Gay chucky
LGBTQ+ Themes in the “Chucky” Franchise
The iconic “Chucky” franchise is more than an influential horror property; it’s also important in terms of progressive LGBTQ+ representation.
Thinking of LGBTQ+ horror, Chucky (aka Child’s Play) is the first horror franchise that comes to mind.
While I haven’t written much on LGBTQ+ themes, it’s worth noting that I spot as the “B” in LGBTQ+. But I grew up during a moment when that acronym didn’t exist in the widespread vernacular, and issues about sexuality and gender self were only discussed in hushed tones accompanied by slurs and derisive comments.
Growing up during the 80s, if issues relating to gay, bisexual, or non-binary people were discussed at all, it was usually accompanied by homophobic comments. Not only did the term LGBTQ+ not occur, but neither did inclusive terms like transgender, nonbinary, pansexual, or asexual.
I treasure that I can investigate these issues now as they relate to my own journey. However, the absence of this growing up affected me in an adverse way.
This is why I wanted to write about the Chucky franchise.
The creator of this ic
Chucky Turns a Tired Horror Cliché on Its Head
Chucky explicitly links Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) exploring his sexual identity with him exploring his killer instincts, but without any of the shame that traditionally colors such metaphors. Photo: Steve Wilkie/USA Network
Charles Lee “Chucky” Ray has taken on many different roles in the 30-plus years since his debut in Child’s Play. Beyond the obvious — serial killer turned evil doll — he’s been a lovey-dovey antihero in Bride of Chucky, a reluctant father in Seed of Chucky, and a wisecracking shock jock as a mainstay at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. Now on Chucky, his first TV series, the titular excellent guy gone bad is something Chucky has never been before: an Gay ally.
On the show, now airing Tuesdays on Syfy and USA, Chucky has fallen into the hands of 14-year-old Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), a bullied loner struggling with his crush on classmate Devon (Björgvin Arnarson) and the abuse he faces from his single dad, Lucas (Devon Sawa). By the end of the first episode, Chucky has revealed himself to Jake with a nasty comedy routine at the school talent show and, more signifi
As Chucky series creator Don Mancini told SYFY in an interview after the Season 1 finale of his new show on SYFY & USA, horror is "a genre about outsiders; the beauty of being an outsider," which is why crossovers between the LGBTQ+ community and the horror genre are so common. In his new series, Chucky goes out of his way to show his allyship, going so far as to murder our new hero Jake Wheeler's (Zackary Arthur) homophobic father Luke (Devon Sawa) at the end of the first episode. With that admittedly extreme act, Chucky cements his new place in Jake's life as a murder mentor and the kind of accepting parental figure Jake never had.
How to Watch
Watch Chucky on SYFY. Stream from the beginning on Peacock.
However, is Chucky really an ally? In the above video, we've highlighted Chucky's allyship throughout Season 1, but in talking to Mancini, it becomes clear how much nuance there is to Chucky's interest in the matter of queerness.
Mancini says that, in limited, yes, Chucky is a queer ally. However, much of Season 1 sees Chucky exploring his have sexuality, which translates to how he interacts with Jake and the other characters running around Ha
Don Mancini: The Creator of Chucky is Gay?
Don Mancini is an American screenwriter and director. He’s most known for writing the Child’s Play series of movies. He has been a fan of the horror genre since he was a kid. He was inspired to note Child’s Play from the “Talky Tina” episode of The Twilight Zone. But doing so wasn’t uncomplicated. Numerous animatronics needed to have been made to give the killer doll his in movie movements.
Mancini found amusement in the hysteria that surrounded Cabbage Patch Kids in the mid 1980’s while he was a film learner at UCLA. His father worked in marketing, and as such, he knew how effective marketing really was. Based on this, Mancini wanted to compose a dark satirical film about how marketing affected children, with his first attempt becoming the co-writer of Child’s Play.
The Child’s Play series is an astonishing piece of serve for the time. It is considered one of the most LGBTQ warm horror franchises. Don Mancini himself is gay, and quite a few of the characters in his works are also LGBTQ. Tiffany Valentine, first appearing in Bride of Chucky, is played by Jennifer Tilly, a queer actress. The most clear instance of Mancini including LGBTQ
.
Chucky Turns a Tired Horror Cliché on Its Head
Chucky explicitly links Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) exploring his sexual identity with him exploring his killer instincts, but without any of the shame that traditionally colors such metaphors. Photo: Steve Wilkie/USA Network
Charles Lee “Chucky” Ray has taken on many different roles in the 30-plus years since his debut in Child’s Play. Beyond the obvious — serial killer turned evil doll — he’s been a lovey-dovey antihero in Bride of Chucky, a reluctant father in Seed of Chucky, and a wisecracking shock jock as a mainstay at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. Now on Chucky, his first TV series, the titular excellent guy gone bad is something Chucky has never been before: an Gay ally.
On the show, now airing Tuesdays on Syfy and USA, Chucky has fallen into the hands of 14-year-old Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur), a bullied loner struggling with his crush on classmate Devon (Björgvin Arnarson) and the abuse he faces from his single dad, Lucas (Devon Sawa). By the end of the first episode, Chucky has revealed himself to Jake with a nasty comedy routine at the school talent show and, more signifi
As Chucky series creator Don Mancini told SYFY in an interview after the Season 1 finale of his new show on SYFY & USA, horror is "a genre about outsiders; the beauty of being an outsider," which is why crossovers between the LGBTQ+ community and the horror genre are so common. In his new series, Chucky goes out of his way to show his allyship, going so far as to murder our new hero Jake Wheeler's (Zackary Arthur) homophobic father Luke (Devon Sawa) at the end of the first episode. With that admittedly extreme act, Chucky cements his new place in Jake's life as a murder mentor and the kind of accepting parental figure Jake never had.
How to Watch
Watch Chucky on SYFY. Stream from the beginning on Peacock.
However, is Chucky really an ally? In the above video, we've highlighted Chucky's allyship throughout Season 1, but in talking to Mancini, it becomes clear how much nuance there is to Chucky's interest in the matter of queerness.
Mancini says that, in limited, yes, Chucky is a queer ally. However, much of Season 1 sees Chucky exploring his have sexuality, which translates to how he interacts with Jake and the other characters running around Ha
Don Mancini: The Creator of Chucky is Gay?
Don Mancini is an American screenwriter and director. He’s most known for writing the Child’s Play series of movies. He has been a fan of the horror genre since he was a kid. He was inspired to note Child’s Play from the “Talky Tina” episode of The Twilight Zone. But doing so wasn’t uncomplicated. Numerous animatronics needed to have been made to give the killer doll his in movie movements.
Mancini found amusement in the hysteria that surrounded Cabbage Patch Kids in the mid 1980’s while he was a film learner at UCLA. His father worked in marketing, and as such, he knew how effective marketing really was. Based on this, Mancini wanted to compose a dark satirical film about how marketing affected children, with his first attempt becoming the co-writer of Child’s Play.
The Child’s Play series is an astonishing piece of serve for the time. It is considered one of the most LGBTQ warm horror franchises. Don Mancini himself is gay, and quite a few of the characters in his works are also LGBTQ. Tiffany Valentine, first appearing in Bride of Chucky, is played by Jennifer Tilly, a queer actress. The most clear instance of Mancini including LGBTQ
.