I'm not trying to be contrarian here with this next comment/question and am wondering if you felt hurt by the relative lack of 

17 minutes ago, Ri S said:

 

Marc - speaking personally, as a gay person...

 

I can tell you that I would continue watching the show if it didn't change or update the LGBT representation. But I'd also be sad.

I tend to agree that television and movies are often overly sexualized for purely profit motivation. And I *don't* think that Wheel of Time needs to be more sexualized. It worked great at the PG-13 level.

 

But that's very different from LGBTQ representation. I read those books so much hoping to see some part of myself reflected in it. When you feel a part of something - especially something as big and expansive as Wheel of Time is - and then you feel like representations of you are barely present, aren't accurate, or are disrespectful, it's hurtful.

 

That said, it's easier to excuse that in novels because novels are the work of one individual creator - the author. No one author can faithfully represent all of humanity, and I think Jordan and Sanderson did about as well as they could in representing a wide array of people within their humanly limited perspectives.

 

But when you expand to a much, much, much larger creative teams of directors, actors, a dozen writers, designers, and more... there is a heightened expectation that that team will be able to better put forward a larger set of perspectives, so that everyone can feel welcome.

I'm not trying to be contrarian with my next comment/question and am genuinely interested in your response.  Did you feel hurt and marginalized with the relative lack of explicit LGBTQ content when reading the book series?  If so, why did you continue to read the books?  Can the books not be said to stand well on their own as written and to provide a wonderful reading experience even without the explicit LGBTQ content?  If not, why read the books.  You can certainly choose to do different than what I chose to do when I encountered content in GOT that led me to feeling quite uncomfortable and put off.  I stopped reading the series and chose not to watch the show when it was available to me.

If reading the books was pleasurable to you, as they stand, is it necessary to change the show or could it still provide a pleasurable viewing experience without having to fundamentally change its context and characters in order to fit the political tenets of society in general?  We may disagree but if these types of changes are put into place for change or pandering sake, it would ruin the story and ruin the viewing experience and I would not watch it.  

If there was a book where LGBTQ was the majority lifestyle and heterosexual lifestyles and tendencies are attacked or marginalized I would simply choose not to read it nor would I expect than to change the content if they made a show out if it just in order to more accurately reflect the realities of the society in which I live.  It would change the story.  No, I would simply not choose to watch it and not demand it be changed to fit my feelings more comfortably.

But, to each their own. If this story is changed in the manner we have been talking about, I will not be watching.

This whole conversation saddens me.  When I first heard that this long-term fantasy of the WOT becoming a TV series I was thrilled!  My next evolution in thought was that I hoped it would not be turned into something like GOT because of all the gratuitous and sleazy sex.  I haven't watched a single minute of GOT for this very reason!  I didn't read the series for this very reason.  I got half way through the first GOT book and had to stop because of graphic adult consensual incest and toddlers being shoved out of windows.

Now not only is there more than hints that sex and nudity, virtually all of which could be implied as it was in the actual books (no real description of nudity nor sex took place in the books.  It was just stated that it happened and this can certainly, very easily remain implicit and not explicit in the TV show) will be taking place a la GOT but we have to create LGBTQ themes where none exists because where it did exist in the books (again very implicit and not explicit) is just not enough to be "woke".  It's very sad.  

I'm hoping to be able to watch this series with my two teenage children and had planned on subscribing to Amazon Prime so as to be able to gain access to the show.  If they do indeed go in this direction none of that will be happening in my house.

Are we seriously thinking that those who love fantasy and who love this series will not watch it if there is not enough sex or gay characters???

Are we thinking that if someone is gay or just really loves sex scenes that they won't watch if this doesn't have enough gayness or sex??? 

I'd venture to guess that the numbers of folks who tune out if it's there will at least equal if not exceed the numbers who tune in if LGBTQ stuff is crammed down their throats and gratuitous sex and nudity is highlighted.

I could be wrong on the predicted numbers but this is one household, and I know many, many others, that will not be watching if this happens.  I'll just stick to the books.