Nick Ain't Straight (The Great Gatsby)

[@tropezando]

Choose your fighter: The Straight Gatsby vs. The Great Gaytsby vs. The Great Gatsbi

[@prettyhamburger6462]

I see your The Great Gatsbi, and I raise you a Great Catsbi 😹😹

[@kkibela]

What if he was just trans... Just obsessed with the gf because of her realtionship..he wanted to study the woman who had captured the man he loved

[@fanta3853]

Straight Gaytsbi

[@queenscarlettpimpsunkiss..5537]

☠️☠️☠️☠️🤣🤣🤣

[@danklies9606]

The Gay Gatsby

[@shanryder]

My English teacher straight up told the whole class that Nick was gay before we read the book. It didnt occur to me that most people read him as straight until I saw the 2013 film

[@ewwpoorpeople5684]

Super glad I haven't read Gatsby. Good information to have beforehand

[@imjustdandy9799]

I love that almost as much as I love your icon

[@razkable]

he may be gay but i am tied of people claiming anyone is gay based off no proof their own opinions and just feminine traits or moments in storytelling that point you to that conclusion and you us as evidence..its so annoying...your basically putting people in a box and ironically trying to claim that because they have these traits or do certain things it makes them for sure put into this box of what a gay person is...isn't that what gays do not want to be labeled and don't we want a society where its ok to have certain traits or do certain things without being labeled...its going backwards to say that about every character...

[@jjj7790]

​@@razkable I disagree because it looks to me like the trend for gay and queer people right now is not disavowing stereotype (or not wanting to be "labeled"), but increasing representation and sharing/spreading the gay/queer perspective. A lot of what outsiders see as "gay stereotype" is actually gay people intentionally participating in gay subcultural trends, so people engaging in stereotype earnestly isn't something that needs to be condemned. A lot of the issues that gay people face is not "being stereotyped" but "not being allowed to exist at all". With a lot of gay readings or interpretations of media or history being dismissed, censored, or outright condemned to the point that very obviously lgbt figures have their lgbt status scrubbed from retellings of their story. So now I guess being super gay or reading things as super gay is sort of a backlash against a long history of basically silencing the lgbt perspective. Also sometimes the person reading it is gay and that just happens to be how they interpret it when viewing it through their personal lens. Sometimes a book is just really fucking gay.

[@doctora.snakeman1427]

@@razkable hold on you say no proof but then you say "their own opinions, feminine traits, or _moments of storytelling that point you toward that conclusion"_ as if that last one isn't what every English class uses to analyze possible deeper meanings of stories (and one of the _only ways_ authors include their hidden subtext)

[@allie6160]

Wait, so Fitzgerald basically said “yeah all men want to sleep with other guys, you’re just weak if you do it” and had to constantly remind his friends that he was “like, totally straight I swear”

[@The_Sin_Squad]

A perfect summary lol ^^^. From my research, I really did get the same vibe for Fitz as the boys who would run around in my high school making "that's so gay" jokes to cover their own not-so-straight sexualities

[@juliannehannes11]

Fitzgerald was a frat boy asshole who gaslit his wife to insanity AND plagerized her diaries and she was his litteral ghostwriter for a lot of his short stories that he was too drunk to write. Some say Zelda is the real writer and it adds up the more you look into it and see all the evidence. Fitzgerald was a hack who suddenly overnight became a litterary sensation after meeting Zelda and whose career tanked when he sent Zelda away to a mental hospital, coincidence? I think not.

[@arigadatred5395]

@@juliannehannes11 Antisemitism, homophobia, abuse, alcoholism, plagiarism, racism, we have it all folks! Step right up! I thought his literary career wasn't ever really successful during his lifetime though? Pretty sure the Great Gatsby didn't get popular until after his death, but I could be wrong. Doesn't make him a good person either way.

[@Sephirajo]

@@The_Sin_Squad Going to pop in to be like makes you wonder about his friendship with Hemingway, doubly so when you figure the stealing they did of Zelda's writing ALL THE DAMN TIME.

[@thomasnguyen5947]

​@@The_Sin_Squad Like the time when Fitzgerald shared his size insecurity with Hemingway, who then got Fitz to show him in the bathroom to reassure him that there's nothing wrong with his tallywacker. Then the two of them went to the Louvre to look at nude statues and compare them to Fitzgerald's piece? Yeah, just totally straight male things.

[@vampman87]

The way Nick described how muscular and manly his cousin's husband Tom was, as well as how handsome Gatsby was, vs describing Jordan, the woman he DATED through the book, really makes an argument that he preferred guys over girls.

[@ntbored7727]

What about when he described Mr . Mckee?

[@heccers1998]

@@ntbored7727 it was very gay too

[@mistushipper]

LITERALLY. FUCKINB LITERALLY

[@iantaakalla8180]

When you leave out what you did with Mr. McKee to maintain an air of heterosexuality

[@Jbird._]

Also especially when it’s implied that he slept with a man??? It’s like he’s definitely not straight

[@alexander_avila]

Thank you.

[@The_Sin_Squad]

AYYYYY AreTheyGay! Thanks so much for watching

[@Misora7303]

Yo were gonna be here eventually

[@jvmeel7454]

I'm the 333rd like... I hope no one ruins it..... oop to late... its already ruined

[@abeespinosa4162]

PLEASE DO A VIDEO ABOUT THIS OMG

[@LangkeeLongkee]

This comment alone is brilliant.

[@rsanders791]

You: Nick’s not straight Me (an English major): You’re right tell me more

[@JLynnEchelon]

There is no way Nick is straight. I am not sure he's accepted it though.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

Me, who's barely thought about the book except as a metaphor for Capitalism's illusions in a decade: "Oh, yeah, duh! He talked about Gatsby so much more than Daisy! Tell me more?"

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

AnimeSunglasses Daisy IS his cousin, but still.

[@Sephirajo]

@@UltimateKyuubiFox good thing you can also compare the amount of time he spends describing Jordan and spending time with her versus Gatsby that he might not be as in to women as he is TRYING to be.

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

Johanna Roberts Also that he mentions having a relationship with another woman back home who he is currently considering cheating on with Jordan. It’s like he’s going out of his way to put on as many airs as possible, flitting from one viable option to the next. Until finally he lands on Gatsby and realizes that Jay is the only person in this city who he doesn’t innately despise.

[@rabnerd28]

The thing I'm most looking forward to in 2021 is The Great Gatsby entering the public domain. Cuz you know all the gay authors have been waiting for a chance to publish their Nick/Gatsby fan fiction. I commented this before finishing the video.

[@brendensilvano5788]

You're saying this as if no one has already made it and they are just waiting for the timer to be up to start posting it.

[@kitchensinkchronicles3272]

as an aspiring screenwriter, I AM SO READY TO DO A NEW GREAT GATSBY MOVIE

[@Devilcakes]

YES LET US DESCEND UPON THE PUBLIC DOMAIN WITH FREE STUFF.

[@TheSecondsMoveOn]

the chosen and the beautiful by nhgi vo, a retelling with lesbian jordan baker, is already set for a june 2021 release 😎 but agreed, i'm also excited to see the nick/gatsby retellings pop up too

[@juliannehannes11]

Let the gay flood gates open!

[@nancybeltran8601]

When we read this book in AP American Lit, our teacher found it RIDICULOUS that most of the class thought Nick was gay. When we pointed out Mr. McKee, he told us we were wrong and it was all just to highlight that McKee was showing off his resume and Nick was just there because he had to be. Like he ignored the fact McKee was naked and in bed and there's literally no reason for two men to be half naked in the bedroom together with the wife gone. In a book all about affairs. Ridiculous!

[@theberrby6836]

Yeah ridiculous!

[@alexisasheep6554]

The denial is strong with this one

[@radioactiveratz]

Wait I never read that in the great gatsby what

[@geanolsbar]

Radioactive Ratz nick, wanting to get drunk, visits his cousin’s husband to do so. he meets a gay man who he sleeps with at the party :P

[@asterisk4540]

@@radioactiveratz Yeah that scene was really glossed over so if you don’t really pay attention (like I did) it’s easy to miss. Now that it’s pointed out to me I’m like “Oh yeah, that IS gay”

[@idkwholizzieis]

the fact that nick was the one who was there for gatsby and stuck by him even to his death, more than daisy ever could...my heart.

[@solsystem1342]

Massive spoilers for bridge to terabithia Yes, this is actually a pretty strong parallel to the end of that book when the main character is mourning the loss of (secondary main character name here). We also see that he's the only one who actually cared about her. It's a really dark ending for the story tbh.

[@donkeyparadise9276]

They're all corrupt

[@sup9441]

... i mean, the whole point of the story is that Daisy would never stick by anyone who wouldn't benefit her so...

[@granny_ducc]

our teacher was like “the only reason he has any attraction towards Jordan at all is because she’s more masculine than her contemporaries, and even then he’s just kinda with her because he wants someone to be with and not really out of love” and then when mr mckee showed up, literally everybody in my class was like “this is very much not straight”

[@decaf-but-tired6488]

My junior English class all collectively agreed that Nick wasn’t straight. Someone suggested it during a Socratic one time and our teacher tried to argue with us. We ignored her and kept listing text evidence for Nick bringing super into Gatsby. We put it in our essay analyses just to annoy her.

[@bingo784]

You go *gurl!* Fight the power!

[@The_Sin_Squad]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

[@insertname1857]

we had the exact same experience in my class lmao

[@onettaviator5396]

We did the same thing except the teacher agreed and laughed with us.

[@angelaberardo9204]

Love socratic seminars

[@daftodil589]

i just noticed also that nick's wording when describing the hope he sees in gatsby also implies that not only does nick see the hope that gatsby is full of but also nick's own hope in gatsby? that he sees an impossible future in gatsby? is the american dream gay??

[@Vivigreeny25]

Always has bee-

[@beafbuger]

it sure is, my friend

[@youraveragemusicperson2176]

Can confirm, the American dream is indeed gay

[@luckyc4t110]

Broke: The American Dream is alive/dead Woke: The American Dream is a propagandistic idea that isn't reflected in economic or cultural reality Bespoke: The American Dream is gay

[@RandomSkyeRoses]

He can be bisexual

[@playlistsforbordem]

My high school class read the book the in 2012, the year before the recent movie. When we got to the Mckee bedroom scene, it was literally a record scratch in the room. The ENTIRE class understood and read the gayness, a group of at least 20 people. Now I grew up in a very conservative town, so it can't really be considered an "undertone." When we questioned the scene, the teacher was like "uhh, well, UHH, MAYBE" and then it was kind of reinforced to just NOT TALK ABOUT ANYTHING REMOTELY GAY for the rest of the reading, especially when it came to Nick's developing obsession with Gatsby.. We still ended up being forced fed the "established" straight version of the book, while everyone in the class privately agreed that the narrative just made more sense if Nick was gay and in love with Gatsby.

[@shari4756]

I was taught Gatsby two years ago and my teacher did talk about the bedroom scene!! She used it in a "Nick is sleeping with a married man but is condemning Tom/Myrtle for doing the same thing" type way

[@JMBAD_art]

A really great point!

[@sup9441]

I mean, he also had a girl back home he was writing love letters to the whole time throughout the book

[@Shmarful]

the scene where nick and jordan are in the car is all about them sharing how they’re both using each other to cover up their homosexuality

[@donkeyparadise9276]

That's a fine interpretation I suppose but you seem so certain

[@heyhey2173]

so so so real. mlm wlw solidarity

[@pagesandleaves]

I hate that they’re like “no you can’t put the bedroom scene in , ruins the image” EVEN THOUGH FITZGERALD LITERALLY WROTE IT

[@Sephirajo]

It's the type of thing that makes you wanna smack them with the book

[@godozo]

Probably because the Bedroom Scene makes a straight version of Nick impossible...and even makes a BI version of Nick a rather rough fit. Add in the amount of reality abuse that is required to make the reader consider that Jordan is a female... And let's not forget that there WAS a gay scene in New York even in the '20s - it may have been a bit more under-the-radar, but it was there if you knew where to look for it.

[@miapenelope2001]

@@Blurb777 you not recalling the bedroom scene doesn’t mean it’s not in there. And he only got with Jordan in the same shallow way that Jay liked daisy !

[@lefandomtrash7746]

@@Blurb777 Dude, I read the book exactly once for English class and it’s DEFINITELY there at the end (near the end?) of Chapter 3. I was so shocked people somehow DIDN’T remember that scene at or even didn’t pick up on ANY of its possible subtext.

[@caramel9154]

@@Blurb777 maybe read near the end of chapter 3 again because it's in there. That or you might have a heavily edited copy.

[@gabbergator]

"i want SOMEBODY to finally have the BALLS to adapt the scene with Mr McKee!" YOU'RE RIGHT AND YOU SHOULD SAY IT

[@mags6564]

LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!!!!

[@thevioletskull8158]

True

[@Miss.Ellie.Logan.]

Me, writing a scene in my rewrite of the Great Gatsby that includes monsters where McKee's wife finds Nick and McKee early in the morning: ...

[@pufferfluff]

THEY DID IN THE MUSICAL I WATCHED IT YESTERDAY WOOOOO

[@matchatoasty]

@@pufferfluff Wait did you watch the ART one?? Or the Broadway one?

[@DivinePeafowl]

Last year, my English teacher read The Great Gatsby with the class. When we reached the McKee scene, she made no attempt to explain it away or ignore it in the story. In fact, she ASKED the class, "Now, what does this imply about Nick?" When pretty much everyone in the class said that it implied that Nick isn't straight, she agreed with us! She even asked us about our opinions on Nick and Gatsby's relationship and a majority of the class DESPERATELY wanted Nick and Gatsby to end up together. We also watched the 2013 movie adaptation and enjoyed it. Everyone agreed that Nick meeting Gatsby and watching fireworks explode behind was kinda gay and we all loved it ❤ Edit: Y'all this is the most likes I've gotten on a single comment. Thank you so much!! 😊

[@doggyspeak]

this is blessed. society is improving

[@lulubelle65]

Hmmm...are you one of my English students? This is my class every year.

[@DivinePeafowl]

@@lulubelle65 Maybe. It'd be wild if I was 😁

[@liseegeskov8769]

@@DivinePeafowl tell lulubelle65 more Stories of your class. To see if they are actually from your class. Give them descriptions of your classmates but dont tell lulubelle65 theyre names. Privacy is important after all so i get if you dont wanna.

[@emilyhartlett8914]

shoutout to that one fic on AO3 that is the entirety of The Great Gatsby uploaded in its exact form except for one paragraph where Nick kisses Gatsby

[@HoneyBee-im3ny]

How can you say this then not link it OP

[@Dumbkid34]

Link please, I need to read it!!

[@corinmiyuki4078]

Bestie drop the link please I’m begging 🙏

[@toptenrodents]

AT LEAST GIVE US A NAME

[@bl00dy.ma1ds]

Damn it been 3 years and still no link or even a name 😔

[@michaelahovey7482]

I am much more comfortable with the idea of Nick being gay than him being infatuated with his cousin.

[@soupcorvus7451]

and i would hope that applies to everyone else too, dear god

[@lucyverse4908]

@@soupcorvus7451You’d be surprised how much more comfortable some people are with the idea of a guy being into his own cousin than being gay 🤢

[@marquitaarmstrong399]

Always thought DAISY was like an ice cold chandelier. Cared for no one but self.

[@tartaruganinja6438]

@@lucyverse4908 cof cof * sailor moon english dub * cof cof

[@kaiheaton4858]

@@soupcorvus7451some people are so caught up in their negative thoughts that they can’t spare a second to think of others. This is depression and it sucks, but when someone is content with themselves it will be a lot more likely that a change in perspective is possible. I’m personally just glad I have enough perspective now to not be frustrated with what I do not understand but to instead see it as good adversity, a challenge to ur perspective sparking growth and change in a positive direction

[@Spectorael]

An actual conversation that happened in my English class around the last chapters of the book Kid: wait Jordans a girl? Teacher: yes ,did you think Nick was dating a boy this whole time? Kid: well when you see the word gay 17 times you start to wonder

[@skiddo1243]

Gay referred to like happy.

[@plumpo4047]

Whoever didn’t know Jordan’s gender wasn’t paying attention because it states on multiple occasions that she’s a girl.

[@gabrieldevoogel6225]

@@skiddo1243 yes but to modern readers the common definition is homosexual, unless that original definition is explained to you or yoy lean it on your own, you’d probably start to see Nick as gay because of that too

[@Cole_McGill]

@@plumpo4047 Yeah, but also she's written the same way that male bacjground characters were writen and described in a boyish way. Jordan was written in a very androgynous way, whether intentionally or not. There were several people in my class that asked if Jordan was a girl or a guy that the narrator keeps referring to as a girl, as a way to say that they are feminine.

[@edorasmarauder5761]

Looks like someone wasn’t paying attention.

[@juliannehannes11]

I'm starting to think Jay is more gay than Nick and that his grand persuit for Daisy, the most unattainable girl of all girls, is really his excuse to not date women and is his neverending conquest to prove to himself that he is totally straight and just deeply in love with one girl. I remember reading this article or post somewhere that addressed closeted lesbians hiding their sexuality from themselves by pining after unattainable guys from a distant ex, a fictional character, to a celebrity, guys they can never have a relationship with, as if to stall themselves in this comphet bubble of delusion because they can't psychologically process themselves as lesbian so they create a mythical male stand in to put all their desires onto as this "safe" outlet (I need to find that article)

[@JM-fu6vy]

Me and my wlw ass having a “crush” on Ryan from High School Musical: don’t call me out on this

[@angeliar.6960]

nick is a young dude figuring out his sexuality hiding his crush on a dude from his book, jay is just the embodiment of comphet so far in the closet not even god could know if jay loved nick back. thats some good quality pining right there

[@juliannehannes11]

@@angeliar.6960 Comphet is hard enough to conquer in 2020 imagine how impossible it was in 1920 at the height of toxic masculinity (speaking of comphet, F Scott totally had it unknowingly, he was madly and obsessively in love with Earnest Hemingway to where whenever Earnest was around Fitzgerald went into a trance and would follow him around like a puppy and would ignore Zelda and all women and when Zelda accused him of being in love with Earnest, Fitzgerald went into a mad rage(Funny enough Earnest too accused him of being queer and thus Fitzgerald wrote the villain Tom in his macho image)

[@NotAGraveRobber]

@@JM-fu6vy God please don't call me out directly (am enby but didn't know that THEN) OF COURSE I CAN'T FIND GABRIELLA CUTE SO THE GAY GUY

[@13linkinparkluver13]

I feel personally called out (not like in a bad way though)

[@ollieofftheboat]

My English class decided Nick wasn't straight about a week or two into reading the book and didn't let it go. Once, a guy got moved into my table and went, "I don't see it, he doesn't seem gay," so we made him read the passage where Nick describes Tom's thighs in excruciating detail. Guy just looked up and said, "Yeah, I get it now."

[@julienne152]

the four horsemen of the apocalypse: disability, abuse, genocide, and Voltron.

[@asheniza1168]

Lmao 🤣

[@wandanemer2630]

Omfg... XD

[@daniellechoez3798]

LMAO

[@heatherlee2967]

OMG lol

[@trashpossumsupreme5159]

im sorry but "today we make fitzgerald's grave spin like a hamster wheel" has got to be one of the funniest sentences in existence

[@TindraSan]

god I would kill for a gay and beautifully drawn graphic novel adaptation of this book. just wait, someone will make a webcomic and sell it once it's complete

[@TindraSan]

would be me except I am busy with making Darkwing Duck gayer

[@TheRunningLeopard]

I was thinking about that too, there is a The Great Gastby comic on Webtoons by an artist called Vincenzio, which plays into the whole queerness of the text.

[@papasscooperiaworker3649]

@@TheRunningLeopard what

[@BBISBORED]

@@TheRunningLeopard what is the book called

[@NoDefaultsPlease]

@@TheRunningLeopard What is it called, asking for a friend

[@boowind4432]

4:52 The dragging of the cardboard box against the concrete really adds to the narration. It’s like I’m there.

[@Gwen1661]

I deadass wrote my mid-term (for my English Literature class THREE WEEKS AGO) about this topic

[@The_Sin_Squad]

We're on the same wavelength! O:

[@Gwen1661]

I wish the mid-term itself had been longer than 2 - 3 pages max so I could really go in-depth about this. Summarising the most important bits in 2 - 3 pages while providing evidence and my own arguments was hard. I hope to get a good grade out of it u__u

[@Misoandsomesoup]

Oh same here hahaha

[@Analog_Anarchist]

What grade did you get?

[@Gwen1661]

@@Analog_Anarchist Oh, I didn't think someone would be curious about that. Well, I got the top mark!!

[@CricketFuck]

Having first read Gatsby as a deeply closeted gay teen who was also deeply in love with his best friend, I fully assumed Nick was gay and was baffled that the rest of my class didn't see it. Of course I didn't press the issue, fearing I would blow my cover, but I was nonetheless flabbergasted.

[@donkeyparadise9276]

Define gay?

[@MisterManGav]

@@donkeyparadise9276 when someone likes someone of the same gender. Or at the very least, not the opposite gender

[@helenl3193]

I liked the fact they made the narration a story Nick is writing for his therapist, to help explore what happened, etc. Adds to the unreliable narrator clues, for anyone who hasn't read the book, and could be argued that his closeness to Gatsby could've got him institutionalised to 'cure' him of his sexual/romantic feelings as well as his depression. In my head canon that's what it is, and Mr McKee is missing from the film because he's trying to repress/deny all of those experiences/feelings. *edit: this is in the 2013 film version.

[@steps8140]

Honestly, Nick is played by a well-shaven Tobey Maguire with a 20s-type hairstyle, neatly ordered and all. Like, this man looks about as straight as spaghetti that was left in boiling water for about 2 hours too long, subsequently thrown into the washing machine and at last wrapped around an old fashioned cigar that Tom smoked

[@Blue_Incognito98]

🤣😂😂

[@sffb8295]

Every time someone tries to make a character straight,it almost always ends up gay one way or another lmao

[@Creator_indy]

BRO I CANT-

[@katherinelambert4662]

I always thought oath Nick and Jordan were both gay and just casually “dating” to make other people think that they are both straight

[@miamafalda1118]

PLZ SAME

[@laonagrouchini]

Literally once Jordan and Daisy appeared together I was like "lesbians 😌"

[@squashfei8907]

wait but didn't they kiss when no one else was around?

[@ntbored7727]

How was Jordan lesbian? Her and Nick kissed and dated. She was also upset when he broke it off.

[@ntbored7727]

@@laonagrouchini HELL NOOO! Jordan was kinda bitchy but Daisy was just LEAGUES away from Jordan on the bitch level. Jor could do so much better than Daisy. Especislly when Daisy follows money so I don’t think she was lesbian or even hints of it.

[@discodetectiive]

i very much appreciate all the cat plushie content in this video. top tier content as per usual

[@amesstarline5482]

Or shall we say, as purr usual?

[@adjustpersist3735]

I always felt Nick was bisexual, personally.

[@heathersumner4766]

Me: should I click on this video?? Me: *sees this comment* Me: is now watching intently

[@merryberry6576]

Would legit not mind being told the plot of things in this way, editing was also *chefs kiss*

[@user-N20]

As a friendly neighborhood bisexual, I am really sad that the internalized homophobia I had back in high school prevented me from ever considering that Nick might be something other than straight.

[@cybermorse]

Did you use “friendly neighborhood” because of Tobey Maguire lol

[@kezzie1834]

I want to make a bumper sticker with "your friendly neighborhood bisexual" on it 😍

[@kylemaljevac5482]

I was in the same predicament as you fellow friend. I read Gatsby in high school and it never occurred to me or the entire class once that nick could be gay. God I wish we had videos like this back when I was in my senior years.

[@mikeyfrederick1232]

Thats some great self actualization.. hope you are having a happy wonderful life whoever you are..sending you good vibes

[@donkeyparadise9276]

Insane comment

[@chesneywhite9334]

may i offer an alternative? disaster bi Nick. the man describes everyone like they're in a fanfiction

[@Ireallywouldrathernot]

Straight people don't even notice the McKee scene? Oh thank goodness! I thought they were all intentionally gaslighting me or something.

[@sacrificialnecrosis8435]

Dude when I read the book in my English class I was beyond confused when we got to the scene with Mr. McKee. Because we had to read the second half of that chapter on our own and we just completely skipped over it in the class discussion when we came back I thought I was tripping because everyone just pretended it didn't exist.

[@nico-3663]

Me too! Even my bi friend I had class with though I was crazy.

[@kylawright785]

As a queer person looking for the scene Reddit was talking about while reading the book I simply didn’t understand what was going on to know that that was the part the internet was talking about

[@Creator_indy]

Okay i have not read the book nor I did know that scene was in it but I gotta say That’s definitely gay like no question

[@Sugarbeepop]

I asked my English teacher about the McKee scene when I read this in school and she straight up just said ‘oh yeah they basically had a one night stand’, and you know you gotta love the honesty

[@terrifyingtyrannosaurusturtle]

Also for my version, Daisy is definitely a lesbian playing two men to support her luxurious lifestyle, definitely having an affair with Jordan, and knows that Tom has a mistress and doesn't really care.

[@lark7655]

As someone who played Jordan in our highschool play, I can confirm that this is fairly close to the interpretation and how our Daisy and I played it 😂

[@emjenkins464]

I always saw it more as unrequited on Jordan's side, with Daisy knowingly playing her privilege as the wife of a powerful man to never have to face consequences for that day.

[@Sephirajo]

"The best thing a girl in life can be is a beautiful little fool." -- Daisy And YES I agree with you there. She's not in to Tom. She's not in to Gatsby. She doesn't seem to be in to anything other than losing her baby.

[@alexrose20]

@@Sephirajo Daisy is anything but stupid. She knows that the men in her life only see her as a pretty doll to play with. She knows she will never find love with Tom or Gatsby. She probably gave up on love, over time, after she was forced to marry Tom and leave Gatsby.

[@alexrose20]

@@Sephirajo and that quote also broke my heart

[@lizlengyel6409]

i'll never forget my junior year english teacher sitting us all down before the gatsby unit and declaring SOME of us MIGHT get the impression that they are gay, but BE ASSURED, they are NOT. he said definitively that they aren't, but once we got the mr mckee he was like "also the spot of lather is semen. they probably had sex." never forget mr fish

[@chippy82577]

Lmao

[@samanthaclaremejia7975]

Maybe mr fish was just saying Nick was bi 💀

[@ZeromuS_]

Same. Also, Fitzgerald really liked to point out tom smoking big cigars a lot. Like a subconsciously/Freudian a lot.

[@powerofcharmix324]

i read this book last year and i will never forget, my teacher read out that bit on like the second page or whatever where nick's like "I hate everyone...EXCEPT GATBSY" and I just looked up and said, "Ms. [teacher name], I'm sorry, but that's kinda gay" and my teacher was like "don't be sorry, that is a very valid interpretation of the text" For the entire rest of the book, me and my circle of friends decided that Nick that was a bi/pan disaster, and my multishipping self was conflicted bc I highkey shipped nick and gatsby, but I also really loved Jordan Also, fun fact, Fitzgerald basically wrote this book as revenge fanfiction, bc daisy is a stand-in for his ex-wife Zelda. So part of Nick idolizing Gatsby is that Nick and Gatsby are both based off of Fitzgerald. The entire purpose for writing the book was for Fitzgerald to prove himself in the right in his relationship, so he needed the narrator to like Gatsby. And I'm guessing that collided with his...complicated sexuality and resulted in the gay disasters we know and love.

[@strawberryqueen0382]

About Jordan when I originally read the scene where Jordan explained to Nick that Gatsby was in love with Daisy it honestly read as an intervention. Where Jordan sat Nick down and tried to explain to him that he wasn’t gay. Idk if it was just me or not though.

[@Me-vn3gz]

This is valid as hell

[@gabrielasosa9146]

Now I cant unsee it 👁👄👁

[@Kora-Kat709]

I must have had a secretly gay class cuz when my friend raised their hand and was like "Sir, Nick is gay af for Gatsby" and the rest of the class was like "well duh."

[@cara_h_4]

Am I the only one who assumed Jordan was a lesbian at the beginning (even though there's not any evidence, I just read it that way)? Edit: I hadn't watched that far in good to know I'm not wrong.

[@ruthbennett7563]

Certainly not. Jordan was introduced as a Ladies Golf Pro. That is not a subtle hint for lesbian tendencies given the coding of the time. It was always kinda clear that Nick & Jordan were set up as socially acceptable mutual “beards”.

[@FullMetalMachine]

I am firmly convinced she's in love with Daisy

[@pizzahaken4527]

Absolutely. Number one evidence is that Jordan, like every other gay person, can't drive.

[@nico-3663]

Boy name, GOLFER , manly build and sarcastic. May as well play softball and be a vegan!

[@AnnaKin]

she was definitely coded as a lesbian. "Golf" is code for lesbian. Can't remember where I learned that, but I've heard it multiple times since reading Gatsby

[@thecourrrr]

When I was 18-19 i went through a F. Scott Fitzgerald phase and read his books and most of his short stories and even the letters he and Zelda wrote to each other...F. Scott was definitely struggling with internalized homophobia. There's a story of Zelda calling him out of being gay when he couldn't perform in bed. In all accounts, his internalized homophobia could have pushed him further into alcoholism. There was also his relationship with Hemingway (the epitome of masculine straight male) which he seemed charmed by him and at odds with wanting to be him or around him. Hemingway wrote about their first meeting and it's actually quite funny and somewhat endearing of F. Scott (as much as a sexist, controlling, racist homophobe that he was) Anyway in this house, we stand always for Zelda. Also your editing is so entertaining and hilarious. I was cracking up right there with you as you read Truman's gayyy script

[@noahhutchins5164]

I remember reading that scene in my high school English class, and the rest of the time reading the book, I read it as Nick being gay. There is like no heterosexual explanation for it. It always felt like Jordan was lesbian, Nick was gay, and they dated each other to provide a cover for themselves.

[@direcircumstances]

In addition to exploring Nick's sexuality, I think it would be cool if future adaptations also explored the theory that Gatsby is black. I read an article once that explained how some literary analysts thought Gatsby could have been a light-skinned black man, who would have been referred to as "high yellow" back in the 1920s, and this adds a whole new dimension to his character's ultimately doomed attempts to integrate with the rich New York elite and woo Daisy, a white woman who comes from wealth. Tom's sentiments about how Gatsby will never really be like them because they are "old money" and therefore just "born different" takes on new meaning when racial discrimination is factored into it.

[@juliannehannes11]

I need this version NOW

[@JM-fu6vy]

I feel like the yellow car plays into that reading somehow

[@amyahhdavila8990]

This could actually kick ass if given to the right people for adaptation

[@OutAtTheShow]

It's been a really long time since I read the book, but isn't Gatsby coded as a Jewish guy pretending to be a WASP? Or am I mixing something up?

[@megabyte1302]

@@lucasvalente9819 But that's the point. Gatsby has to pass as white in order to keep his status, because most of the wealthy wouldn't have respected him anymore, maybe including Daisy, if they discovered he was colored.

[@iemandanders5792]

He not only gay, he also simping for Gatsby

[@a-s-greig]

Completely simping.

[@robinlinger6545]

who isn’t?

[@katlyndobransky2419]

I thought they were cousi-

[@O_Ciel_Phant0mhive]

@@katlyndobransky2419 No. Daisy was Nick's cousin.

[@katlyndobransky2419]

@@O_Ciel_Phant0mhive oh ok, it’s no wonder I did great on the Great Gatsby unit that we did this year in English lol, but I can see where I got confused

[@avag4334]

Bruh, I was reading the book a while ago and I was like “Nick is gay”. And I told my friend that and she read it and agreed

[@TheFuzzyOfDoom]

I was terrible at reading assigned books in school, but the scene I most remember from The Great Gatsby is that one where Tom and Gatsby are arguing, then Gatsby and Daisy leave and Nick, out of no where, says, "It's my birthday today." I thought it was stupidly funny. If that isn't a mood!

[@Animeartist124]

Not only do I want the queerest version of Nick possible, I want the adaptation to be a musical. If we’re gonna take it there let’s take it all the way there fellas.

[@CoffeesChypresBooks]

I would love to see this. The Great Gatsby is a very lonely book - too many characters, too little love, much of which is one-sided.

[@Creator_indy]

I’m thinkin an electro swing type sound track

[@therealopaartist]

⁠@@Creator_indymaybe a bit of jazz infusion? It IS the 1920s after all!

[@OGseoulite]

“The Gay Gatsby” I LOVE IT ALREADY

[@matchatoasty]

i've been commenting this a lot but i think you might like the American Repertory Theatre's musical adaptation of Gatsby!! nick is explicitly gay in this one!

[@Turt3752]

I said Nick was gay out loud in my English class and everyone was really uncomfortable lol. My teacher immediately started talking over me and changed the subject

[@SWLinPHX]

LOL, what year was this?

[@Skaredeekatt]

I remember reading the book and watching the 2013 film and thinking "this is Hella gay". To the point where my straight classmates were agreeing. Also, like half the class was like, "did they just sleep together" after the McKee scene because... yes. They totally did.

[@user-yy1pn6bh3o]

Wait what was the McKee scene? I absolutely forgot

[@mayonera904]

Yess I forgot too..

[@squashfei8907]

@@mayonera904 @A the end of chapter 2 is literally a smash cut to nick standing by mckee who is "clad in his underwear" in bed

[@KingdomHeartsIsMyLuv]

As a teenager, I loved reading, but deeply disliked all of my English teachers and came to resent any book that I was forced to read. I was assigned to read Gatsby at a time when I was at my most contrary and most "pain in the ass teenage" and I couldn't stand it. I did not engage with the text and just argued with my teacher that it was a horrible book about horrible people (I made the same argument about Romeo and Juliet, and got similar annoyance and anger from my teacher). I've been trying to go back as an adult and engage critically with the books that I resisted so hard as a teen. Gatsby has been on the list for a while, and I think coming into it with this video in mind may seriously increase my chances of liking the book.

[@dragoniraflameblade]

YOU'RE NOT ALONE. I'm so happy to find someone who also did this.

[@Tustin2121]

SAME. I hated this book in high school. I listened to it again on audio book recently while doing something else and hated it just as much (especially after hearing Tom spout the same “they will not replace us” BS we had just heard in Charlottesville at the time). Maybe now that I know there’s gayness to be had, I might pay attention more.

[@tortis6342]

Through a variety of strange situations, I always end up with the teacher that's like "yeah we _could_ read the book or we could just watch the movie or something."

[@annaboes8359]

Well, Romeo and Juliett IS about teenagers, hormone-ridden and freshly in love, the most selfish sort of human being there is. :-D And the adults are truly annoying - but my english teacher told me, that was what the book was about, that the families didn't put their kids being kids above their own feud, so they are the ones who messed up and got punished. The big romance everyone reads in it wasn't there for me, it was just about annoyingly infatuated kids and their horrid families who ignored that the two teens just wouldn't fit into the mold they tried to press them in and who effectually killed their own kids. My teacher was like, yeah, that's the point. :-D Think I got lucky.

[@natangold1115]

I distinctly remember being assigned to read To Kill a Mockingbird, then getting in trouble for reading it faster than I was supposed to. From that day forward, I made it a point to grind my teachers' gears with every essay I wrote. The most fun was when I wrote an essay the thesis to which was "King Lear is a werewolf." Also - "a horrible book about horrible people" is a pretty darn accurate, if uncharitable, interpretation of Romeo and Juliet.

[@kaleighkeeney2235]

I’m writing an essay on this theory for a class at my catholic school, let’s see how it goes!

[@douchebaggenie3381]

Keep us posted

[@r.j.penfold]

How did it go?

[@anna-kk4zl]

results?

[@raijin2950]

Give us answers plz random internet stranger.

[@nyui_arantes]

What are the news?

[@Falsekingofbeans]

I went up to my teacher after we finished discussion and I was like “we never talked about how nick was totally in love with Gatsby!” And she was like “he definitely is.” And this is Texas. If Texas can accept it so can you

[@angelcross6]

nick: i am unbiased and i will never favor one person over the other also nick: falls in love with Gatsby while also having a Angelica moment from Hamilton me: you tell urself that but-

[@lastflunky]

When I was a Teenager I had a similar experience with a book called How Many Miles to Babylon? I thought the two main characters were gay and I was too afraid to bring it up in class. Its about two men from different social backgrounds (Alex and Jerry) who have known each other since they were kids and they end up going to war together. The night before they go, they are hanging out in a field and they have the following exchange (I'm going to be paraphrasing here its been a while since a read it) Jerry: Hey Alex, have you ever been with a girl? Alex: No. Jerry: Yeah me neither. The book was only adapted once on the BBC as a TV special with a young Daniel Day-Lewis as Alex. It was a faithful adaption of the book so the scene mentioned above was in it.

[@ThomasJefferson-xc8wg]

ive never heard of that before

[@Ash-od1ps]

Dude YES we did that book too. There is a scene where they bathe naked in a lake together. I remember one of the homophobic idiots in my class ranting about how gay it was lol

[@LBoytz]

Nick has a one-night stand with Mr. McKee; it's pretty clear that he's closeted, either gay and trying not to be, or bisexual. It's also pretty clear that Nick has a kind of a crush on Gatsby. It's not the main point of the story, in my opinion, just part of Fitzgerald's world. But apparently not part of the world of all of Fitzgerald's readers -- maybe more now than at the time the novel was published. Pretty weird though that anybody still denies this now, in 2020.

[@SmartStart24]

I totally agree! I somehow managed to get away with not ever reading the book but come on now…. The McKee scene?? He basically telling us in 1920s prose talk that they fucked lol. Anyone whose read an older book could see that. They even wrote hetero love scenes like that back in the day lol.

[@lucyverse4908]

Everyone interprets text differently, but a lot of it’s down to homophobia and a reluctance to accept queer coded characters. I’ve heard many stories of teachers omitting the scene with McKee out of the story when reading to their class, which speaks volumes.

[@thomasnguyen5947]

Gay and bisexual men from this era moved from the South or the Midwest to places like NYC to explore their sexualities away from the prying eyes of their small-town communities. Nick claims to have moved to NYC to make a name for himself, but he was also running away from a "rumor" of an engagement back West, as mentioned in the dinner party with Daisy/Tom/Jordan.

[@Sephirajo]

Also compared to the other relationships in the book, his and Jordan's is pretty damn chaste. I always felt they were bearding for each other.

[@artemisdaddario1519]

As of today, the book is now in the public domain. Get on it fellow gays!

[@donkeyparadise9276]

Wth?

[@AhanaNags]

I lost it with the Anime Eyes™ TJ Eckleburg Also the best TGG adaptation is that anime where classic lit authors are bishounen (Bungou Stray Dogs)

[@Kaya_8008]

BSD isn't necessarily a strict adaptation of only TGG. The character mainly used is well, the author, Fitzgerald and that one episode where some characters are mentioned. Just clarifying it for people, you won't find like Gay- sorry Jay Gatsby and Nick in it, but you will find Fitzgerald. BSD is an absolute masterpiece and it's actually like my favorite anime. Nice to see someone else who watches it too here ^^

[@crispychaos6768]

Actually it's not a far fetched idea of Nick being gay. I love Leyendecker, he's an artist/commercial illustrator that lived during Gatsby's period. He also had a constant "companion" Charles Beach who was at the time the "All American Man", men wanted to be him, woman wanted to date him. Beach and Leyendecker stayed companions up to Leyendeckers death and Beach promptly drank himself to death. I have this autobiography book about J.C. Leyendecker by Cutler and Cutler. Leyendecker and Beach would throw these lavish parties where anyone who was anyone was invited. During this time homosexuality was against the law but because of these parties it raised their status and social standing and if you were to be struck down from the guest list you'd lose your place in society. So people tended to keep there mouths shut and didn't say what everyone knew about Leyendecker and Beach. In the book I'm reading, Fitzgerald along with his wife Zelda first met Beach and Leyendecker at Texas Guinan's speakeasy. The book's authors suggest that Leyendecker was the inspiration behind Gatsby. The book is called J.C. Leyendecker by Laurence S. Cutler and Judy Goffman Cutler. Page 47 is where Fitzgerald is mentioned if you want to read it yourself.

[@chippy82577]

Ooo interesting. I find it funny cause I had Leyendecker on my mind the whole time watching this vid 'cause I saw a drawing that reminded me of his work.

[@allyli1718]

That’s so fucking cool! I enjoyed Leyendecker’s art without knowing all that, and I think it just raised my opinion of him like 10 fold

[@r.j.penfold]

This is super interesting and I really hope the book didn't try to reinforce how "they were REALLY good friends" cuz that bs has been done to death...

[@heythere6789]

The cut from the elevator lever to the bedroom is suuuuuper convincing. Just like film, the cuts tell a lot!!

[@moryamorevna798]

When I first encountered the McKee scene, even in the translated version, I couldn't believe my eyes, because it was so in-your-face, why would anyone doubt Nick's gayness? But also, why no one was talking about it, it seemed like it just got erased from the social consciousness

[@scootscoot919]

My mother was an English teacher for many years and she taught this book. Every student who would ask her about the scene with Mr McKee or ask if Nick was gay or anything along those lines, that student would immediately become one of her favorites. When I took English 3H, my mom was like "hey have you read chapter three yet?" And I said I had read almost all of it and she urged me to finish it and when I did I was like "wait..." And she was like "HES TOTALLY GAY" And proceded to tell me to forgive Nick a little bit for his actions later in the book because he was just absolutely head over heels for Gatsby lmao

[@pyrusinc]

Dude, now I want to see whatever crack version of the story you spitballed at the end, what the heck

[@Me-vn3gz]

SAME

[@kayleegirard9231]

I'd pay a lot to see it

[@katitax508]

I need it

[@raspberrycrowns9494]

Fr Nick causing the Great Depression sounds really interesting

[@avalonwatchingvideos2683]

Popped right up in my feed, can't wait to watch it!

[@daybyday834]

Same here!

[@The_Sin_Squad]

Thanks Ros!! ;w;

[@Unpaidfilmcritc]

Nickis gay

[@SindriMjolnir]

I got an A for a college paper I wrote about how gay this novel is. Easiest A ever.

[@tunasandwich1135]

I read the book when I was twelve and I remember reading the McKee scene and going "hold up WHAT". I always kinda saw Nick as a repressed bisexual because I swear, some of the ways he describes/talks about Gatsby are... Very interesting. Quote: "If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him..." -Nick Carraway about Gatsby

[@jamesonsummers]

"Nick and Jordan are still here for some reason" summarizes at least 90% of the book"

[@jentoons5732]

No one: My ace-spec ass: *ships Nick and Gatsby since the first chapter*

[@myainsel2579]

Whats spec ?

[@jentoons5732]

@@myainsel2579 spectrum :)

[@theberrby6836]

Lol

[@PineappleLiar]

Great Gatsby but Nick and Gatsby are boyfriends and the whole gang is a part of a Mystery-Machine-esque group who hunt Lovecraft eldritch monsters with Miskatonic U

[@kazune414]

I need this version of the story like yesterday!!!

[@lillithefangirl2422]

So a Scooby Doo AU of Great Gatsby? I’m into it

[@sffb8295]

As a Lovecraft fan,I desperately NEED. And they all exist in the same time period too,so this is perfect!

[@kristenladue1395]

I think it is also important to mention that Fitzgerald was also kinda gay, he had some fairly homoerotic conversations with Hemingway, so you can understand where the gay subtext is coming from.

[@uatoto7783]

back here now that it's January 1st and gatsby fanfiction can now be published :')

[@PoutineProductions]

I am so glad I was NOT the only one who felt like Nick was maybe a little into Gatsby himself.

[@notcarameldonuts6912]

I remember my class watch the movie that came out before the Leonardo DiCaprio version. That was 10th grade. It’s been 4 years and we still will turn to each other like we’re Nick Carraway and we just saw the stunning Jay Gatsby for the first time. That movie felt like at any moment Jay would give up on Daisy and go for Nick! I swear!

[@bluechord2928]

Can I just say I'm not even five minutes into this video but witnessing Pusheen have an existential crisis over the futility of war has already made my entire week and is enough to make this one of my favourite videos

[@brightscarecrow7326]

I remember someone proposing the idea that Nick wasn’t straight in my AP English class after we had read the party scene and the teacher was like, “yea I can see that interpretation. Maybe he isn’t.” And literally we all we’re grinning when we saw that scene play out in the movie because we had already all read the book and could collectively agree that hot damn Nick had fallen HARD for Gatsby at the party. If the entire inner monologue about the mans smile wasn’t enough of a tip off.

[@iriny.4341]

I’m not even sure why other youtubers are trying at this point. This is the best video to ever exist.

[@bloodycoffee9293]

I brought up Nick being gay in English class too, but my fellow classmates actually agreed with me. It was our teacher that tried to argue with us, but we had all made up our minds that Nick was queer.

[@avery.x.s]

You’re reenactment is “The Great Catsby,” if you will.

[@edelbrosnan6222]

I like how Voltron is put right next to genocide. That seems fitting

[@kirbybie]

It’s a story about the atrocities of war. 😩✊🤪🔥💯🤑

[@angelakumar6604]

I like how voltron is his own category

[@TheBuddsO]

Bruh you just unlocked a memory I forgot I had. I remember getting to the McKee scene in class my junior year and we were all like '"wait what" and the teacher was just like "yeah weird huh--moving on!" and I remember sitting there being like we're just gonna gloss over that?? I remember reading that tiny passage over and over to try and get more answers from it but its definitely purposely vague. However this was the same English teacher who told me my interpretation of a poem was wrong, and there was only one correct way to interpret it and I "failed" that examination. So moving forward in that class I regurgitated all her ideas back to her (I even met with her to discuss my essay thesis for Gatsby and just wrote exactly what she rambled on about) in order to pass the class because of that initial grade. By far the worst teacher I ever had, it still makes my blood boil when I think about that class. Wish I could have explored this topic in my essay! Great analysis and super entertaining :)

[@mikiib]

I'm finally realizing how many people thought that Nick wasn't straight, and in high school it was only me and my close clique of friends. I never had the courage to talk about it like you did and I love that you've brought the topic to light and also got us together for me to realize I'm not as alone in my headcannon as I thought. Thank you.

[@analyticalbaguette]

You probably won't see this comment since it's on a 3-year-old video, but I thought you might like to know that the musical "Gatsby: An American Myth" opened at the ART in June. The Mr. McKee scene is not only included, it quite explicitly states that he and Nick slept together. We have achieved The Gay Gatsby.

[@daftodil589]

here's to the gay great gatsby musical (2024) lets raise a glass!!!

[@Sephirajo]

My prima and I wanna make it a rock opera. Rock operas are the perfect art

[@bellringer53]

I'd say it would be produced as soon as the copyright drops but with covid, yeah, 2024 seems right

[@Alicehad3cats]

I can relate to the idea of Nick being bi and either not realizing or not acting on his interest in men like many bi people do due to comphet

[@Leroy629]

The editing? 11/10, a chef's kiss on each hand. I giggled more than I had any right too. I am one of the few who did not read The Great Gatsby during my time in the public education system. I don't remember most of the books I read for English except Oedipus Rex, THAT ONE...OOF. I do recall hearing from peers and classmates that it was about a guy who was obsessed with the titular Gatsby, sooooo pretty gay in my mind already? I can't wait to see what become of Gatsby once it hits the public domain. Loving the anime ending-esque outro card. Really looks lovely out there with the wild flowers.

[@genevieve3467]

the fact that we never talked about the McKee scene in my hs english class made me think I was literally delusional for reading into it but THANK YOU for finally discussing it

[@chairnowhere]

this was honestly one of the most wonderfully edited and amazingly well put together book/movie analysis video i've ever witnessed ! Thank you for the experience :3

[@The_Sin_Squad]

This comment made my day! :D Thanks so much

[@chairnowhere]

@@The_Sin_Squad Of course ! :D

[@onettaviator5396]

Oh we read this in February/March right before schools shut down! My class was almost unanimous in Nick being gay for Gatsby. We also dubbed Gatsby a simp.

[@MistarZtv]

This is so culturally factual..🤣😩😭

[@romanc.49]

my english teacher kept on saying "awww, he likes daisy, isn't that so cute?" and every gay kid in the class collectively looked at one another and thought 'sure, honey, that's what's happening'

[@a-s-greig]

I couldn't stand Daisy, personally. I picked up on the aloof killer vibes as early as the conversation at the end of her introduction. She's no idiot, but neither is she clever enough to actualize any sort of agency in her life beyond "such pretty shirts. 😭" She wasn't worth my time then; she's not worth my time now. Best "C" I've ever gotten.

[@donkeyparadise9276]

Narcissists

[@HiveOfHappenings]

45 minutes of fresh Sin Squad content!!! I am rubbing my hands on delight and cackling like a bog witch, *thank you so, so much!!* Your videos are an absolute ride and it's a privilege to see all your scriptwork and editing come together to form a spear in which you stab heteronormativity between it's tender ribs. And I can't wait to watch this one even though I haven't read/seen Great Gatsby besides what Cultural Osmosis has granted me, but I thought I'd let you know how much I adore your videos before I forget to. So thank you again!

[@The_Sin_Squad]

This comment makes me so happy.....oh my god ;____; thank you SO MUCH. I honestly don't even know what to say. You're amazing and thank you for watching my videos!!

[@sommerfeldttt]

the fact that the audiobook is narrated by jake gyllenhaal sold me

[@greensteib]

last year we started reading the great gatsby (I say started because it was interrupted by covid-19) and the end of chapter 3 was something we discussed for almost the whole period. not because a student brought it up, but because the teacher did. I'm surprised at how your class responded because from my experience, not a single student shot it down. while my teacher that year was proudly queer, I assumed that all the other teachers did the same thing. I had assumed that everyone learned about the book that way. but now I realize that not everybody has a teacher like I did, and I recognize how important this video is. you're teaching the context that most people wouldn't have read without it being pointed out.

[@imwhatthekidscallcringy3858]

The fact that I specifically remember that quote where Nick describes Tom's hot bod from when I last read the book 8 years ago is very telling of my not-even-realizing-I-was-gay-til-20 self

[@SBIMEZM86]

This is really solid (and brings the exploration of the topic outside of academia and classrooms, which is _really_ nice) but I think your warning over the descriptions of race in the book miss the likelihood of their intentional nature (and the ways that ties into marginalization in the book, particularly how Nick sees his own). On their most base level, they establish that Nick's views of race aren't much different than the prevailing ideas of white society at the time (or, I guess, you could argue that Nick is using the descriptions to better fit himself into the mainstream, seeing as he skips right past Mr. McKee; he also notes Tom's views on race and we know he's none too fond of him). But, additionally, it's hinted throughout the book that Jordan may not be fully white but white passing; it's been a while since I've studied the book so I can't provide the exact passages but, notably, (after Myrtle's been hit and Tom and others are at the scene) Tom rants again about non-white people corrupting the U. S. and Jordan's the only one to say (more or less), "Why do you mention; we're all white, here." This is doubly important when we consider Jordan as a sort of foil to Nick; you pointed out that there's room to read Jordan as a lesbian but, additionally, Jordan could be trying to pass when it comes to race, as well. Their involvement has a mutually-beneficial dynamic in that it helps them both to pass more easily in societies they, otherwise, would not be permitted to visit (which, potentially, could be part of why their conversation about both of them being careless is so important to them). And they know this; they are guests while people like Tom and Daisy are permanent residents. In the first passage you present of racist passages - when they're passing over to Blackwell's Island -, you leave off (what I think is) the following line of Nick pondering, "Anything can happen now that we’ve slid over this bridge … anything at all …. Even Gatsby could happen." Note the presence, once again, of those ellipsis. The significance, for Nick, of the people in the limousine is that they can do so so openly, even so far as having a white driver; if these rules can be transgressed in this age - race, class, gender - maybe even Nick and his desires could be permissible; and that's devastatingly alluring to him, naturally. It's been a while since I've read the book (probably due for another go!) but I think there's some really interesting commentary and thematic usage of race in the book that could, otherwise, get lost here.

[@matchalatte9612]

!!yes on Jordan not being fully white! When I first read the book I always assumed Jordan is a poc and the “we are all white here” line is meant to be sarcastic towards Tom. So I was really confused when they casted a white woman for the movies lol

[@medealkemy]

That's a *very* interesting analysis. Makes me want to read the book again!

[@shalonanwar6882]

I’m glad other people are talking about this. I always thought it was just my head cannon that Jordan wasn’t white. It’s nice to see that I didn’t pull it out of nowhere.

[@ramble4395]

Honestly I’ve been thinking that this entire time. The way he like pause to when he talked about race in the first part of the book. But they’re all sitting together having dinner and so first time meeting Jordan and Tom is going off on his white supremacist friend and he pauses to look at Jordan as if he’s not sure if she was white or not.

[@kahkah1986]

@@ramble4395 I think it is Daisy he pauses over, rather than Jordan. Jordan is described as blonde. She could be dying her hair of course to pass, but in contrast we never know Daisy's hair colour. Also, if Jordan actually loves Daisy, she might be protecting Daisy here.

[@caitlynr7295]

Oh my god I feel so validated right now. We read The Great Gatsby in my sophomore year (just a year before the 2013 movie came out) and I, a closeted teen, was SO convinced Nick was queer (ESPECIALLY after the McKee scene. When I was reading our assigned chapter at home and came across that alarm bells started going off in my mind lol. I mean up to that point, something about the way he spoke about Gatsby already had me going "hmmmm", but the McKee scene cinched it for me). I brought up the possibility during a class discussion and my teacher got incredibly awkward about it and changed the subject. It made me wonder if I was just making things up that weren't there because I wanted to relate to a character more/feel represented in some sense. Definitely glad to hear this wasn't the case and that many other people also read that scene, and Nick as a whole, as queer.

[@samueltortellini]

The moment this video started I just internally screamed, "The Ellipses!!!!"

[@The_Sin_Squad]

YES!! The rallying cry of all Gaystby analysis people! XD

[@carowolff4702]

Guess who watched this video back in December, brought this up with my teacher, and got encouraged to lead a discussion about this in class. It turned out better than I'd expected