'That 70s Show' Spoff Has a Gay Ma Character - Gayety

'THAT '90S SHOW' VIEWERS TORN OVER GAY REPRENTATN NETFLIX SPOFF
FIRST LOOK AT NETFLIX’S THAT ’90S SHOW, CLUDG GAY CHARACTER
GAY PRI REMAS COMPLITED ON THAT '90S SHOW
“THAT ’90S SHOW” …TOO MUCH GAY, NOT ENOUGH FUNNY
THAT ’90S SHOW’S TEEN STAR REYN DOI STEALS THE SHOW AS GAY CHARACTER OZZIE
THAT ’90S SHOW GAY CHARACTER OZZIE IS BREAKG NEW GROUND FOR S REPRENTATN
‘THAT ’90S SHOW’ IS A CYNIL TRAWRECK: EVERYTHG THAT ANNOYED ME ABOUT ITGOODBYE, WISCONSIN!HOW DID THIS AWFUL REBOOT OF ‘THAT ’70S SHOW’ BETRAY ME? LET ME UNT THE WAYS…LRA BRADLEYSENR ENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED JAN. 22, 2023 12:40AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 21, 2023 10:17PM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ER O'FLYNN/THE DAILY BEAST/NETFLIXTHERE’S A MOMENT THAT ’90S SHOW WHEN BOB PCTTI—FATHER TO LRA PREPON’S THAT ’70S SHOW CHARACTER, DONNA—SERENAS HIS GRANDDGHTER WH AN CREDIBLY APPROPRIATE BALLAD. IT’S THE KD OF MOMENT THAT WOULD HAVE FELT RIGHT AT HOME THE ORIGAL SERI, BUT SADLY, DON’T QUE H THE SAME NOW. THE SCENE, LIKE MUCH OF THE SHOW THAT NTAS , FEELS MORE AK TO TAKG A PUFF OF SPERATN OM A MOLDY OLD JOT.THERE WAS NO FAIAR HIGH AS I WATCHED A JERRY-CURLED DON STARK BLEAT OUT BOYZ II MEN’S “I’LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU” TO HIS GRANDDGHTER, LEIA FORMAN. INSTEAD, I FELT A STRANGE MOMENT OF SYNCHRONICY WH THAT POOR, MORTIFIED TEENAGER. LIKE HER, I WAS WNSG A PLETE LLAPSE OF MEDIA PREHENSN. THAT ’90S SHOW IS A FAILURE TO READ THE ROOM ON PAR WH CRYSTAL PEPSI—A TRANSPARENT, POORLY BRAND FAILURE THAT LEAV A PRSG TASTE THE MOUTH.THE MOST STANTLY NOTICEABLE MISTAK THAT ’90S SHOW E DOWN TO STG AND WRG. THE ORIGAL THAT ’70S TEENS HAD THE KD OF CHEMISTRY THAT MOST STG AGENTS ONLY DREAM ABOUT. ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THIS GO-AROUND, PASTAKG EFFORTS WOULD HAVE BEEN MA TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW KIDS OF POT PLACE, WISNS WOULD HAVE THE SAME RAPPORT. SADLY, NETFLIX DID NOT BOTHER TO DO THIS; PLACE OF A HODGE-PODGE OF PLEMENTARY MISFS, WE GET A ROOMFUL OF TEENS WHOSE REASONS FOR HANGG OUT TOGETHER ARE BORRLE IMPOSSIBLE TO FATHOM.CONSIR, FOR STANCE, THE WAY LEIA FORMAN—ERIC AND DONNA’S DORKY DGHTER, PREDICTABLY NAMED AFTER A CERTA STAR WARS PRCS—MEETS HER FIRST IEND POT PLACE. WHEN SHE AND HER PARENTS STOP BY FOR A VIS AHEAD OF A FATHER-DGHTER TRIP TO SPACE MP, LEIA WANRS OFF TO SPY ON A COOL GIRL™ NEXT DOOR, WHOM SHE HEARS JAMMG OUT TO ALANIS MORISSETTE. WHEN SAID NEIGHBOR—GWEN, PLAYED BY ASHLEY AUFRHEI—TCH HER, THEY BEE IENDS WHOUT CINT BEE SPE BEG A VOYR AND A DORK, LEIA HAPPENS TO HAVE A BOOTLEGGED CD OM CHIGO. HOW DO THAT WORK? WHILE WE’RE ASKG QUTNS: WHY IS THE DRIVEN AND STUD NIKKI (SAM MORELOS) ACTUALLY TERTED HER BLANDLY RENRED JOCK BOYIEND, NATE (MAXWELL ACEE DONOVAN)? THAT ’90S SHOW SEEMS TO BELIEVE THAT IF VIEWERS SEE THEM MAKE OUT ENOUGH, THEY’LL BELIEVE THE RELATNSHIP—BUT AS ASHTON KUTCHER AND MILA KUNIS’ MICHAEL AND JACKIE OM THE ORIGAL N TELL YOU, THE KEY TO A GOOD TV RELATNSHIP IS ALL ABOUT THE ROMANTIC TENSN, AND THE TWO SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE . KURTWOOD SMH AS RED FORMAN, TOPHER GRACE AS ERIC FORMAN, DEBRA JO RUPP AS KTY FORMAN, CALLIE HAVERDA AS LEIA FORMAN EPISO 101 OF THAT ‘90S SHOW. PATRICK WYMORE/NETFLIX AND SPEAKG OF KELSOS: IS JAY KELSO (SON OF MICHAEL AND JACKIE, AND THE HUNK OF THE GROUP) SUPPOSED TO BE, LIKE, LIKABLE? BEE AS HE EXISTS THIS SERI, HE’S MOSTLY JT OILED UP AND OAFISH. NOT EXACTLY A HEARTTHROB. ALSO, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO KELSO’S DGHTER, BETSY, AND HER MOTHER BROOKE? HOW ARE KELSO AND JACKIE TOGETHER AFTER ENDG THE SERI DIFFERENT RELATNSHIPS? DO FEZ STILL RRY A TORCH FOR JACKIE? GOD KNOWS WE’RE NOT MENTNG HER PAST RELATNSHIP WH HY—OR HY HIMSELF, FOR GOOD REASON—BUT ARE WE REALLY GOG TO PRETEND LIKE BETSY AND BROOKE NEVER HAPPENED? AS KELSO HIMSELF MIGHT SAY: BURN?IT SHOULD E AS NO SURPRISE, GIVEN HOW LTLE RE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN PUT TO NSTCTG THE NEW CHARACTERS AND ARCS, THAT THAT ’90S SHOW’S FAIARY WH THE ’90S IS FACILE AT BT AND PURE REVISNIST DREAMG AT WORST.GWEN MIGHT VOKE THE RT GRRRL MANIFTO, BUT SHE ALSO ADMS TO HAVG ONLY SKIMMED —WHICH IS BASILLY WHAT THE SERI DO WH ’90S CULTURE WR LARGE. SAVE FOR A HORRENDOLY DISTRACTG WIG ON MORELOS, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE STUM SEEN HERE ULD BE PURCHASED ON SHE. (SAVE, PERHAPS, FOR NATE, WHOSE VOTN TO JERSEYS AS FASHN STATEMENTS DO FEEL VERY ’90S.) RATHER THAN ENGAGE WH WHAT LIFE WAS ACTUALLY LIKE AT THE TIME, THAT ’90S SHOW GRAFTS OLD REFERENC ONTO WHAT OTHERWISE ULD BE A MORN SETTG: ZIMA! BILL CLTON ON ARSEN! FLANNEL! ALANIS! IT’S A CEL IRONY THAT ’90’S ONE ENTERTAG ADDN TO THE THAT ’70S SHOW UNIVERSE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE S MOST IMPLSIBLE: AS OZZIE, ACTOR REYN DOI IS A CHARISMATIC FORCE. HIS EDIC TIMG IS KILLER, AND HIS NSISTENTLY SHARP LE LIVERI BREATHE LIFE TO AN OTHERWISE NARLEPTIC SCRIPT. UNFORTUNATELY, GIVEN THE SETTG, THIS CHARACTER MAK LTLE TO NO SENSE.THAT ’90S SHOW LIK TO IMAGE A KR VERSN OF S TIME PERD. THE SHOW’S VISN OF SUBURBAN WISNS IS DIVERSE AND ACCEPTG—SO MUCH SO THAT OZZIE, A YOUNG GAY TEEN, IS OUT TO ALL OF HIS IENDS AND HAS A MULTI-STEP PLAN TO EVENTUALLY E OUT TO EVERYONE ELSE. ON ONE HAND, ’S HEARTWARMG TO SEE THIS CHARACTER ON SCREEN. BUT THIS APPROACH ALSO THREATENS TO ERASE THE GRIM REALI OF THOSE TIM—REALI THAT NTUE TO FLUENCE THE PRENT. REYN DOI AS OZZIE EPISO 101 OF THAT ‘90S SHOW. PATRICK WYMORE/NETFLIX THERE’S A REASON THAT FRIENDS—A SERI THAT ACTUALLY AIRED THE ’90S—SPENT NEARLY S ENTIRE N PRETENDG THAT BLACK PEOPLE DON’T EXIST NEW YORK. THE TERM “SUPERPREDATOR” SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE THE MID-90S, RAG TERROR ON A GENERATN OF BLACK YOUTH. ELLEN DEGENER LOST HER SHOW AND ALMOST HER REER BEE SHE ME OUT ON TELEVISN AS A FICTNALIZED VERSN OF HERSELF; TELEVANGELIST JERRY FALWELL BRAND HER “ELLEN DEGENERATE,” A NICKNAME THAT BEME POPULAR AMONG BIGOTS FAR AND WI. IT WASN’T UNTIL THE LATE 2000’S THAT AN AD MPAIGN BEGAN TO PH BACK AGAST PHRAS LIKE “THAT’S SO GAY!”IT’S MORE PLEASANT TO IMAGE A VERSN OF THE ’90S (OR TODAY) WHICH SUBURBAN WISNS IS NOT SO LILY-WHE. IT’S SOOTHG TO PICTURE THE ’90S AS A TIME SHAPED BY POP HS AND NOVELTY SOFT DRKS STEAD OF REPRSIVE POLICI LIKE THE 1994 CRIME BILL, THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT, AND DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL. AND ’S THARTIC, TO A POT, TO SEE A YOUNG GAY TEENAGER G TO HIS OWN SUCH A PLACE—WHOUT THE FEAR AND TERNALIZED SHAME MANY OF REAL-LIFE FORMER QUEER KIDS OF THE ’90S ED TO RRY. BUT WHO, OR WHAT, ARE THE WARM, FUZZY, SOFT-FOCED DREAMS OF OUR LLECTIVE PAST REALLY HELPG?THAT ’90S SHOW ONLY FEELS MORE CYNIL ONCE FEZ SHOWS UP. IF THE ARGUMENT FOR CLUDG AN ANACHRONISTIC CHARACTER LIKE OZZIE THAT DOG SO HELPS RIGHT THE PROBLEMATIC WRONGS OF THE PAST, WHY IS WILMER VALRAMMA’S HEAVILY ACCENTED FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUNT STILL AS STEREOTYPIL AS EVER? IN FACT, THE PRIMARY JOKE ABOUT FEZ THROUGHOUT THE NEW SERI REMAS HIS FEMIZED PRENTATN—A PUNCHLE ONE WOULD THK WE’D BE LEAVG BEHD IF WE’RE TRYG TO TAKE A MORE ENLIGHTENED VIEW ON SEX, SEXUALY, AND GENR. BUT HOLLYWOOD HAS A TALENT FOR SELF MYTHOLOGY, AND ONE OF THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY’S GREATT TRICKS OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN NVCG A GENERATN OF VIEWERS THAT REPRENTATN PRODUC REAL SOCIAL PROGRS WHEN REALY, ’S MERELY A SYMPTOM OF PROGRS MA ELSEWHERE. ANOTHER NETFLIX SERI, RYAN MURPHY’S HOLLYWOOD, WAS EMBLEMATIC OF THAT PERNIC IA: THE SERI CREAT A FANTASY OF TSELTOWN’S GOLN AGE WHICH EVERYONE N FD ACCEPTANCE AND REGNN. IT’S A PLEASANT FANTASY, BUT JT LIKE THAT ’90S SHOW, ’S ALSO AN EMPTY ONE THAT DO MORE TO OBSCURE THE WRONGS OF THE PAST THAN TO FIX THEM THE PRENT.IN THAT ’90S SHOW’S SE, THIS MIGHT ALL BE AN OVERREACTN. EVEN AS A VOUT BUZZKILL, I REGNIZE THAT THIS SHOW IS, AT S RE, A HO-HUM REVIVAL OF AN EXCELLENT BUT MOSTLY ORDARY S. BUT THERE’S SOMETHG SID ABOUT PROJECTS LIKE THE—LAZY HALF-REMEMBRANC OF THE PAST THAT VE TO RCE OUR CULTURAL HISTORY TO A LLECTIBLE STACK OF SONG TL AND PRODUCTS WHILE SWEEPG ALL THE BAD STUFF UNR THE DOOR-OUTDOOR RPETG. IT’S A GREAT PLOY FOR MEDIA EXECUTIV, WHO REMA OVERWHELMGLY WHE AND STRAIGHT AND WEALTHY ENOUGH TO BE REMOVED OM THE ISSU THAT UNRP EVERYDAY LIFE THE REAL WORLD. BUT WHAT’S DOG FOR EVERYONE ELSE?KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. LRA BRADLEY
THE GAY '90S
IS FEZ GAY NETFLIX’S THAT 90S SHOW: REDD USER WONRS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY!
‘THAT 70S SHOW’ SPOFF HAS A GAY MA CHARACTER

'THAT '90S SHOW' VIEWERS TORN OVER GAY REPRENTATN NETFLIX SPOFF

"That '70s Show" has been given the reboot treatment at Netflix, and the s has troduced a new character Ozzie who out as gay. * that 90s show gay *

Lookg to revent herself, Leia starts to realize that through new iendships and adventur she may be able to do jt that Pot Place, jt like her parents did all those years before viewers appeared divid by LGBTQ reprentatn the show, cludg character Ozzie (Reyn Doi) who out as gay durg the first season.

FIRST LOOK AT NETFLIX’S THAT ’90S SHOW, CLUDG GAY CHARACTER

* that 90s show gay *

" In the first season, Ozzie me out as gay.

In That '90s Show, Ozzie is out and proud wh his clost iends, namely Leia, her neighbor Gwen (Ashley Aufrhei), Gwen's brother Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan), and his girliend Nikki (Sam Morelos) is also another sweet moment the first season, where Ozzie tells Kty about his sexualy and asks her if she was "okay" wh the fact that he is gay, to which she rponds that of urse she is okay wh , and giv him a storyle and the cln of a gay character has been hailed as groundbreakg, wh Canadian LGBTQ publitn In Magaze sayg Ozzie "leads the charge for a wele change reprentatn" ss. Reflectg on the show as a whole, one viewer said they "love the cln of a gay character, " while another hailed the scene which Kty reacted to Ozzie tellg her that he is viewer wrote: "THE SCENE WHEN OZZIE ASKED KITTY IF SHES OK WITH HIM BEING GAY & KITTY BEING SO ACCEPTING OF IT IS MAKING ME HAPPY CRY [sic]"THE SCENE WHEN OZZIE ASKED KITTY IF SHES OK WITH HIM BEING GAY & KITTY BEING SO ACCEPTING OF IT IS MAKING ME HAPPY CRY????? #That90sShow— ✨?✨ (@toriimariaa) January 19, 2023. Is believable there would be a gay teenager who's out to his iends and they're jt ok wh WISCONSIN of all plac the 1990s?!

GAY PRI REMAS COMPLITED ON THAT '90S SHOW

A character named Ozzie appears as one of the ma members of the young st That ‘90s Show. He brgs a new perspective to a anchise that didn’t exactly portray gay characters a wele light prevly. Ozzie is played by actor Reyn Doi and n be seen as an outlier much to the same gree that Wilmer Valrrama’s Fez was That ‘70s Show. * that 90s show gay *

Well I'll take a normal teenage life for a gay kid on TV over hate crime storyl"Look I love reprentatn but like #That90sShow...

“THAT ’90S SHOW” …TOO MUCH GAY, NOT ENOUGH FUNNY

An x page listg Gay '90s ntent. No, not the "gay" you were thkg of, nor The '90s you were thkg of, for that matter. This trope vers … * that 90s show gay *

Well I'll take a normal teenage life for a gay kid on TV over hate crime storyl— ?ℝ?? (@krztophr) January 19, 2023. Some viewers also bated the character of Leia, wh one viewer sayg was "a sad realy" that she was unlikely to be gay bee the show already featured Ozzie. Pl the one gay character on the show is one of the most annoyg characters i've ever seen"my roommate is makg me watch that 90s show and they aren’t lbians???

Pl the one gay character on the show is one of the most annoyg characters i’ve ever seen— raven (@lbian_fabray) January 20, 2023. A mory of Twter ers cricized the show for even cludg one gay character, claimg Netflix had ma That '90s Show "woke. "One person wrote: "#That90sShow Hate How @flix gave to the woke agenda wh the 'gay' kid character ? talk about g a show..

"#That90sShow Hate How @flix gave to the woke agenda wh the "gay" kid character ? talk about g a show.. Some viewers may have fotten that That '70s Show actually ma history when me to gay reprentatn on Amerin televisn, as was the first to feature a kiss between two male characters on North Amerin primetime the show's but season, Joseph Gordon-Levt, a meo as Buddy Man "Eric's Buddy, " was a lab partner of Topher Grace's bondg all episo and startg to believe that Eric might also be gay, Buddy cid to kiss his classmate. Netflix has released first look imag and a teaser trailer for That ‘90s Show, and featur a gay character!

THAT ’90S SHOW’S TEEN STAR REYN DOI STEALS THE SHOW AS GAY CHARACTER OZZIE

Ozzie is gay and impatient wh the world for not beg as acceptg as his iends. The 14-year-old actor and dancer, who's stolen dienc' hearts after his character Ozzie me out as gay to beloved s mom Kty Forman (Debra Jo Rupp), tells PEOPLE that filmg the heartfelt scene Netflix's That '70s Show reboot "was fely a joy.

THAT ’90S SHOW GAY CHARACTER OZZIE IS BREAKG NEW GROUND FOR S REPRENTATN

Buddy was smart and rich and had a ol r, and as happened, he was gay. Nobody the episo shamed or berated him, and nobody exprsed any homophobic disgt when he wasn’t earshot. Even if he didn’t get the guy, he still got to be a gay teenage boy livg a normal life.

‘THAT ’90S SHOW’ IS A CYNIL TRAWRECK: EVERYTHG THAT ANNOYED ME ABOUT ITGOODBYE, WISCONSIN!HOW DID THIS AWFUL REBOOT OF ‘THAT ’70S SHOW’ BETRAY ME? LET ME UNT THE WAYS…LRA BRADLEYSENR ENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED JAN. 22, 2023 12:40AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 21, 2023 10:17PM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ER O'FLYNN/THE DAILY BEAST/NETFLIXTHERE’S A MOMENT THAT ’90S SHOW WHEN BOB PCTTI—FATHER TO LRA PREPON’S THAT ’70S SHOW CHARACTER, DONNA—SERENAS HIS GRANDDGHTER WH AN CREDIBLY APPROPRIATE BALLAD. IT’S THE KD OF MOMENT THAT WOULD HAVE FELT RIGHT AT HOME THE ORIGAL SERI, BUT SADLY, DON’T QUE H THE SAME NOW. THE SCENE, LIKE MUCH OF THE SHOW THAT NTAS , FEELS MORE AK TO TAKG A PUFF OF SPERATN OM A MOLDY OLD JOT.THERE WAS NO FAIAR HIGH AS I WATCHED A JERRY-CURLED DON STARK BLEAT OUT BOYZ II MEN’S “I’LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU” TO HIS GRANDDGHTER, LEIA FORMAN. INSTEAD, I FELT A STRANGE MOMENT OF SYNCHRONICY WH THAT POOR, MORTIFIED TEENAGER. LIKE HER, I WAS WNSG A PLETE LLAPSE OF MEDIA PREHENSN. THAT ’90S SHOW IS A FAILURE TO READ THE ROOM ON PAR WH CRYSTAL PEPSI—A TRANSPARENT, POORLY BRAND FAILURE THAT LEAV A PRSG TASTE THE MOUTH.THE MOST STANTLY NOTICEABLE MISTAK THAT ’90S SHOW E DOWN TO STG AND WRG. THE ORIGAL THAT ’70S TEENS HAD THE KD OF CHEMISTRY THAT MOST STG AGENTS ONLY DREAM ABOUT. ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THIS GO-AROUND, PASTAKG EFFORTS WOULD HAVE BEEN MA TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW KIDS OF POT PLACE, WISNS WOULD HAVE THE SAME RAPPORT. SADLY, NETFLIX DID NOT BOTHER TO DO THIS; PLACE OF A HODGE-PODGE OF PLEMENTARY MISFS, WE GET A ROOMFUL OF TEENS WHOSE REASONS FOR HANGG OUT TOGETHER ARE BORRLE IMPOSSIBLE TO FATHOM.CONSIR, FOR STANCE, THE WAY LEIA FORMAN—ERIC AND DONNA’S DORKY DGHTER, PREDICTABLY NAMED AFTER A CERTA STAR WARS PRCS—MEETS HER FIRST IEND POT PLACE. WHEN SHE AND HER PARENTS STOP BY FOR A VIS AHEAD OF A FATHER-DGHTER TRIP TO SPACE MP, LEIA WANRS OFF TO SPY ON A COOL GIRL™ NEXT DOOR, WHOM SHE HEARS JAMMG OUT TO ALANIS MORISSETTE. WHEN SAID NEIGHBOR—GWEN, PLAYED BY ASHLEY AUFRHEI—TCH HER, THEY BEE IENDS WHOUT CINT BEE SPE BEG A VOYR AND A DORK, LEIA HAPPENS TO HAVE A BOOTLEGGED CD OM CHIGO. HOW DO THAT WORK? WHILE WE’RE ASKG QUTNS: WHY IS THE DRIVEN AND STUD NIKKI (SAM MORELOS) ACTUALLY TERTED HER BLANDLY RENRED JOCK BOYIEND, NATE (MAXWELL ACEE DONOVAN)? THAT ’90S SHOW SEEMS TO BELIEVE THAT IF VIEWERS SEE THEM MAKE OUT ENOUGH, THEY’LL BELIEVE THE RELATNSHIP—BUT AS ASHTON KUTCHER AND MILA KUNIS’ MICHAEL AND JACKIE OM THE ORIGAL N TELL YOU, THE KEY TO A GOOD TV RELATNSHIP IS ALL ABOUT THE ROMANTIC TENSN, AND THE TWO SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE . KURTWOOD SMH AS RED FORMAN, TOPHER GRACE AS ERIC FORMAN, DEBRA JO RUPP AS KTY FORMAN, CALLIE HAVERDA AS LEIA FORMAN EPISO 101 OF THAT ‘90S SHOW. PATRICK WYMORE/NETFLIX AND SPEAKG OF KELSOS: IS JAY KELSO (SON OF MICHAEL AND JACKIE, AND THE HUNK OF THE GROUP) SUPPOSED TO BE, LIKE, LIKABLE? BEE AS HE EXISTS THIS SERI, HE’S MOSTLY JT OILED UP AND OAFISH. NOT EXACTLY A HEARTTHROB. ALSO, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO KELSO’S DGHTER, BETSY, AND HER MOTHER BROOKE? HOW ARE KELSO AND JACKIE TOGETHER AFTER ENDG THE SERI DIFFERENT RELATNSHIPS? DO FEZ STILL RRY A TORCH FOR JACKIE? GOD KNOWS WE’RE NOT MENTNG HER PAST RELATNSHIP WH HY—OR HY HIMSELF, FOR GOOD REASON—BUT ARE WE REALLY GOG TO PRETEND LIKE BETSY AND BROOKE NEVER HAPPENED? AS KELSO HIMSELF MIGHT SAY: BURN?IT SHOULD E AS NO SURPRISE, GIVEN HOW LTLE RE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN PUT TO NSTCTG THE NEW CHARACTERS AND ARCS, THAT THAT ’90S SHOW’S FAIARY WH THE ’90S IS FACILE AT BT AND PURE REVISNIST DREAMG AT WORST.GWEN MIGHT VOKE THE RT GRRRL MANIFTO, BUT SHE ALSO ADMS TO HAVG ONLY SKIMMED —WHICH IS BASILLY WHAT THE SERI DO WH ’90S CULTURE WR LARGE. SAVE FOR A HORRENDOLY DISTRACTG WIG ON MORELOS, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE STUM SEEN HERE ULD BE PURCHASED ON SHE. (SAVE, PERHAPS, FOR NATE, WHOSE VOTN TO JERSEYS AS FASHN STATEMENTS DO FEEL VERY ’90S.) RATHER THAN ENGAGE WH WHAT LIFE WAS ACTUALLY LIKE AT THE TIME, THAT ’90S SHOW GRAFTS OLD REFERENC ONTO WHAT OTHERWISE ULD BE A MORN SETTG: ZIMA! BILL CLTON ON ARSEN! FLANNEL! ALANIS! IT’S A CEL IRONY THAT ’90’S ONE ENTERTAG ADDN TO THE THAT ’70S SHOW UNIVERSE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE S MOST IMPLSIBLE: AS OZZIE, ACTOR REYN DOI IS A CHARISMATIC FORCE. HIS EDIC TIMG IS KILLER, AND HIS NSISTENTLY SHARP LE LIVERI BREATHE LIFE TO AN OTHERWISE NARLEPTIC SCRIPT. UNFORTUNATELY, GIVEN THE SETTG, THIS CHARACTER MAK LTLE TO NO SENSE.THAT ’90S SHOW LIK TO IMAGE A KR VERSN OF S TIME PERD. THE SHOW’S VISN OF SUBURBAN WISNS IS DIVERSE AND ACCEPTG—SO MUCH SO THAT OZZIE, A YOUNG GAY TEEN, IS OUT TO ALL OF HIS IENDS AND HAS A MULTI-STEP PLAN TO EVENTUALLY E OUT TO EVERYONE ELSE. ON ONE HAND, ’S HEARTWARMG TO SEE THIS CHARACTER ON SCREEN. BUT THIS APPROACH ALSO THREATENS TO ERASE THE GRIM REALI OF THOSE TIM—REALI THAT NTUE TO FLUENCE THE PRENT. REYN DOI AS OZZIE EPISO 101 OF THAT ‘90S SHOW. PATRICK WYMORE/NETFLIX THERE’S A REASON THAT FRIENDS—A SERI THAT ACTUALLY AIRED THE ’90S—SPENT NEARLY S ENTIRE N PRETENDG THAT BLACK PEOPLE DON’T EXIST NEW YORK. THE TERM “SUPERPREDATOR” SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE THE MID-90S, RAG TERROR ON A GENERATN OF BLACK YOUTH. ELLEN DEGENER LOST HER SHOW AND ALMOST HER REER BEE SHE ME OUT ON TELEVISN AS A FICTNALIZED VERSN OF HERSELF; TELEVANGELIST JERRY FALWELL BRAND HER “ELLEN DEGENERATE,” A NICKNAME THAT BEME POPULAR AMONG BIGOTS FAR AND WI. IT WASN’T UNTIL THE LATE 2000’S THAT AN AD MPAIGN BEGAN TO PH BACK AGAST PHRAS LIKE “THAT’S SO GAY!”IT’S MORE PLEASANT TO IMAGE A VERSN OF THE ’90S (OR TODAY) WHICH SUBURBAN WISNS IS NOT SO LILY-WHE. IT’S SOOTHG TO PICTURE THE ’90S AS A TIME SHAPED BY POP HS AND NOVELTY SOFT DRKS STEAD OF REPRSIVE POLICI LIKE THE 1994 CRIME BILL, THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT, AND DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL. AND ’S THARTIC, TO A POT, TO SEE A YOUNG GAY TEENAGER G TO HIS OWN SUCH A PLACE—WHOUT THE FEAR AND TERNALIZED SHAME MANY OF REAL-LIFE FORMER QUEER KIDS OF THE ’90S ED TO RRY. BUT WHO, OR WHAT, ARE THE WARM, FUZZY, SOFT-FOCED DREAMS OF OUR LLECTIVE PAST REALLY HELPG?THAT ’90S SHOW ONLY FEELS MORE CYNIL ONCE FEZ SHOWS UP. IF THE ARGUMENT FOR CLUDG AN ANACHRONISTIC CHARACTER LIKE OZZIE THAT DOG SO HELPS RIGHT THE PROBLEMATIC WRONGS OF THE PAST, WHY IS WILMER VALRAMMA’S HEAVILY ACCENTED FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUNT STILL AS STEREOTYPIL AS EVER? IN FACT, THE PRIMARY JOKE ABOUT FEZ THROUGHOUT THE NEW SERI REMAS HIS FEMIZED PRENTATN—A PUNCHLE ONE WOULD THK WE’D BE LEAVG BEHD IF WE’RE TRYG TO TAKE A MORE ENLIGHTENED VIEW ON SEX, SEXUALY, AND GENR. BUT HOLLYWOOD HAS A TALENT FOR SELF MYTHOLOGY, AND ONE OF THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY’S GREATT TRICKS OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN NVCG A GENERATN OF VIEWERS THAT REPRENTATN PRODUC REAL SOCIAL PROGRS WHEN REALY, ’S MERELY A SYMPTOM OF PROGRS MA ELSEWHERE. ANOTHER NETFLIX SERI, RYAN MURPHY’S HOLLYWOOD, WAS EMBLEMATIC OF THAT PERNIC IA: THE SERI CREAT A FANTASY OF TSELTOWN’S GOLN AGE WHICH EVERYONE N FD ACCEPTANCE AND REGNN. IT’S A PLEASANT FANTASY, BUT JT LIKE THAT ’90S SHOW, ’S ALSO AN EMPTY ONE THAT DO MORE TO OBSCURE THE WRONGS OF THE PAST THAN TO FIX THEM THE PRENT.IN THAT ’90S SHOW’S SE, THIS MIGHT ALL BE AN OVERREACTN. EVEN AS A VOUT BUZZKILL, I REGNIZE THAT THIS SHOW IS, AT S RE, A HO-HUM REVIVAL OF AN EXCELLENT BUT MOSTLY ORDARY S. BUT THERE’S SOMETHG SID ABOUT PROJECTS LIKE THE—LAZY HALF-REMEMBRANC OF THE PAST THAT VE TO RCE OUR CULTURAL HISTORY TO A LLECTIBLE STACK OF SONG TL AND PRODUCTS WHILE SWEEPG ALL THE BAD STUFF UNR THE DOOR-OUTDOOR RPETG. IT’S A GREAT PLOY FOR MEDIA EXECUTIV, WHO REMA OVERWHELMGLY WHE AND STRAIGHT AND WEALTHY ENOUGH TO BE REMOVED OM THE ISSU THAT UNRP EVERYDAY LIFE THE REAL WORLD. BUT WHAT’S DOG FOR EVERYONE ELSE?KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. LRA BRADLEY

There are plenty of theori about why Buddy never returned to That ‘70s Show, cludg that the dience rejected the ia of a gay character. Fenton never explicly me out, but sce half the thgs he said were gay nuendos, wasn’t hard to gus which team he was on. Once aga, he allowed That ’70s Show to be a most-of-the-way ally for the queer muny, phg thgs a ltle beyond the norm whout gog full gay like Will and Grace or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

THE GAY '90S

By ntrast, Ozzie (Reyn Doi) is openly gay om the moment he appears on That ’90s Show. Instead of always beg “the gay one, ” he’s the sarstic, wty one who happens to be gay. The seri kd of addrs this when Ozzie explas how tratg is to be a gay kid small-town Wisns, and do let his Canadian boyiend be a real person stead of a figment of his imagatn.

IS FEZ GAY NETFLIX’S THAT 90S SHOW: REDD USER WONRS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY!

Sce h shows like Heartstopper are built around gay boys fallg love, wouldn’t even be revolutnary. Upon first glance, appears that Ozzie mak up for the fact that That '70s Show never ma Fez gay spe fillg the character wh effemate tras and leang to gay stereotyp the origal seri.

As a queer person myself, I feel like this episo do a really good job of portrayg what 's like to exist as a gay teenager ral Ameri. Ozzie explas to Leia when she's surprised he's not already out to everyone, "I'm a gay kid livg small-town Wisns. Though Leia already knows that Ozzie is gay bee Leia hasn't had to e out herself we see her sort of awkwardly relate the procs to tellg her parents that she wanted to change stments the school band.

Leia isn't pletely cluels eher, when a mismunitn botch Ozzie's first attempt to tell Kty he's gay she immediately vers for him at her own expense. When Ozzie fally fds the urage to tell Kty that he's gay, go betifully. When Ozzie clarifi that she's okay wh him beg gay, she leav no room for qutng by sayg that of urse she is, brgg him for a hug.