Competent or Warm? A Stereotype Content Model Approach to Understanding Perceptions of Masculine and Effeminate Gay Television Characters

Invoking the stereotype content model (SCM), two studies examined how television portrayals of gay men are arrayed in terms of warmth and competence. Participants were exposed to a sitcom and asked about their perceptions of two leading gay male characters. Results suggest that effeminate portrayals are more stereotypical, warmer, and less competent than masculine gay characters, yet these characterizations did not differ in terms of perceived valence. This novel application of the SCM helps to more explicitly define stereotypicality in the context of televised portrayals of gay men and demonstrates the utility of the model in advancing media studies of stereotypes.