he Complexities of Character Perception: Audience Reactions to Disability and LGBTQIA+ Storylines
Audience Perception of Character Traits
In narratives with disability compared to sexual orientation, both pick traits that make others seen as selfless. The diagnosis of Charlie’s eating disorder occurs after the audience sees how concerned Nick and Charlie’s sister Tori are. One part of the concern is Charlie’s actions; the other is how to approach the topic.
Charlie’s Eating Disorder Diagnosis
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo from Unsplash
Balancing Actions and Approach
Nick researches to find out what’s going on with Charlie. This step of struggling is part of the process of being diagnosed, and how scary it can be to talk about the possible relief of treatment for the diagnosis there is.
According to Henderson, “Stigma is thus a product of social interaction between ‘the normal’ and ‘the stigmatized.’ During the process of stigmatization, people with mental illness are distinguished and labeled.
The Struggle and Fear of Diagnosis
Individuals who display certain characteristics that are culturally defined as ‘deviant’ thus become linked to undesirable features (‘labeled’) and are open to discrimination.” Finding a letter in the LGBTQIA+ community in Heartstopper is loving and liberating. That’s how it is for Nick and Charlie.
Stigmatization and Social Interaction
Contrasting Experiences: Nick/Charlie vs. Ben
However, another boy named Ben is meant to be the villain and an antithesis to Nick. “Ultimately, Ben is alone. He doesn’t have queer friends or gay relationships like what Charlie and Nick have. Ben doesn’t have accepting friends or accepting family members like Charlie and Nick have. Boys like Ben are suffocated by the closet and erased by homophobia.” (Telvin)
Disability as a Punishment Trope
This phenomenon of making villains queer can be seen in Disney’s Ursula or Captain Hook. Scar and Darth Vader are well-known villains who have disabilities. Disabled villains are a writer’s way of using a disability to be the reason they are evil. They are “paying for their sins” with disabling consequences.
Casting Choices and Representation
Disabled actors playing disabled characters are not often seen on screen. Casting an LGBTQIA+ actor for those parts is more expected in the social media age, where stars are placed to share personal details of their life.
Social Media’s Impact on Casting Expectations
In the case of minority characters, fans quickly judge actors outside the character’s demographic. As wholesome as Heartstopper is, when fans started harassing Kit Connor, claiming he was queerbaiting it forced him to come out. Nick Nelson is a heartthrob.
Source List
Henderson, L. (2017). Popular television and public mental health: creating media entertainment from mental distress. Critical Public Health, 28(1), 106–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2017.1309007
Tevin, JD. “The Wholesome Facade of Heartstopper.” Medium, 7 Sept. 2023, medium.com/@jdtevin/the-wholesome-facade-of-heartstopper-8c7170931c98. Accessed 24 Feb. 2025.