Are Beavis and Butthead Gay?
In an interview with John Stewart that took place over a decade ago, Mike Judge told him “they’re not gay.” So that’s that? Even though they spend all of their time together, gaze longingly at the machismo Todd, and never pursue any romantic relationships with members of the opposite sex, apparently they’re just not gay.
Or are they?
The 90s’ were a tumultuous time for gay rights. A lot of people were coming out of the closet, but homosexuality still wasn’t wholeheartedly accepted, even in American pop culture. The very utterance, “he’s gay” got adults giggling like they were kindergartners making fart-noises with their mouths. Think Ace Ventura when he realized “Finkle is Einhorn.” Homophobia was prevalent at this time.
Since the Beavis and Butthead 90s’, a good deal of progress has been made towards an America which exhibits greater acceptance of homosexuality, and this begs the question as to who the two boys might be post-2010. If we questioned Beavis or Butthead, would they say “no way! We’re not fags!” Or would they stop to think about it?
One thing is for sure, Beavis and Butthead do not respect women. They don’t see them as anything except a possibility to “score.” What if these two could look at women as individuals? Would they be attracted to what they see? Do they know what they even desire, or do they simply want what the TV tells them to want?
The sexuality of Beavis and Butthead is very confused and distorted. They certainly don’t view the opposite sex with the sort of desire that a heterosexual male should exhibit. But on the other hand, they love to spend time with other males. The two go to a sperm bank together, practically glorifying in each others masturbation. They are oddly obsessed with butts, a part of the body found on both males and females. They’re very physical towards each other, often slapping and wrestling. But there may not be a moment in the entire series where they actually make physical contact with a female.
Sure, all of this could be coincidental. Maybe they’re just best friends who are both so emotionally and intellectually challenged that they are clueless as to what a romantic relationship with another human means. They may have the best partner in each other, but they’re so dumb they’ll never know it. They’ll never score, not even with the person they want to spend the majority of their life with.
So Mike Judge was right after all. They’re not gay. After all, being gay requires taking a certain action. “Coming out” is an act of pride and a personal declaration, something Beavis or Butthead haven’t done, but not necessarily because they’re straight. There’s a good chance they’ve never even considered the possibility of their sexuality with any sort of intellectual seriousness at all. Their idiocy precedes and negates all notions of a sexual interaction. Engaging in a romantic relationship, whether gay or straight, takes a certain amount of brain power. But Beavis and Butthead have the mental capacity of a seven year old child. They’re too immature to experience sex in any capacity.
