Why netizens are buzzing over cliché teen romcom ‘Love, Simon’ featuring gay lead
The trailer for “Love, Simon” seems like your average teen romcom: unrequited love, friendships and online dating.
The only difference is that the lead character hasn’t come out to his family or friends.
The coming-of-age story follows Simon, a 17-year-old boy in the closet who has an online crush—but doesn’t know the person’s identity.
It is exactly its ordinariness that has gotten netizens hyped up, especially those who belong to the LGBTQ community or are LGBTQ allies.
One explained that s/he enjoyed the trailer because it takes “what people think is unnatural and making it so easy, so real” and “normalizes” the experience of a gay teen.
Article continues after this advertisementlove, simon is so important for the very reason that it’s your average teenage cheesy romcom type movie but with a gay main couple it’s taking what people think is unnatural n making it so easy, so real?? normalizing being a teen in this situation is so important?? thank u lord
— what has hector ever done to me? (@jesperfxhey) November 28, 2017
Another pointed out that stories on same-sex relationships could be feel-good, too.
its not supposed to be some deep critically acclaimed provocative work its literally just a happy relatable teen story for gays sometimes people just want a feel good movie
— carly (@fisrtIove) November 28, 2017
Others liked that for once, the gay character wasn’t a best friend on the sidelines.
Like honestly name a popular teen movie where the gay character ISNT the “gay best friend” or even any teen movie where the main character is gay and isn’t a stereotype. We need this.
— holly jolly jessi (@bibliojessi) November 30, 2017
A netizen hoped that it would be the beginning of a trend—and that romantic heterosexual stories are given a rest.
love, simon (2018) better mark the start of the rise of gay romcoms i demand at least one every year after this straight romcoms aren’t allowed anymore the heterosexuals have had enough it is our time
— chloe (@citrine2016) November 28, 2017
The movie also flipped the script on the whole anxiety of coming out, with characters coming out as heterosexual—to their parents’ shock:
things love, simon did: THAT pic.twitter.com/XywSkyevFc
— ana (@astrolance) November 28, 2017
The movie is an adaptation of the book “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli.
It stars Nick Robinson (“Jurassic World”), Katherine Langford (“13 Reasons Why”), Alexandra Shipp (“X-Men: Apocalypse”), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”) and Keiynan Lonsdale (“The Flash”).
Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel play Simon’s parents.
The movie will be released in the US in March 2018. /ra
RELATED STORIES:
WATCH: Short animation on same-sex first love hits the feels, goes viral
