Has House (or other main characters) Changed?

[barefootpuddles.livejournal.com]

One of House's mottos, and David Shore's themes, is that "people don't change". Yet for some of us, there is some compelling evidence that this may not be true.[Poll #1821759]


Please remember that this discussion is not the place to bash other ships, actors, or fellow fans. If you want to rant in a way that violates the comm rules, link people to your own journal. Otherwise, happy discussing!

Comments

[damigella-314.livejournal.com]

House is very careful, because his parents and Stacy have betrayed him. I don't see House as oblivious, or afraid of a same-sex relationship, rather worried by Wilson's inability to stay faithful. Plus, Wilson throwing him out for Sam (!) was really too much (and, I think, not consistent: Wilson had just bought the condo with the explicit purpose of living there with House).
I also found House's nonsensical violence in S7 (remember the arrow-shooting at the hooker?) totally unbelievable.

But of course there's a strong basis in canon for your and barefootpuddles's viewpoints.

[pgrabia.livejournal.com]

I think if the writers were consistent then House wouldn't be afraid of same sex relationships or being gay but we have him insisting in "Broken" I think twice that he's 'not gay' and then later on in season 7 as well he said it at least once. That's what I was referring to. I agree that House is likely concerned about Wilson's fidelity, but I don't see that actually being emphasized in canon (though House has shown his disapproval of Wilson's cheating ways). Plus House is the one having sex with all those prostitutes, all of whom were women. It's almost overkill, and I don't think the soul reason was that he was trying to hurt Cuddy, although that was definitely a big part of it). I could be wrong, but I just get this feeling from House's words and behaviours (inconsistent as they may be, especially from the first three seasons) that he would be much more difficult to convince that he had feelings for Wilson that went beyond the platonic. House has also made derogatory jokes about homosexuality and bisexuality several times throughout the series, but Wilson hasn't, not even when alone with House and not trying to be politically correct. One might argue that Wilson freaked out when Nora believed he and House were lovers because he's straight or deep in denial, but I say that might have been due to the fact that she hit a little too close to comfort (which he is aware of, not in denial of) and he was worried that he was being too obvious about his alternate proclivities which House might then pick up on and be alienated or repulsed by (because House has always pushed this macho image of himself and teased Wilson about acting gay). He did go to House after and tell him that she thought they were gay and asked House what they should do about it. If Wilson was the one in denial, I think he would have known what to do immediately because he would have been secure in his heterosexuality. I think he was feeling things out with House, almost as if he was judging not only House's sexuality by his response but also House's evaluation of Wilson's sexual preferences. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, though.

In a less than efficient way I'm trying to say that Wilson is more aware of his tendency towards bisexuality or homosexuality than House is but he runs from it or at least tries to hide the truth from House because House has been very loud about his macho heterosexuality and has made fun of Wilson in derogatory ways for acting 'gay' or feminine. Wilson might therefore believe that House would be disgusted if he found out that Wilson wasn't straight as an arrow and end their friendship. Therefore, Wilson runs away when he gets too close to revealing to House his love and desire for House, which Wilson is aware of, not in denial of (examples of running away would be when he was living with House after Julie (ran to Grace) and then when he gave House the organ in season 6 (ran to Sam) ); because he doesn't want House to be disgusted and terminate their friendship. Wilson's lack of dating since Sam left may be to the fact that the failure with Sam convinced Wilson that he couldn't hide the fact that he was gay or bi any longer (and unable to make a relationship with a woman work) but if he tried a relationship with a man and House found out House might be alienated, so he's chosen not to date at all. (Wilson 'knows', after all, that he couldn't approach House with his love for him because that would definitely push House away so, if he were to try a relationship with a man it would have to be someone other than House.)

Am I making any sense at all?

ETA some emphasis or clarify a thought.

[petitecuriosity.livejournal.com]

Wow that...that makes a LOT of sense. You've brought up many many good points from previous seasons!

I also felt as though Wilson was trying to feel out House's opinions of non-straight relationships in the episode where he had the asexual patient, in the form of a bet. He read him facts out of a medical journal, and even stated that by them stating to the patient that his asexuality was only a cause of some sort of illness, that that would be akin to telling a gay person that they're really really straight.

[damigella-314.livejournal.com]

Great idea! I hadn't understood why they would want to throw the asexuals under the bus, but this makes sense.

[cuddyclothes.livejournal.com]

As for House's loud boastful heterosexuality, methinks he doth protests too much.

[pgrabia.livejournal.com]

I agree with Dami--that's an excellent point.

[damigella-314.livejournal.com]

You are totally right about Season 5+. What a compelling and consistent analysis. I will now try hard to believe that the writers actually meant it like that, and maybe that's how RSL (who's imho a fantastic actor) chose to play it.

On the other hand, in earlier season, House was making lewd jokes about Chase's ass, and he never seemed to find Cameron remotely attractive despite acknowledging her beauty. A bit like an artwork, not a sexual person, and excatly what you would expect from a gay man. Wilson was the one who seemed less at ease with homosexuality. They have changed a lot also in this respect.

My imoression is that the whoring etc was some decision in (I guess) season 5 by TPTB House's straight and in love (not just making fun of the slutty clothing of) Cuddy because we can't have a gay main character.

[pgrabia.livejournal.com]

You know, when I first started watching House back at the beginning of season one and especially for the pilot, the way House was written and played by HL, I was convinced off the bat he was either bi or gay. It was subtle, nothing stereotypical, just a certain nuance about him, the way he viewed people, looked at people, interacted with Wilson and Chase. I don't know. I didn't sense sexual tension between House and Cameron in the first couple of episodes; in fact, I sensed more of that between House and Chase and especially House and Wilson than I did between House and Cameron or House and Cuddy. When that nonsense with Cameron's crush, his reasons for hiring her, and that stupid date arc occurred I thought, "Oh, that's too bad. I thought House's character was more interesting and complicated than that." Am I crazy?

[damigella-314.livejournal.com]

I even saw the Cameron's arc with the date and the corsage(!) as one more piece of evidence. How classical is that, the good looking woman being attracted to the one man who doesn't show any interest in her? So I'm crazier than you at least.

[pgrabia.livejournal.com]

How classical is that, the good looking woman being attracted to the one man who doesn't show any interest in her?

That makes me think about something that happened with my daughter the other day. We were walking out of a department store the other day when this very good-looking, well-dressed young man (early twenties?) passed us going the other direction. My 15 year old smiled at him flirtatiously and he smiled back so she turned around to get a good look of the rear view when he walked up to his boyfriend and gave him a lingering kiss on the mouth.
Em turned to me, huffed, and said, "Damn! Another fine piece of flesh taken! Does every good-looking guy in this hick town have to be gay?" Then she quickly added, "It doesn't bother me if someone is gay. i have lots of friends at school who are gay, lesbian or bi--but could mother nature have the courtesy to leave a few of the hot ones for us poor straight girls?"

I have to admit I laughed at that one!

[damigella-314.livejournal.com]

could mother nature have the courtesy to leave a few of the hot ones for us poor straight girls?
LOL! There was a time when I felt the same. I sometime wonder whether gay men are better quality as average. I hope not.

And I'm a bit envious that you live in a part of the world where gay men feel safe kissing each other on the mouth in public. [In Milan two young men were beaten up for hand-holding last December. In center-town, in the middle of the Christmas-shopping crowd.]