Joe Hardy's sexuality

[mercutia]

I think it would be really interesting for HerInteractive to take a significant canon character such as Joe Hardy and reveal that he's bisexual. It's a personal headcanon that I've always had, and I know that other people have spoken about it on other blogging sites. Based on the books, especially the Supermysteries series, it's easy to read Joe as being attracted to both girls and boys. Thoughts?

[HouseDetective]

I do not believe that it would be a wise move for Herinteractive to make. That is a very heated topic right now, one that is being met with a lot of debate, ave I think that including something like that would bring too much drama to a game. The fans (myself included) weren't thrilled with the couple of times that Nancy had relationship problems with Ned, because it was too much drama and too distracting from the mystery at hand. The Nancy Drew series has characters that have been in existence for over 85 years, and to change any one of them in such a major way might be too much for the fans to handle. The fans just want a good, solid mystery to solve, with lots of danger and a good storyline. That is what I think Herinteractive should be focusing on.

[mercutia]

I do not believe that it would be a wise move for Herinteractive to make. That is a very heated topic right now, one that is being met with a lot of debate, ave I think that including something like that would bring too much drama to a game. The fans (myself included) weren't thrilled with the couple of times that Nancy had relationship problems with Ned, because it was too much drama and too distracting from the mystery at hand. The Nancy Drew series has characters that have been in existence for over 85 years, and to change any one of them in such a major way might be too much for the fans to handle. The fans just want a good, solid mystery to solve, with lots of danger and a good storyline. That is what I think Herinteractive should be focusing on.

I don't really see it as a dramatic move. At least not in 2016. I mean, yeah, the character has history, but that's what makes it significant and give LGBT+ fans a lot of source material to go on with this new interpretation. I really don't see why that would affect Nancy and Ned's relationship at all (I've loved the writing with them in recent years. SEA was a delight). I can't imagine why a throwaway line about it would be too much to handle.

[LadyLinda]

I think it would be really interesting for HerInteractive to take a significant canon character such as Joe Hardy and reveal that he's bisexual. It's a personal headcanon that I've always had, and I know that other people have spoken about it on other blogging sites. Based on the books, especially the Supermysteries series, it's easy to read Joe as being attracted to both girls and boys. Thoughts?

I admit that I am ignorant of what has been written about Joe Hardy.

Has it been stated in the books that he is bisexual?
I don't think HeR can "out" him without it being first revealed in print.

[paperstreet]

I admit that I am ignorant of what has been written about Joe Hardy.

Has it been stated in the books that he is bisexual?
I don't think HeR can "out" him without it being first revealed in print.

I agree, HeR has the game rights granted from Simon and Schuster (if I recall correctly), I dont think they can do anything major with out their permission

[mercutia]

I admit that I am ignorant of what has been written about Joe Hardy.

Has it been stated in the books that he is bisexual?
I don't think HeR can "out" him without it being first revealed in print.

No, it has never been explicitly stated. And it may be more of a 'pair the spares' type thing, but in the crossover books when Frank and Nancy are together, Joe is almost always befriend some young man.

Bummer that HeR can't do that without the rights from S&S. It'd be cool if they tried to go through the hoops to get it done though.

[mysterylover11]

I can see Joe being bisexual. I think it'd be great if HeR made a small mention about that - kinda how they mentioned that Dagny was gay in SEA. I do understand how fans really want the main focus of the game to be on the mystery, but, at least for me, as long as the game didn't turn into a game focused primarily on romance and drama, I'd be all for that.

[hedgie]

No, it has never been explicitly stated. And it may be more of a 'pair the spares' type thing, but in the crossover books when Frank and Nancy are together, Joe is almost always befriend some young man.

I think this is pretty farfetched. I don't know how many of the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books you have read, but I have not read a single book where it is implied that Joe was not heterosexual. Do you recall which book(s) you are referring to? Of course, Joe would befriend a young man because he is a lovable, friendly character. Nancy has does the same thing, so has Frank, George, etc. I do recall in one of the SuperMystery books that Joe and Bess were a couple. Also, in the Nancy Drew TV series, Joe and Bess were also romantically interested in one another. In almost all of the SuperMystery books, Joe is romantically involved with a female character.

Julesy

[mercutia]

I think this is pretty farfetched. I don't know how many of the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books you have read, but I have not read a single book where it is implied that Joe was not heterosexual. Do you recall which book(s) you are referring to? Of course, Joe would befriend a young man because he is a lovable, friendly character. Nancy has does the same thing, so has Frank, George, etc. I do recall in one of the SuperMystery books that Joe and Bess were a couple. Also, in the Nancy Drew TV series, Joe and Bess were also romantically interested in one another. In almost all of the SuperMystery books, Joe is romantically involved with a female character.

I think you're misinterpreting some of what I'm saying. I'm not trying to suggest that any previous Hardy Boys material was written with a secret intention that Joe was bi. I'm saying that it is easy to read between the lines and suggested that Joe has been a (closeted) bisexual teen in previous installments were new information about his character revealed. Secondarily, just because he's interested in Bess or other women doesn't mean that he isn't bi. That's the point: he could like women and men.

I'm thinking specifically of moments in Dangerous Games, Secrets of the Nile, and I believe The Paris Connection.

[dancetopia]

I can see Joe being bisexual. I think it'd be great if HeR made a small mention about that - kinda how they mentioned that Dagny was gay in SEA. I do understand how fans really want the main focus of the game to be on the mystery, but, at least for me, as long as the game didn't turn into a game focused primarily on romance and drama, I'd be all for that.

Definitely

[Clueless in SA]

Even when I use Nancy's trusty magnifying glass I still can't see it.

[mercutia]

Even when I use Nancy's trusty magnifying glass I still can't see it.

Why not? I'm genuinely curious as to why it's so improbable to people. It wouldn't change Joe's personality at all.

[mysterylover11]

Why not? I'm genuinely curious as to why it's so improbable to people. It wouldn't change Joe's personality at all.

I agree.

[DPL_93]

Yeah would be great to see Joe and Ned as a couple.

[Solver]

I think I'm a fuddy duddy. I like it when the games reflect the characters as they were in the books.

In which books (you may wonder)?

Joe Hardy is not gay or bi in any of the HB and ND/HB books. imho, various book editors disliked the name Iola Morton and the idea that she was a farm girl and the sister of Chet Morton, the food-loving pal of the Hardy Boys. In order to do away with the awkward name and relationship, editors minimized and sometimes eliminated Iola Morton and placed Joe in other situations. The ND/HB books did not include Chet, Tony, and Biff. Other characters were in those books.

These days it's popular and politically correct to be, support, and/or make much of gay. But if the book truth is that Joe Hardy is not gay, why should he be so in the games? Surely the concept of gay does not mandate changes in the representation of history, even if the history is that of published fiction books and characters. Perhaps purists will find reasons to express more of real human history if there is reason and purpose to include something of gayness that had not been expressed in earlier records. But I see no reason to make a deliberate intention to alter the well-known history of the Hardy Boys and their lives in order to add gayness that did not seem to be present in the Hardy Boys books.

[yup. i am a fuddy duddy.]


As I consider this interesting idea, I wonder about one other thing: to date, HeR has made more of mystery than of romance. Romances have been tragic, stormy, historical, and not in our faces with intimacy. If the games are to be E for Everyone, should this trend continue so that youngsters can play mystery games without encountering sexually-oriented themes? What do parents who buy and/or rate these games think of relationship ideas being added to or increased in the Nancy Drew and/or Hardy Boys games?


I strongly believe there should be more in these games about the Hardy Boys. Where are their friends from the early books? Where is Aunt Gertrude? She might be even funnier than Hotchkiss! There is so much possibility for concepts that already exist in the books that it might not be necessary to make games that are too advanced sexually for younger players.

On the other hand, if there shall be gay-themed games, or openly gay characters, it might be better to use new characters who can be written from scratch. This will preserve known history and foster creativity. Would it be more satisfying for the talented and creative writers to create new characters than to transform old ones?