Media Literacy may be defined as “the ability or skills to critically analyze for accuracy… in various media, including radio and television, the internet, and social media.” It is something which we can observe in classical art forms; Media Literacy as a concept has existed since the conception of Art itself, albeit in a primitive way. Alexandre Cabanel’s painting of the Fallen Angel serves as a classical example of reading beyond the lines. Though Cabanel’s Lucifer pretends to be strong and composed, his stern gaze is betrayed by a single tear falling down his face.
It is thus, media literacy, which allows us to view Lucifer beyond a strict narrative set by any institutionalised religion.
Is Media Literacy Dying?
However, in the year of 2025, Media Literacy is at an all-time low. It is a form of weaponised Anti-Intellectualism which serves Neo-Fascist ideologies.
At the center of Media Illiteracy, Queer voices find themselves being drowned under homophobic statements.
The beginning of July 2025 brought to Netflix the anime adaptation of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, originally written by Mokumokuren. Set in a rural Japanese village, the story begins with a young boy, Yoshiki, looking for his best friend, Hikaru, in the mountains. When Hikaru returns from the mountains he isn’t entirely himself anymore.
The relationship between Hikaru and Yoshiki reads like a Queer Shoujo story. The two are inextricably linked at the hip, never one without the other. With intense metaphors about having feelings for the other, the first episode witnesses Hikaru confess to Yoshiki, saying, “Yeah, I like you so damn much.” Ambiguously confessing in secret, the two boys find themselves in the midst of a town where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Being unapologetically queer was never an option for them, it was a taboo. The writer, thus, resorts to visual metaphors to portray their homosexuality.
Media Literacy Is A Way Of Understanding Queer Representation.
Yoshiki’s gaze lingers on Hikaru’s bare skin for a beat too long for it to just be friendly. Hikaru is more affectionate, he moves close to Yoshiki’s face without hesitating and asks him to not leave him. Despite the obvious hints at being queer, fans argue that the two are ‘just friends’. Media illiteracy seems to work overtime as every metaphor is swept under the rug.
Being queer has almost always found itself under the covers of amorphous confessions and a mask of ‘friendship’. This has been villainised by many netizens, pushing forward a heteronormative narrative. “Normalize straight relationships,” they demand. But a straight relationship has always been the norm. Romance between a man and a woman does not face the same crucifixion as a same-sex romance. The culture of slash-shipping may not be enjoyed by all, but it often comes at the cost of erasing proper representation of queer identities.
This Redditor wonders whether the songwriters of the song Irresistible by Fall Out Boy made a grammatical error rather than accepting the obvious–The song is about a man. The post has now been deleted but the fact remains.
Such fans do not want to accept that their idol might be queer.
A much beloved fictional character, Satoru Gojo, is known for his closeness with another character of the same gender, Suguru Geto. The relationship between the two has been implied to be romantic several times. A popular screencap shows the two riding a bicycle, a common romantic trope in Japanese media. The movie, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, focuses on the idea of ‘love being a twisted curse’, drawing parallels with the relationship between Geto and Gojo. People argue that a romance between the two is only implied, but implications serve as a sort of confirmation.
The Larger Problem
The denial of queer relationships is not just media illiteracy, it is used as a weapon of neo-fascist propaganda. The entire allure of Trad-Wives and a consumer-based portrayal of Femininity are indicators of conservatism making a return. This shames people who dare to challenge norms and live an alternative lifestyle. The young generation is fond of joking about dyed hair, signifying mental illness, and ‘Hizrubois’, dragging trans identities across the mud.
Media Literacy seems to be dead when books promoting Rape Culture become Bestsellers in the USA. It becomes the ‘standard’ for a romantic relationship, putting young girls at risk. Alongside this, it focuses on the erasure of queer and other minority voices. These voices deserve to be amplified, not buried under conservative and neo-fascist ideologies.
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