Stephen King & The Ambiguously Gay Trope: The Sequel

Stephen King is an author known for effortlessly capturing the constant reader in webs of fear with only disturbed characters for company. The tale-spinner is credited for the creation of many nightmare inducing horrors yet there is almost always a bit of beauty attempting to play devil’s advocate for what King writes best. Endearing characters and soft friendships often soften the blow from the ghoul-of-the-hour. Perhaps the most common way King breaks the tension is through a special bond talked about in a previous article. The author has crafted multiple intimate & affectionate relationships between two male main characters whose romantic chemistry outshines their friendship. The common King trope gained some recognition (from fans & King himself) after IT Chapter 2’s decision to portray the Reddie chemistry just last year. But beyond that pair, exist many more bonds that exceed ordinary friendship. Through his less widely recognized skills in captivating character work, Stephen King has inadvertently created a world of ambiguously gay relationships. These pairs even break off into their own deeper Stephen King stereotypes. Looking specifically at the Jock/Nerd trope, one finds those ‘couples’ with a protective bond in which one character feels the strong need to protect the other as their found partner.

In the immortal words of the man himself; “The two of them had been rooming together for three years now--the Jock and the Brain, Cisco and Poncho, Batman and Robin--” (King, Stephen. Skeleton Crew. Scribner, an Imprint of Signet, 1986). Randy & Deke are central characters in the short story; The Raft, which follows four college students that swim to a wooden raft on a remote Pennsylvania lake only to discover the horror it takes to get off. Though the story is short, the reader comes to know that they come as a pair. King installs this information through the constant use of the pairs' nicknames for eachother even amidst the horror, “Deke grinned humorlessly. ‘Oh, Pancho’...‘Oh Ceesco’... ‘I want to go home’ Laverne said in a furtive whisper. Neither of them replied.” & “Panch- He said in an amazed, choked voice and then he began to scream.” “Hold on Cisco, please hold on.” (King pg. 295). It is a particular tender sort of affection hidden beneath The Raft which makes Randy & Deke’s ending so tragic. The Batman & Robin of this story turn to each other when in need and for the most part, neglect the company of their girl friends.

Deke turns to Randy for a comforting explanation on their immediate danger, “You’re supposed to know! You’re a fucking brain-ball! You take all the science courses!” (King pg. 290) only to later softly check on him in favor of the girls, as if he just hadn’t yelled, after Laverne breaks down. “Laverne cried and began to scream again.” “‘Stop that or I’ll break your jaw.’ Deke said and she stopped. ‘You alright Pancho?’...’My man’.” (King pg. 290). Their relationship with each other takes priority over the girls. Randy turns to Deke to be the ‘hero’. “Deke wouldn’t panic. Oh, no Deke was hero material for sure. You gotta be a football hero...to get along with the beautiful girl. His mind sang.” (King pg. 289). These quotes from the boys further insinuate a Jock/Nerd stereotype being the grounds of their relationship, in which they’re attached to each other for protective reasons. So too is the case for many other ambiguous gay couples created by King.

‘Blaze’ is a novel written under King’s pseudonym of Richard Bachman which was penned before ‘Carrie’ but was never published. King announced on his website that he’d "found it" in an attic & went on to show the world in 2007. The short novel concerns Clayton Blaisdell Jr.( known as "Blaze"), a man who is mentally disabled due to his father throwing him down the stairs as a child. The plot focuses on his being a con-artist trying to finish out his dead partner’s (George) last big con; the kidnapping of a wealthy family’s baby. But what stands out from the interwoven flashback scenes is the relationship young Blaze had with a buddy of his, John Cheltzmen. “I’ll do your homework if you don’t let those lugs tune up on me anymore.” (Bachman, Richard, and Stephen King. Blaze. Simon & Schuster, 2007.) A quote from their first meeting at the orphanage is enough to show they share the same protector/protected relationship. Which is something that Blaze clearly treasures. “He was sad to be here, but it meant a lot to find Johnny waiting.” (King pg. 98). Blaze is proud to take care of John & for a long while their relationship is the best thing in their lives. Leading them to great adventures such as running away together briefly to Boston.

But beyond that, as they continue to be there for each other, Blaze & John are quite affectionate too. Young John could barely pitch his Boston idea without bursting, “Joy overcame him. He leaped on Blaze, laughing and pounding his back. His body was lean under his clothes, light and hard. His face burned against Blaze’s cheek like the side of a furnace.” (King pg. 136). Blaze carrying his friend like that happens quite often too. The affection continues especially when faced with losing each other. After Blaze is forced to leave for a while, “John didn’t even smile. He reached out and grasped Blaze’s arm hard, as if to store it’s texture in his memory forever.” (King pg. 78). Or even after young John dies (Because King LOVES a good tragedy) and Blaze oddly thinks back on how John used to masterbate in his bed. “Looking at Johnny’s bed, it came to him like a revelation that if he died, his bed would be stripped and his come-stained sheets would be replaced with sheets like the ones that were on Johnny’s now. Sheets that were perfectly white and clean.” “Blaze began to cry silently.” (King. pg. 269). Blaze is never bluntly said to identify with any sexuality, but King often chose to show his attachment to the men in his life, through John & George. Even having a character describe Blaze on a note reading; “Shows homosexual tendencies.” (King pg. 273) after Blaze snaps on the head of the orphanage, beating him for being the cause of John Chetzmen’s death.

Of death, tragedy & gay love, King’s 1983 novel ‘Christine’ has a lot to say. Though it’s most commonly referred to as the ‘one about the killer car’, ‘Christine’ is actually one of the author's best tales of heartbreaking & emotional misfortune. Following the nerdy Arnie Cunningham’s succumbing to the seduction of the scariest of cars. His best friend & jock, Dennis Guilder tells most of the story with obvious devastation for his best friend since childhood. A prominent theme in the novel is Dennis’s strong devotion to protecting Arnie. “Neither of us talked about it later, me holding him like that. No one came along the sidewalk and saw us parked at the curb. I suppose if someone had, we would have looked like a couple of queers. I sat there and held him and loved him the best I could…” (King, Stephen. Christine. Signet , 1983.). Part of this is from the boys' lives being so intertwined from a young age that they became a sort of found-family. Another is just due to Dennis’s strong love for his best friend. Dennis is tender and genuinely soft on Arnie throughout the entire novel, early on he even describes Arnie’s eyes. “Behind the glasses, which usually obscured them, they were a fine and intelligent gray, the color of clouds on an overcast autumn day.” (King pg. 14).

What makes Dennis & Arnie so strong in this trope is the sense of childhood friends to idiots-in-love which radiates from them. Dennis Guilder’s protection and desperate chase to take care of Arnie is one of King’s strongest portrayals of love (Be it, the reader believes it to be platonic or romantic). “How can he be dead when we made those ant farms together?.” (King pg. 494). The fact of the matter between these boys was that they loved each other & a lot of it can be told through Dennis. Perhaps the most notorious quote involving such feelings is when he takes the time to explain that he views Arnie as his own sort of treasure. “That was one of the reasons I liked him as well as I did. And it was kind of a secret thing, you know? I don’t think anyone really saw that wit except for me.” “I once heard about a millionaire who had a stolen Rembrandt in his basement where no one could see it. I could understand that guy. I don’t mean that Arnie was a Rembrandt, or even a world class-wit, But I could understand the attraction of knowing something good...something that was good but still a secret.” (King pg. 69). Dennis & Arnie are consistently pure and loving to each other in ways that differ from their other relationships shown. A lot can be said of their love in general.

Through his immense talent in character work, Stephen King has inadvertently created a universe of ambiguous gay friendships. A great many of his most popular friendships radiate a touch of romance. Though it’s within reason to believe them to be platonic friendships of love, there is a special few which can be interrupted as particularly romantic. IT Chapter 2 did an amazing job at recognizing one of the biggest examples of this trope. It’s within reason to assume that the continuing King adaptations could include representation of the subtle love that exists between some of the other characters too. For there is even more beyond those previously discussed & protectiveness of Randy & Deke, the faithfulness of Blaze & John and the devotion between Dennis & Arnie. Constant readers can only hope for those relationships to be taken more seriously.