in because the show is trying to be ‘current’ or cause controversy or score ratings, because that’s what they did with the Charlie/Joey debacle and it was just an atrocity. I feel like the show might be laying the ground work for something to happen with Dex -- the slip of the tongue, the disinterest in Miranda/Kate/Summer -- whether that is him figuring out himself, or something else I obviously can’t predict, but I’m waiting and seeing.

As far as weird=gay and vice versa, I pretty much echo what’s been said already. Because as far as I’m concerned Dex is one of the most ‘normal’ characters we have on the show right now. He looks like guys I teach at high school, he has his own idiosyncrasies, and is clever and not afraid to show it. He stands up for himself and forms his own opinions. He’s not driven by sex or drugs or alcohol, but wanting to achieve. I think as far as ‘good role model’ characters, Dex takes the cake -- and if he so happens to be gay? Then he’s still going to be a good kid, and be hilarious, that isn’t going to change because of sexual orientation.

[Red Ranger 1]

I agree that Dexter is a good role model but, frankly, turning him gay would undermine that slightly for me.There are plenty of kids out there like Dex, intelligent, kind-hearted, slightly idiosyncratic kids, who probably get bullied for being gay despite being straight, just because they differ from the norm and don't fit into the stereotypical box of how a straight male behaves.The last thing they need is a television programme reinforcing the prejudice that yes, someone like that would be gay.Mind you, having him crack onto his female best friend when she's dating his male best friend doesn't exactly make him a good role model either.

If they're going to introduce a gay character, it doesn't need to be the outsider and it doesn't need to be a thuggish criminal either, which is becoming a bit of a cliche in itself.What they really need is a gay male character who, if you excuse the stereotype, likes footie and having a drink with his mates and generally behaving like a "normal" teenage boy, which might convince a few narrow-minded people that someone like them is just as likely to be gay as someone they pick on.I think the problem with the Charlie/Joey storyline wasn't that it was a cheap PR stunt for ratings(look at Nicole and Freya for that)but that it wasn't genuine character development either:It was a storyline and once it was over Charlie did something else.

I agree about fan fictions:It's hard to see much difference between writing a fiction about two characters who are straight on the show being in a same-sex relationship and writing a fiction about a male/female relationship between two characters who haven't shown any interest in each other on the show.If all fan fictions paired up the characters "properly", then there'd be a distinct lack of imagination involved.Anyway, who says Dexter isn't good looking?To my heterosexual male eyes, he looks more good looking than Heath.But I accept other people see things differently somehow...

[Miranda]

What they really need is a gay male character who, if you excuse the stereotype, likes footie and having a drink with his mates and generally behaving like a "normal" teenage boy, which might convince a few narrow-minded people that someone like them is just as likely to be gay as someone they pick on.

That is exactly what I've been trying to say but you put it better