In 2009, ABC Network began airing the show “Modern Family,” which holds millions of viewers each week still today. The hit comedy is about how three different families are all connected and deal with everyday challenges. The most “untraditional”, and arguably the funniest, couple on the show is Cameron and Mitchell, two white middle aged men who have an adopted 3 year old daughter. Although Cameron and Mitchell are not married on the show, their relationship presents important matters of being homosexual to a large audience. Yet, they do this in a subtle and comedic, thus accepting manner. The producers of this show ease their way into the controversial topic by first just allowing a gay couple to be on television, never showing them kiss, and never talking about their anger at not being able to marry. By not being so upfront about the issue, and not explicitly talking about gay marriage, they prove ways in which a homosexual couple can break stereotypes and defy beliefs about their inability to raise children in a healthy, wholesome home. This subtle and comedic approach is a smart strategy to bring a positive view on homosexuality into American homes.
The first stereotype that this couple breaks is that all gay couples have one stronger or masculine member and a weaker, more passive member, which therefore establishes their roles during sexual encounters. In his article “Chicano Men: A Cartography of Homosexual; Identity and Behavior,” Tomas Alamaguer writes that “Unlike the European-American system, the Mexican/Latin-American sexual system is based on a configuration of gender/sex/power that is articulated along the active/passive axis and organized through the scripted sexual role one plays” (Alamaguer 110). In the show, Cameron and Mitchell have both masculine and feminine roles throughout different episodes, making it difficult to assign a certain role to either character. Throughout most episodes, the show plays on comedic instances where Cameron or Mitchell’s sexuality dominates how they react to things or their interests, but there are still episodes that display their “macho” characteristics, making it unclear as to which partner takes the role of the “man” in the relationship. Cameron’s “masculine” scene can be seen in the episode “After the Fire” (http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi85237273/) where he wants to prove to his nieces that a gay man can drive a truck, and Mitchell’s can be seen in “Dude Ranch” (http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi441031705/) where he blows up a bird house with his nephew and actually enjoys it. By displaying both gender roles by both of the partners, Cameron and Mitchell are proving Alamaguer’s statement and disproving the belief that most people have about homosexual roles in a relationship.
The second way that Cameron and Mitchell defy popular mentality is through their relationship with their daughter, Lily. When discussing initial reactions to homosexual behavior in the 1950s, D’Emilio writes “it seemed to constitute an appropriate response to behavior that offended common decency, violated accepted norms, and threatened the welfare of society” (D’Emilio 23). We would like to think that this type of mentality has died out, but it is still very alive today, and is in fact, a big argument against gay marriage. Many believe that homosexuals threaten societal norms, especially by the fact that they cannot have or raise children. However, Cameron and Mitchell prove this mentality wrong by raising their daughter in a respectful home with popular, “heterosexual” values. The show illustrates an example of a problem that many parents face with their child in the episode “Little Bo Bleep” in which Lily says the “F word.” Cam and Mitch are obviously concerned and debate over what is the best way to go about teaching Lily that that word is inappropriate (http://abc.go.com/shows/modern-family/episode-detail/little-bo-bleep/916288). This episode shows that a gay couple goes through the same kinds of issues with their child as would a straight couple and that they still teach them good values.
Modern Family is media’s way of showing us that publicizing homosexuality in a humorous and nonthreatening way can lead to gay awareness and greater acceptance of gay marriage. Acceptance of the gay couple on the show will hopefully lead to acceptance of gay couples in general in order to finally give every person the right to marry whomever they want. And beyond that, to allow Modern Family to finally throw Cameron and Mitchell the wedding they have always dreamed about.
Bibliography
“After the Fire.” Modern Family. ABC. 16 Nov. 2011. Web
Alamaguer, Tomas. “Chicano Men: A Cartography of Homosexual; Identity and Behavior.” Social Perspectives in Gay and Lesbian Studies. Peter M. Nardi and Beth Schneider, 1998.
D’Emilio, John. “Homosexuality and American Society: An Overview” Politics, Sexual, Communities in the United States 1940-1970, Chicago Ill:University of Chicago Press, 1983.
“Dude Ranch.” Modern Family. ABC. 21 Sept. 2011. Web.
“Little Bo Bleep.” Modern Family. ABC. 18 Jan. 2012. Web.
The concept of family “remains a crucial institution that defines both gender and sexual relations between men and women (Almaguer 541). Although Almaguer is referring specifically to the concept of family in the Chicano culture with this statement, I think that the idea of the traditional family is an important pillar in most cultures, especially American culture. For decades television has portrayed the traditional family as a man and his wife with his children, and it was not until recently that a representation of a more “modern family” made its way onto television screens. Cam and Mitch are one of those onscreen couples that transcends the limited views of the traditional family and brings homosexuality into american homes in a nonthreatening way through comedy.
ReplyDeleteOne point in your article I thought was most interesting was when you made the observation that Cam and Mitch do not take on male and female gender roles in their relationship like most people would expect them too. Both characters embody both male traits and female traits, which I think is the most accurate portrayal of a modern, non-conforming, gay couple. I also love how you pointed out that Modern Family does a good job of showing that gay couples are just as capable, if not more so, of raising a child as a heterosexual couple is. Overall, I think that Modern Family brings the issue of gay marriage and homosexuality into the living rooms of america and shows society that a gay family goes deals with the same issues, and handles those issues in the same way as most traditional families do; therefore bringing homosexuality that much closer to becoming accepted nationwide.
References
Alamaguer, Tomas. “Chicano Med: A Cartography of Homosexual; Identity and Behavior.” Social Perspectives in Gay and Lesbian Studies. Peter Nardi and Beth Schneider, 1998.
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ReplyDeleteI sort of agree with your idea that Modern Family can be a way of effectively changing people’s opinions towards being accepting of the LGBTQ community, but even more so I think it can demonstrate how family dynamics within the community can vary so drastically. It worries me that the show can not be as effective as we would like in changing people’s opinions towards homosexuality because often times people who are so strongly against it would not be watching the show in the first place. Therefore I believe more strongly in your idea that it demonstrates how Cameron and Mitchell can still be suitable fathers even though they are gay, which led me to thinking about Kath Weston’s article “Forever is a long time: Romancing the Real in Gay Kinship Ideologies” and the family dynamic I was witnessing.
ReplyDeleteIn the article she discusses the different views people have on the term “family” in the queer community. Some people believe that family will leave when they come out so they must depend on friendships for lifelong bonds, while others believe that “’blood’ relations could never be terminated or resisted the notion that friends could count as family” (Weston, 1998). The two men not only maintain blood relations with their family, who is supportive of their sexuality, but also have an adoptive daughter. They combine both views of “family”, demonstrating how different family dynamics are represented within the LGBTQ community.
Weston, Kath. "Forever Is a Long Time: Romancing the Real in Gay Kinship Ideologies." Gender in Real Time: Power and Transience in a Visual Age. New York, NY: Routledge, 2002. 57-82.
I agree with this author in that “Modern Family” breaks stereotypes and gender roles while presenting a controversial subject on television, however, the homosexual subtleness should be thoroughly questioned. This gay couple does indeed involve a complex use of gender roles as both characters present different attitudes on the gender spectrum of masculine and feminine. This gender affiliation changes for every episode, which adds to the show’s humor. Gay couples should not be confined to the social norm of acting like a husband, masculine, and wife, feminine. Tomas Almaguer mentions in “Chicano Men: A Cartography of Homosexual; Identity and Behavior” that “Mexican men often find a tenuous assurance of their masculinity and virility in aggressive manliness and through a rigid gender role socialization,” and this relates to gender norms that these two people face men in society (pg. 540).
ReplyDeleteThis show does indeed shed a positive light on homosexuals as it places them in a scenario as loving, normal parents facing common problems. This is a hit show, thus, reaches millions of households throughout the country making this positive publicity a good start in evolving current views on gay couples. As mentioned in the blog post, this couple is subtle in their affections and views on gay marriage and this allows viewers to focus on the humor rather than social and political issues involved. Nevertheless, I believe this show should take advantage of its’ popularity and speak up more about gay marriage rights, especially with the upcoming presidential election. This couple should not have to hide their public displays of affections when other shows have heterosexuals kissing and sex scenes are less than subtle. Paula Gunn Allen explains that with “Lesbians in American Indian Cultures” gay marriage was accepted and even performed in a public ritual in which was the “creation of a rope baby” and this allowed the union to be validated and legitimized (pg. 113). If Modern Family were to air the marriage of the wholesome couple, making it public, this could further allow others to pair acceptance and normality with gay marriage.
Alamaguer, Tomas. “Chicano Men: A Cartography of Homosexual; Identity and Behavior.” Social Perspectives in Gay and Lesbian Studies. Peter M. Nardi and Beth Schneider, 1998.
Gunn Allen, Paulla. "Lesbians in American Indian Cultures." The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions Beacon Press (1992): 106-17. Print.
As an individual who identifies within the LGBTQIA community, I was fortunate to have an older sister that also identified. Growing up, she was a role model and trailblazer. When came the time that I began to seek identity, I had a solid example that I could follow. Because I had someone to reference, my coming out process was much easier. I feel that shows such as Modern Family are important in this aspect. Though Modern Family may not be as supportive and personal, it provides a reference to how a gay couple may function. For those who are not fortunate enough to have a personal example, widely televised shows like Modern Family, that portray queer couples in a positive light, can provide a break to the heteronormativity that many queer youth need. As noted by Barbara Smith, “Unlike many other oppressed groups, homosexuals are not a group whose identity is clear from birth.” As such, society seems to constantly provide examples that reinforce heterosexual gender scripts, and thus many queer youth do not have any information regarding the dynamics behind relationships that do not involve typical, cisgendered, opposite sex individuals. The second thing that I feel Modern Family does is inject a positive perspective in regards to queer couples within heteronormative communities. The mere inclusion of a queer couple as main character dispels many of the stereotypes and assumptions about queer people as a whole. Though true that Modern family does sometimes conform to stereotypical behavior, it also shows that queer individuals are more than just gay; there is a sense of being human.
ReplyDeleteReference:
Smith, Barbara. “Homophobia: Why Bring it Up?” The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader. ed. Henry Ablelove. New York & London, Routledge, 1993. Print