Why do fans think the characters of Adam Rose and Fandago are gay when they're not?

[Wrestlingfan100]

I remember being at a house show when Fandango was just starting and everyone thought his character was gay, which makes no sense when the titantron in front of everyone showed him kissing Summer Rae. He's even given a
lothario character on Total Divas.

Now with Adam Rose, if you think about, his character, a party guy 24-7, you could say the character has done it with everyone and everything, everyone in his little pose, they're down . . . even the bunny. If he's based off Aldous Snow he's not gay at all.

Is it just flamboyance that irks fans because they don't want casual or non-viewers to turn on raw and see it or is it just stupidity, not looking obvious details?

Is it really that hard to look at the titantron in front of your face and just be homophobic?

 

[Torgo]

Uhh...interesting thread.

I don't know anyone who thinks Fandango or Adam Rose are gay. At all.

I don't think flamboyance irks the fans much (see Macho Man Randy Savage) as it does their being sick of the characters. I do know that not many of my friends really care for Adam Rose or Fandango, but they certainly don't think they are gay.

 

[Reflection]

Of course he is gay! Maybe he kissed Summer Rae to deceive the people into believing that he isn't one, so that he might use the cover to fulfill some hidden agenda. But seriously though, if Shakespeare could have a gay crush for the Earl of Pembroke, then Adam Rose could be gay too. His and Fandango's characters are like a piece of art, or a piece of poetry; everyone can look at and draw their own conclusions... and none of them would be wrong.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

Ballroom dancing and prancing around the ring while sucking on a lollipop are un-masculine. I think the term "gay" gets used these days to describe that sort of thing, rather than a judgment about who they have sex with. That's why Fandango can kiss Summer Rae but still be called "gay" by someone. On the flip side, Darren Young actually IS gay, but doesn't come across as BEING gay if that makes sense.

On a related comment, I was at the RAW in September of '97 when Austin first stunned Vince. That same night, Shawn Michaels was peppered with "Shawn is gay" and "******" chants. Yes, you read that right "******". It was because of his "sexy boy" stuff and his striptease routine, I don't think anyone really thought he was gay, so this stuff goes back a while although its obviously not as inappropriate w/ those kinds of chants anymore.

 

[closet_fan]

Gay was likely used as the term in the context of "lame" or "stupid." Not sexual orientation. It's like "That guy is such a ******." No he isn't really ******ed.

I'm surprised some people even still use "gay" as a put down. It's pretty outdated.

 

[Reflection]

I'd like to add that I just watched the Adam Rose vs Titus O'Neil match from Superstars couple of hours ago, and (in addition to putting his lollipop in Titus' mouth more than once) at one point in the match, Adam bent over and rubbed his ass against Titus' crotch. This is the most gay act I've seen in a long time.

About Fandango, I think it has a lot to do with the stereotyped portrayal of male dancers, fashion designers and make-up artists etc. as gays in films and media.

 

[TheICChampion]

Honestly, who the f*** should even care if they are gay? Is it affecting your life that someone you've never met happens to possibly like someone of their own gender? Hey, more women for us straight guys! That should be your mindset. As long as they don't try hitting on me, or just don't let me see you f***ing some dude up the a$$ or blowing him.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Because they act in an feminine manner a lot of the time, and people are fucking idiots.

 

[Slash-LN]

Ballroom dancing and prancing around the ring while sucking on a lollipop are un-masculine. I think the term "gay" gets used these days to describe that sort of thing, rather than a judgment about who they have sex with. That's why Fandango can kiss Summer Rae but still be called "gay" by someone. On the flip side, Darren Young actually IS gay, but doesn't come across as BEING gay if that makes sense.

On a related comment, I was at the RAW in September of '97 when Austin first stunned Vince. That same night, Shawn Michaels was peppered with "Shawn is gay" and "******" chants. Yes, you read that right "******". It was because of his "sexy boy" stuff and his striptease routine, I don't think anyone really thought he was gay, so this stuff goes back a while although its obviously not as inappropriate w/ those kinds of chants anymore.

I don't know man. There's rumors about Shawn and Vince. I'm sure it's just stuff that's made up but I've seen it a lot over the years. Pretty much people saying that's the only reason Vince put up with all the shit that Shawn pulled. And Shawn got criticized for that magazine pictorial he did.

On an also similar note when Dustin Rhodes came out on the stage on Raw one year and burned his Goldust stuff you can hear a guy in the crowd shout "You're a ****** Rhodes" and calls him a ****** a second time during the segment too.

As far as Rose and Fandango I think people are right about the flamboyance part. It's stereotypical. I remember Rico going through the same thing during his WWE run.

People have a hard time separating characters from the real person.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Really? We're allowing this as a thread?

It's not like their the first guys to do this kind of shtick... Adrian Adonis, Leaping Lanny Poffo, Goldust (hell he even wanted to "blow on Roddy's bagpipe" in one promo), Rico, Billy and Chuck and now Adam Rose...

Have you seen Dancing with the Stars/Strictly Come Dancing? The male dancers are rarely gay but banging the hot female dancers!!! Just as Fandango's gimmick is portraying. There is nothing remotely homosexual in that gimmick other than he's a ballroom dancer...

Adam Rose is playing with the stereotypes in the same way Goldust did, only he's doing it more "fun" rather than to freak people out and push boundaries. The lollipop and "girly run" are quite effeminite as his his general look... but then Russell Brand is kind of too... and he was married to Katy Perry and has banged half of Hollywood...

It's 2014... They have 2 openly gay men on the roster and probably at least a couple more who aren't public about it but known in the company. It's not a big deal at all and anyone referring to these two gimmicks in particular as "gay" is setting themselves up to look REALLY stupid.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

Its not the fact that people think Fandango and Adam Rose are "gay". Its the things that they do that people are calling gay. Fandango dancing and overall apperance is looked apon as "gay", not him personally, but the way he comes out in tight pants, rubbing all on his self, etc, is what people are calling gay.
Adam Rose i enjoy but he's in the same position, here's a guy skipping to the ring, sucking on a lolipop (every time you see him), with his hands curving/holding out on his side while skipping, that's so far from masculine that many would truely believe that Adam Rose himself could possibly be gay.
I'll put it like this, Batista was exactly right when he asked "were have all the men gone?"

 

[JJ15776]

(To be clear, this post is not directed at any one specific person in this thread, just a general statement to all the idiots who think Rose and Fandango are or act "gay.")

Where have all the men gone? They've evolved from "men"(using that term loosely) like Batiata. They've evolved from the Neanderthal meatheads that think anybody who is different from you is less than you. There's nothing "manly" about looking down on somebody for the way they act. That's weak. You need to knock somebody down to build yourself up? That's pathetic. You can't handle seeing another man in tight pants? That doesn't make you a man, it makes you an intolerant coward. You know what it also probably makes you? A closeted homosexual. If seeing Adam Rose suck on a lollipop makes you uncomfortable, that discomfort is likely coming from repressed feelings that you can't handle. Come to terms with your own sexuality, sunshine, and you won't get so angry so easily.

To answer the OP's question, I think Mighty NorCal had the best, simplest answer: people are idiots.

 

[Mac Attack]

Just think of what is stereotypically considered gay. Adam Rose and Fandango both follow that stereotype and people who aren't acquainted with wrestling or the characters who are expecting a certain mold for those they are watching think of this stereotype first when they see them. Watching with a lot of casual fans I'll tell you they're not prepared for that kind of entertainment.

 

[Navi]

I have to ask the same question someone else did, who the hell cares?

I'm a woman and don't look at them the same way that guys would. I love Adam Rose and the way he prances around. He looks like he's having a blast and doesn't give a damm. Fandango well, not really a fan of his, but I still don't look at him and think he's gay. It never crossed my mind that either of them were.

Now if we're going to talk about gay, I don't know what is gayer than a bunch of muscle bound men, dressed in leather speedo's grabbing at whatever they can get a hold of. But yea, not all wrestler's depending on their gimmick are gay, and like I say before, who gives a shit, as long as they're not grabbing at you, let them do what they want.

 

[PRMETFAN]

Gay was likely used as the term in the context of "lame" or "stupid." Not sexual orientation. It's like "That guy is such a ******." No he isn't really ******ed.

I'm surprised some people even still use "gay" as a put down. It's pretty outdated.

"Outdated"????? You have been brainwashed by the media and castrated before you even have even gotten to use that little thing. People like you are the reason why little boys grow up and have no idea of how to be a man.The day that most youth think like you men and manhood will be forever doomed.

 

[resignedknight]

"Outdated"????? You have been brainwashed by the media and castrated before you even have even gotten to use that little thing. People like you are the reason why little boys grow up and have no idea of how to be a man.The day that most youth think like you men and manhood will be forever doomed.

The answer to your question is perfectly expressed in this (outdated) line of thinking (is that you Larry Zbysko?). It's called heteronormativity, and it is a social force that acts in our society that imposes a rigid set of behavior norms on men, telling them that there is only one way of thinking and acting, aka "performing," their gender.

It is a great and perfectly appropriate thing for the WWE to tackle, and I give WWE a lot of credit for how they've handled Adam Rose. Historically, anyone who breaks heteronormativity is a heel. This goes all the way back to at least Gorgeous George, and the breaking of taboos is classic heel stuff, with this one in particular maybe being the single best example. Rose, on the other hand, is being treated with much more complexity and ambiguity. They allow you to boo him if you're still holding onto those old ideas (JBL is your cheerleader, and it's really interesting to hear him dance around but strongly imply this line if thinking), and they let you cheer him if you find him fun and quirky. Honestly, there's not a lot that shows how far WWE has come in terms of not force feeding us traditional morality than Rose.

So, back to the original question, heteronormativity is what people are referring to when they call him gay. It translates to, "You're going against my firm, socially supported idea of what a man is, I feel threatened by it because I've built my identity on this idea, so I'm going to assault your sexuality because it makes me feel better and is easier than assessing the source of my insecurity."

 

[Mustang Sally]

Because they act in an feminine manner a lot of the time, and people are fucking idiots.

Leave it to NorCal to get to the heart of the matter with a few pointed words.

With Fandango and Adam Rose, it's the manner in which they prance around that causes some folks to see them as gay. After all, Fandango displays an interest in women....playing a muscular Lothario....but the way he dresses and moves reminds some people of a gay man. Yet, think of Randy Savage, whom I remember Bobby Heenan describing as dressing like "the drum major of a gay marching band" (the remark being made before political correctness took root in the land). No one saw Savage as gay, did they?

Then, there's Billy & Chuck. They were supposed to be gay, yet didn't look or act the part, right? It's often hard to identify a gay man just by looking at him, but when guys like Fandango or Adam Rose prance and pose, there are folks who are gonna figure 'em for gay.

Whatever. It doesn't amount to a hill of beans, anyway.

 

[SuperTaco]

I believe theatrics are a part of pro wrestling, especially in WWE. What Fandango and Adam Rose are doing is just that, theatrics. They are characters that are trying to connect with the audience. For all the tough macho men, underdogs, and high flyers that exist, there is also a need for characters that lighten the atmosphere and take a more humorous approach. There have been many wrestlers that have acted or danced flamboyantly, it's just part of their character.

On the subject of these two, I believe they may become more serious characters eventually, but for now they are playing their roles well.

 

[GeneralKarim]

Well there isn't much to say really, Norcal beat me to it. Both of them portray characters that act unmasculine. I doubt many people actually think they are gay. I could understand it for Rose because he goes a bit over the top with the more feminine side but I dont see anything "gay" about Fandango, I mean the dude was just involved with like 2 chicks and almost had sex with with Summer on Total Divas. The only reason might people might think Fandagon is "gay" is because of his dancing which is ******ed. O yea, and this thread is trash and should've been deleted the moment it went up. Not that I'm bashing the moderators or anything like that but I'm just sayin..

 

[Creepy Old Man]

I thought it was Santino who drew in the pooves.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Of course he is gay! Maybe he kissed Summer Rae to deceive the people into believing that he isn't one, so that he might use the cover to fulfill some hidden agenda. But seriously though, if Shakespeare could have a gay crush for the Earl of Pembroke, then Adam Rose could be gay too. His and Fandango's characters are like a piece of art, or a piece of poetry; everyone can look at and draw their own conclusions... and none of them would be wrong.

If I was gay, and kissing a hot piece like Summer Rae, she would be enough to turn me straight, or, at least, bi !

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Calling costumed characters with big personalities gay has been the staple of your average ignorant hick for quite some time now. This will unfortunately continue because of bad parenting. The characters of Fandango and Rose are just as "gay" as a purple dinosaur and a telly tubby. Fans think this either because they think they are being funny and/or they lack the ability to separate fantasy from reality.

 

[RJ Fletcher]

The only reason I would think that of Adam Rose is because his character reminds me of Lenny Lane's flamboyant persona in WCW.

Fandango is a lady's man! He's got (had) two fighting over him

 

[whoopin' ass]

If people do think they are gay, it is the flamboyance that does it, especially when you talk about Adam Rose. It's that over the top Hollywood gay stereotype and despite wwe saying how pg they are, it is just too easy for them to use that to annoy people. Same reason Russians have to be the bad guys and Santino had to speak such poor broken English - when all else fails, aim low and use stereotypes.

 

[Dalkonian]

Ok! I realize this might be slightly off topic here, but I feel the need to point this out (and I'm not completely sure why). Anyway, here goes..Gay is NOT an insult, and I'm not sure why people keep using it as such. Usually, when you insult someone, you want to make them feel bad about themselves. So you want to give them traits or identities that are bad. So, selfish jerk can be an insult (although a mild one...I'm just giving an example here..let's not go overboard). Gay just doesn't work as an insult because...well, it just isn't bad.