With Reps Like These: Bisexuality and Celebrity Status

Abstract

The increase in chatter about bisexuality in Western, predominantly American popular culture might at first appear to be a promising development for the future of bisexual politics. Unfortunately, the actions of the celebrities who spurred discussion by openly admitting to being bisexuals ultimately reinforce stereotypes commonly associated with bisexuals. Furthermore, these stereotypes are deliberately promoted by media and news outlets that report en masse the actions and follies of these celebrities. A possible approach for bisexuals to counteract this widespread conflation is to then use these celebrities as foil for differentiating between “brands” of bisexuality.