Who are your favourite bi characters in media?

submitted by PeakingPeachEater from self.Bisexuals

Whether it be videogames, movies, comics, TV shows, books, and/or maybe a favourite celebrity!

Who are your favourite bi characters and why?

::BONUS QUESTIONS::

  • Do you feel the characters you see in media accurately represent bisexuality?

  • Does the media do a good job with addressing and handling bi issues?

  • What would you like to see more in regards to how they create bisexual characters and handle their issues

Any additional thoughts?

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[–]dandeliondynasty 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Chris Hitchens, rip. Brash, anti-religion, chain smoking polemicist & (rarely for someone of his generation) openly bi, recalling affairs with men in high school and university.

[–]PeakingPeachEater[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Whaaaat?!? I didn' t know he was a bisexual man!! This makes me like him even more. Thanks for sharing.

Oh, do you have a favorite video of him or maybe even a quote?

I need to go back and check out his stuff lol.

[–]PeakingPeachEater[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Q1. Who are your favourite bi characters and why?

As far as shows goes, my favourite would probably be Korra from Legend of Korra. Even though she's probably one of the strongest characters on the show, she still has her flaws---hot headed, impulsive, thinks woth her heart first before her head(which is a good and bad thing).

Oh, and despite being one of the strongest---she still gets her assed kicked from time to time.

In regards to videogames...I like that in Dragon Age Inquisition, for example, you can make your character bisexual. Now if only could in Rune Factory...

Comics wise---I haven't dwelve too deep in the Wonderwoman lore, but I'll definitely need to check it out. I do quite like DC comics, I just never really paid too much attention to their sexualities if I'm going to be honest.

Celebrities-....Uh...I don't know. All I can say is definitely NOT Megan Fox because she's biphobic and ignorant for saying the following:

“I think people are born bisexual and then make subconscious choices based on the pressures of society. I have no question in my mind about being bisexual. But I’m also a hypocrite: I would never date a girl who was bisexual, because that means they also sleep with men, and men are so dirty that I’d never want to sleep with a girl who had slept with a man.”

NOT everyone is bisexual and I know she called herself a hypocrite on not liking bisexual women but wow. She sounds misogynistic to me and like she fetishizes lesbians...since bi women are so "dirty".

Q2. Do you feel the characters you see in media accurately represent bisexuality? To be honest, I don't really...see bisexuality discussed or shown much in media..

Q3. Does the media do a good job with addressing and handling bi issues? No lol. Because it's hardly shown. There was one show I was watching with a bisexual man, who was a love interest to one of the main (woman) characters. She broke up with him because he was bi guy who happened to sleep with a man once YEARS before her. Only one character(the main MAIN) character called her ass out like "Hey, didn't you used to sleep with women in college?" But the other group of friends defended her saying how bi men are "gross" but they quickly moved on after the main-main character shook her head in disagreement and moved on to the next topic... Also, that bisexual character never showed up again either...

Q4. What would you like to see more in regards to how they create bisexual characters and handle their issues

I would like for them to show how biphobia affects us(ex. The whole "bi men are gross" or "bi men are just gay men in the closet" and "bi women are 'sluts' " or "bi women are just straight women looking for attention"). I don't expect it to be "preachy" like "You bad!!! You biphobic!!" but just realistic...not all shows are "happy-feely".(ex. Not all characters are gonna be nice about bisexuality and the character should just muscle through it)

Though...I would just be happy to have bisexual characters in general. It doesn't need to be political or address biphobia really---because I would imagine with whatever universe the character is in, bisexuality is just a smaaaall portion of the character and not a big deal.

Also, more MALE bisexuals! AND older bisexuals...it's appears to mostly be teenagers and young adults(20s).

Other than that...can't really think of much else but will edit this comment if I do.

Edit: words

[–]PenseePansy 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Love collecting bi characters & real-life members of the "club"! (Though admittedly examples are a bit thin on the ground, what with our being non-existent & all.)

FICTION:

  • Azhrarn, "Night's Master", "Death's Master" by Tanith Lee [novels]: For all of my darkly-glamorous, decadent, outrageously-hawt, morally-ambiguous-trickster-figure needs. Also a representative of the all-too-rare bi-male contingent!
  • Det. Timothy Bayliss, "Homicide: Life on the Street" [TV series]: First bi character on American TV! Plus a cutie, well-acted/well-written, & on a good show (at least till it went in the crapper near the end!).
  • Katina "Katchoo" Choovanski, "Strangers In Paradise" by Terry Moore [comics]: SO cool, hot, & badass! While also being endearingly-vulnerable. Plus distinctive for being modestly-endowed (a rarity in comics, where big boobs are The Law) & scorning all femme-y trappings! (long hair aside)
  • John Constantine [comics; TV]: Complex (at least during his original incarnation, the "Hellblazer" series-- where he aged in real time!), surprisingly-realistic (despite being a spell-casting warlock!), explicitly working-class, snarky Brit-- what's not to like? Well, other than the fact that his bi-ness was barely acknowledged over "Hellblazer"'s run, but DC even fixed that with the reboot!
  • Phedre no Delauney, "Kushiel's Dart" by Jacqueline Carey [novel]: Morally & psychologically-complex, enjoyably-glamorous character with an original and intriguing concept.
  • Lady Nyctasia Edonaris, "Silverglass" Trilogy by J.F. Rivkin [novels]: Fun & charming aristocrat/scholar (often living undercover as a cheeky commoner) in a sword-and-sorcery fantasy setting.
  • Christopher Ferris, "As Meat Loves Salt" by Maria McCann [novel]: Very believable & appealing, while simultaneously illustrating some of the period (Civil War-era England)'s more interesting social-history aspects.
  • Griffin Fiske, "Original Sinners" series by Tiffany Reisz [books]: Delightfully-fun & funny, sexy charmer.
  • Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley, "House M.D." [TV series]: Intriguing, layered, cool, & hot.
  • Captain Jack Harkness, "Doctor Who"; "Torchwood" [TV series]: Another cheeky charmer.
  • Prince Oberyn Martell, "Game of Thrones" [TV series]: Wonderfully-charismatic, larger-than-life, swashbuckling, unabashedly-bi dude!
  • Lieutenant Billy Prior, "Regeneration Trilogy" by Pat Barker [novels]: Realistic, nuanced, sympathetic portrayal.
  • Lisbeth Salander, "Millennium Trilogy" by Stieg Larsson [novels; movies]: Kickass-cool wish-fulfillment. Wounded, fierce, formidable genius-hacker-loner who outsmarts & generally lays waste to monstrous men. Can she be my girlfriend, please?
  • Kalinda Sharma, "The Good Wife" [TV series]: Triple-threat rarity as a roguish (always has something up her sleeve) South Asian (and a non-stereotypical one at that!) "older woman" who's allowed to be wickedly-sexy!
  • Darryl Whitefeather, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" [TV series]: Practically unique as a bi-guy (all too scarce right there!) who's both presented in non-sexed-up terms and is middle-aged!

REAL LIFE:

  • Tallulah Bankhead
  • Lord Byron [George Gordon]
  • Alan Cumming
  • Marlene Dietrich
  • Raul Esparza
  • Angelina Jolie
  • Frida Kahlo
  • Florence King
  • Tamara de Lempicka
  • Edna St. Vincent Millay
  • Sarah Paulson
  • Aubrey Plaza
  • Kristin Stewart

Now for the BONUS QUESTIONS:

Do you feel the characters you see in media accurately represent bisexuality?

Well, to the extent that they're even there to be seen in the first place: HELL NO! When not just flat-out offensive (still dismayingly-common), the best you can usually hope for is a depiction that, while fun and appealing, bears ZERO resemblance to reality: the awesomely-cool, personification-of-sexiness caricature. Bisexuals presented in anything like an authentic manner are virtually unknown. We're always either creeps/villains or exotic fantasies; we're never just people. Much less drawn from a full RANGE of people, including "next-door" types.

Does the media do a good job with addressing and handling bi issues?

They'd have to do ANY sort of job first! And, yanno, acknowledge that we exist. Outside fiction! As REAL PEOPLE! With REAL ISSUES! Some specific to our sexual orientation! And, in particular, the way that it's (mis)treated by society at large.

What would you like to see more in regards to how they create bisexual characters and handle their issues

  • Take a break from the default tropes of fantasy-figure on the one hand, or perverted creep on the other. Think outside the box already! Give us OTHER types of bisexuals, please.
  • Expanding on the previous point: more MALE bi characters! Who aren't creeps/villains/exaggerated fantasy-figures! Also more of the following: "normal/average" people; middle-aged-and-older; monogamous; in familiar, well-established roles (cop; lawyer; detective; action hero; rom-com protagonist; final girl; etc.). And can we give the "Hot Bi-Babe" (who is, needless to say, always up for a MFF threesome) trope a well-deserved rest now?
  • Create characters who are people, first and foremost. Don't have their bisexuality drown out everything else about them.
  • However, do NOT be afraid to make their bisexuality an important part of who they are. It's such a neglected topic! Ripe for discovery! Feel free to explore it in depth, with thoughtfulness, creativity, and nuance.
  • Can we skip any more of the "plot twists" that amount to, "OMG hetero-active person was also boinkin' somebody of THE SAME SEX!!!" [cue sforzando]? Where bisexuality is played for shock value? It's really exploitative and insulting.
  • Other stereotypical crap I could do without seeing EVER AGAIN: us as cheaters; murder victims; psychopathic killers; criminals; "confused"; sex maniacs; weak/pathetic; "exotic"; decadent; rich degenerates; predators; somehow "above" lowly considerations like what genitals people have; sleeping with both sexes cuz we're Master ManipulatorsTM; just so self-confident/arrogant that we expect everyone to think we're Hot Stuff; swingers; vampires. (Well, OK, if you use some of these in a way that's justified, and with both sensitivity and skill, I'll allow it.)

[–]PatsyStone 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I love Rosa Díaz from Brooklyn 99 and Queen Maeve from The Boys. Both way exaggerated but I think fundamentally accurate.

Oh, and myself obvs. 😉