The queer Hero versus the Fool bias of the queer trait: An archetypometric analysis of the collective portrayal of queerness in fictional stories
Ashley M. A. Fehr, Calla Glavin Beauregard, Julia Witte Zimmerman, Danny Benett, Timothy R. Tangherlini, Christopher M. Danforth, Peter Sheridan Dodds
Times cited: 0
Logline: Archetypometric analysis of fictional stories reveals hidden tendencies and biases of collective authors. perceived-Queer characters are more multifaceted in archetype and trait space than are perceived-Straight characters. More heroic characters tend toward being straight, while more adventurous and geekish characters tend toward being queer.
Abstract:
Visibility in media is pivotal for identity development and for broadening societal views of gender and sexuality. Queer representation has increased in recent years, yet damaging stereotypes and tropes persist. Here, we focus on queer portrayal and its perception by audiences in fictional stories (television, film, and literature) by studying characters by their quantified archetypes which are operationalizations of common conceptions such as Hero, Diva, and Outcast. We use the archetypometrics and Fandom's LGBTQIA+ datasets to study samples of fictional characters along the trait differential spanning straight to queer. We find, quantify, and explain a seeming paradox. The characters with the highest queer score present positive primary archetypes and are typically Heroes rather than Fools, Angels rather than Demons, and Adventurers rather than Traditionalists. But evaluation across many stories for the straight-queer trait itself reveals a strong collective-writing bias towards Fool (away from Hero) and no meaningful loading for the other two dimensions. Our analysis offers a population-scale view of the complexities of queer portrayal, while also pointing to risks in blindly training on many-authored story corpora.
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BibTeX:
@article{fehr2026a,
author = {Fehr, Ashley M. A. and Beauregard, Calla Glavin and
Witte Zimmerman, Julia and Benett, Danny and
Tangherlini, Timothy R. and Danforth, Christopher M.
and Dodds, Peter Sheridan},
title = {The queer Hero versus the Fool bias of the queer
trait: An archetypometric analysis of the collective
portrayal of queerness in fictional stories},
year = {2026},
eprint = {2607.08859},
eprinttype = {arxiv},
doi = {10.48550/arXiv.2607.08859},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.08859},
}