--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lot of queer characters get painted…" description: "\"A lot of queer characters get painted with either a caricature brush, or they're used to teach, in a way.\" — Dan Levy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/dan-levy-6718_artist_a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-wi_48357.jpg" --- # A lot of queer characters get painted with either a… ![“A lot of queer characters get painted with either a caricature brush, or they're used to teach, in a way.” quote by Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/dan-levy-6718_artist_a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-wi_48357.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/dan-levy-6718_artist_a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-wi_48357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/dan-levy-6718_artist_a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-wi_48357.jpg) > “A lot of queer characters get painted with either a caricature brush, or they're used to teach, in a way.” [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques how queer characters are often reduced to stereotypes or instrumentalized for moral lessons, rather than being portrayed as fully realized individuals. **In simple terms:** Stereotypical or didactic queer representation. Key Takeaway Avoid tokenizing queer characters. Themes Representation Stereotypes LGBTQ+ Visibility Narrative Agency Social Commentary Mood Critical Reflective Advocacy Type Social Commentary Critique Observation When to use this quote - Screenwriting - TV Production - Literary Analysis - Diversity Training - Content Review Key Concepts Character Development Cultural Sensitivity Media Critique Practical Applications - Inclusive storytelling - Consulting on authentic LGBTQ+ narratives Questions to Reflect On - How can creators ensure queer characters have agency? - What impact does tokenism have on audience perception? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Queer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queer/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of queer relationships on television and in films are met with extreme tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/a-lot-of-queer-relationships-on-television-and-in-films-are-met-with/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [A lot of my queer development as a kid came from trawling the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hopkins/a-lot-of-my-queer-development-as-a-kid-came-from-trawling-the-internet/) [Ben Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hopkins/) > [I personally always have a hard time relating to queer characters in media because I didn't really see myself in them. They were kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noelle-stevenson/i-personally-always-have-a-hard-time-relating-to-queer-characters-in/) [Noelle Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noelle-stevenson/) > [“One of the problems in mainstreaming queer characters is that people think in order to get a character accepted, they have to be totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-problems-in-mainstreaming-queer-characters-is-that-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I knew that I wanted to primarily play queer characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/i-knew-that-i-wanted-to-primarily-play-queer-characters/) [Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/) > [What I would love is for a normalization of queer characters on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-beatriz/what-i-would-love-is-for-a-normalization-of-queer-characters-on-tv/) [Stephanie Beatriz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-beatriz/) > [There have to be moments when you glimpse something decent, something life-affirming even in the most twisted character. That's where the real art lies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcdonagh/there-have-to-be-moments-when-you-glimpse-something-decent-something/) [Martin McDonagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcdonagh/) > [A lot of queer stories revolve around tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-perri/a-lot-of-queer-stories-revolve-around-tragedy/) [Camille Perri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-perri/) > [After the 'Fallon' set, I had a lot of queer people message me about how much it meant to see a queer perspective on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaboukie-young-white/after-the-fallon-set-i-had-a-lot-of-queer-people-message-me-about-how/) [Jaboukie Young-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaboukie-young-white/) > [People often ask me why I choose to primarily play queer characters, and my answer is that as a queer man, I choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/people-often-ask-me-why-i-choose-to-primarily-play-queer-characters/) [Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/) > [The more queer characters I play over my years of working as an actor, and the more I see other young artists stepping up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/the-more-queer-characters-i-play-over-my-years-of-working-as-an-actor/) [Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-bowyer-chapman/) > [It's important to tell queer stories and to show queer relationships in a very normal setting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/it-s-important-to-tell-queer-stories-and-to-show-queer-relationships/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [The problem is that television executives have got it into their heads that if one presenter on a show is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed heterosexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-clarkson/the-problem-is-that-television-executives-have-got-it-into-their/) [Jeremy Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-clarkson/) > [The caricature of science is that we hold tight to the theories we have, and shun challenges to them. That's just not true. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-caricature-of-science-is-that-we-hold-tight-to-the-theories-we/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Caricature is rough truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meredith/caricature-is-rough-truth/) [George Meredith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meredith/) ## More by Dan Levy > [I had always been scared of the unknown, and I think it had a lot to do with a lack of self-confidence (and wearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/i-had-always-been-scared-of-the-unknown-and-i-think-it-had-a-lot-to/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [I remember quite clearly a time when I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I was six, I was worry-free,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/i-remember-quite-clearly-a-time-when-i-knew-exactly-what-i-wanted-to/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [The fact that I like to buy inessential things to make myself feel better is neither a secret nor something I'm particularly proud of.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/the-fact-that-i-like-to-buy-inessential-things-to-make-myself-feel/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [I've never really turned to my dad for anything, I think out of fear of the label of nepotism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/i-ve-never-really-turned-to-my-dad-for-anything-i-think-out-of-fear/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [There is a lot men don't know about women. And I'm not just talking about how you manage to leave the bathroom smelling like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/there-is-a-lot-men-don-t-know-about-women-and-i-m-not-just-talking/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > ['Real talk' refers to the act of speaking the honest truth about something or someone without fear of consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/real-talk-refers-to-the-act-of-speaking-the-honest-truth-about/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [My name is Dan, and I'm a technoholic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/my-name-is-dan-and-i-m-a-technoholic/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [There was a commonality in a lot of the private school experiences that I had of children whose lives were not their own. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/there-was-a-commonality-in-a-lot-of-the-private-school-experiences/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [Ironically, fashion trends, be it denim or polka dots, have a tendency to perpetuate the contrary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/ironically-fashion-trends-be-it-denim-or-polka-dots-have-a-tendency/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [A little confidence can make the simplest of T-shirts look like a million bucks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/a-little-confidence-can-make-the-simplest-of-t-shirts-look-like-a/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [I was raised before the advent of DVD players in cars and iPads at the dinner table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/i-was-raised-before-the-advent-of-dvd-players-in-cars-and-ipads-at/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [I hated working red carpets, I hated the whole celebrity interview process. I just realized I'd rather be the person somebody wanted to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/i-hated-working-red-carpets-i-hated-the-whole-celebrity-interview/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [When it comes to birthdays, I think there are two camps. There are people like me, who choose to treat it like any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/when-it-comes-to-birthdays-i-think-there-are-two-camps-there-are/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [As a Canadian, we are sort of inherently built with an unshakable humility that at times can work against you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/as-a-canadian-we-are-sort-of-inherently-built-with-an-unshakable/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [Very few ideas are better than Catherine O'Hara's ideas when it comes to acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/very-few-ideas-are-better-than-catherine-o-hara-s-ideas-when-it-comes/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) [Explore all 98 Dan Levy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A lot of queer characters get painted with either a caricature brush, or they're used to teach, in a way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Levy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-with-either-a-caricature-brush/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-with-either-a-caricature-brush/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/dan-levy-6718_artist_a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-wi_48357.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/dan-levy-6718_artist_a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-wi_48357.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f19/dan-levy-6718_artist_a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-wi_48357.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A lot of queer characters get painted with either a caricature brush, or they're used to teach, in a way.” — Dan Levy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dan Levy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A lot of queer characters get...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-with-either-a-caricature-brush/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-with-either-a-caricature-brush/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```