Speaking of awful LGBTQ+ representation, "The O.C." is certainly guilty of treating its queer characters as sexed-up objects or comedic plot devices. To its minor credit, the series has more queer characters than most shows in the early aughts, but if they weren't going to handle them properly, what's the point?
When Seth has Ryan spy on Alex when she's meeting her ex, Ryan finds out that her ex is a woman. Instead of pretending like he didn't see anything, Ryan outs her as bisexual to Seth instead of letting Alex tell him when she's ready. Predictably, Seth has a meltdown. He can't accept it at all, but he's more than happy to sexualize Alex's short-lived relationship with Marissa that develops after Alex and Seth break up. These characters clearly only exist to further the plots of their straight counterparts, and it's not even subtle.
Other cringe LGBTQ+ moments in the show include Kaitlin saying, "Gay dad trumps slutty mom," when she's comparing her teenage angst woes with Luke's younger siblings. Later, Kaitlin intentionally outs a classmate to get back at the popular girl, and no one calls her out on it. It's played off like she's doing him a favor, which is a wholly toxic message to have for a teen audience. Imagine over a million teenagers now thinking that outing their classmates will help them accept themselves. It's not a great look.
