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We Need to Talk about Jack! On the Representation of Male Homosexuality in American Teen Soaps

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Queer Youth and Media Cultures

Abstract

In the first episode of Season 4 of Dawson’s Creek (WB, 1998–2003), ‘Self Reliance’, Dawson (played by James Van Der Beek) remarks to his friend Jack (played by Kerr Smith): ‘Not every kiss has to be a life-altering event’ to which Jack replies emphatically ‘I know! I know!’. In this exchange, this incredibly self-referential text may very well be pointing to its own rather uncontroversial, maybe even under-noticed, airing of a passionate same-sex kiss on United States network television in the Season 3 finale, that had aired earlier that year (in May 2000) between Jack and Ethan (played by Adam Kaufman).

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© 2014 Mareike Jenner

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Jenner, M. (2014). We Need to Talk about Jack! On the Representation of Male Homosexuality in American Teen Soaps. In: Pullen, C. (eds) Queer Youth and Media Cultures. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137383556_9

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