Gay as cute: Unpacking cuteness in contemporary gay teen drama series

Since the late 2010s, there has been a surge in gay teen drama series that portray their gay male protagonists as cute. This article focuses on four series ( Heartstopper , Young Royals , Love, Victor, and wtFOCK ) and examines which formal and narrative practices are used to convey cuteness. It argues that, first, each series participates in the creation of the cute gay boy archetype; second, each series represents cuteness as vulnerable in an ambiguous and, at times, resistant manner; third, cute aesthetics are used to soften the blow when tackling heavy or disturbing issues or to amplify positive emotions.