From MotorMouth Podcasts, I’m Mahir and you’re listening to the MotorMouth Original – Queer’s The Word. 

For the first half of this season, I reached out to many LGBTQ+ folks, had charmingly candid conversations with them and shared with you some of their stories, experiences and everything queer. 

One thread, or shall I say an invisible string that tied together all – or at least many – of the conversations that I had with our guests was positive on screen representation and the impact it had on them. From the evolution of social media to the introduction of OTT platforms – the world has indeed erased all virtual borders and has come together to celebrate the multiple facets of art. To quote Rishikant from our debut episode – there is no acceptance without awareness. And so, in this segment of Queer’s the Word season one, we talk about some stories that inspire and create awareness while also winning Emmys. As a screenwriter who hopes to create memorable characters for television someday, the mid-season break helped me pivot the show in a different direction as I realised that it’s also important to highlight characters and real people from media who have had a positive impact on the community. And so I felt it was only fitting to explore this beloved queer character from Canadian television who is no less than a contemporary icon. For today’s episode, we talk about David Rose, played by Daniel Levy, from Schitt’s Creek.

“I like the wine and not the label,” says an eloquent David with his characteristic dubiousness. This one line, one line spoken by a fictional character in 2015 was really a defining moment for queer representation on screen that changed its fabric altogether. With time the show Schitt’s Creek went on to become a hugely celebrated sitcom for being humorous without being bigoted, which honestly isn’t a very common sight. But they didn’t stop there. The show came to a glorious end in 2020 with an iconic gay wedding that shattered the internet and some fragile egos and cemented itself as one of the gayest shows on contemporary television. The show also created history at the last Primetime Emmys by bagging a record nine awards. But for many of its ardent fans, it’s not the Schitt’s Sweep that make the show stand out as one of its kind.

The relationship between David and his business partner turned life partner Patrick is so important for the LGBTQ+ community. There is no external hate, no slurs being hurled at them; it’s just David and Patrick nurturing their love for each other with warmth, and affection and a magical rendition of Simply The Best by a supremely talented Noah Reid. The representation does not feel tokenistic at any level. They aren’t the “gay” couple sprinkled into the mix of a very heteronormative plot to attract viewers from a certain demographic. They are the couple with all the attention on them. David gets to be the bride of his dreams, he even throws a classic tantrum on the morning of his wedding day by shrieking “I’ve woken up in a Black Mirror episode,” which actually was probably the most relatable dialogue on television in 2020. But usually stories of queer couples on TV end that way, there’s either death, or betrayal or both and while many times such scenarios do exist in real life, us queers also deserve our happy endings, albeit only on screen. 

What the show manages to also achieve successfully is the portrayal of a pansexual character such as David. A lot of shows fail to achieve a balance and are often accused of bi/pan erasure but Schitt’s Creek has done it flawlessly. You see David have a thing with his eventual best friend Stevie, then a local woodworker Jake and then his future spouse Patrick. But throughout the show we hear instances from his past where characters talk about his ex-boyfriends and girlfriends and at no point does any of it feel forced and that’s hard to achieve. The show, very beautifully, manages to normalise being queer while also not downplaying it – that’s the impact of Schitt’s Creek and David Rose and as an obsessive stan of the show, Dan Levy thank you. 

On the other side of the break, I will be sharing with you a short poem I’ve written keeping in mind the absolute icon that is the character of David Rose. Oh and is it too late to say content warning – massive spoilers for Schitt’s Cr—anyways, see you on the other side. 

Welcome back! This is Queer’s The Word from MotorMouth Podcasts and I’m Mahir. Today, we’re talking about a fictional character because many a times, queer fictional characters have an impact on you in unimaginable ways. This could be through books, films, television, even music. And so here we are touching upon one such character that is David Rose from Schitt’s Creek. 

Now the reason I chose to speak about David in this episode is because his character and the show on a whole played a significant role in me being able to come out to my close ones. And since August did indeed slip into a moment in time, I must say that it was the hope of it all that encouraged me to not only accept myself but also to envision a safer, more holistic future for myself and the entire community. That’s the influence a TV show can have and I just think that it’s incredible that we get to live in a decade where queer representation on screen is increasing by every bit of content that comes out. I can only hope that it helps create awareness in a country like India that still has a very long way to go in terms of achieving even a semblance of equality. And as a writer, I can’t wait to create and put out a character that is equally loved. 

And now, it’s time for me to share with you a short poem I’ve written for our person of the day – David Rose.

he’s an apothecary of love and warmth

doling out pragmatic realness,

and even when he’s at his lowest

he widens smiles on the faces of his brethren 

they laugh at themselves for he’s them,

he’s us

he’s cynical, so am i,

he rages with self-doubt, we all do;

his cedar chest of sweaters

is a reminder that when grim takes over,

he and the Roses 

are one click away to confabulate

with you dew droppers

for the show is a one that pampers its fruit –

you know, us fruits –

like its own bébés. 

So come taste the difference a good show 

can make in your life, 

you’ll remember the experience 

and you’ll remember the name –

Shrek’s Kit,

Crit’s Chic,

Ugh,

Shitter’s Creepfest. 

Thank you for listening to this episode of Queer’s The Word. 

I’ll see you in the next episode. 

Meanwhile, you can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook – our handle is @MotorMouthPods

You can also check out more episodes of this show and other MotorMouth Originals on our website – motormouthpods.com

You can find music and other credits in the episode notes.

This episode was written and hosted by me, Mahir.

Sound production, design and mixing by Prateek Sharma.

Our show cover art is designed by Rishikant.

Our Creative Director is Gargie Sharma and this show is Executive produced and created by Prateek Sharma, for MotorMouth Podcasts.