The 21st century in media has shown that it is not afraid to push the boundaries and take some risks in order to get its message across. Also, recently, gay characters have been featured more prominently in shows across a wide variety of genres, and they serve unique purposes for a show's plot or story line. There are many tropes featured for queer characters, and Stewie from Family Guy fits into the trope of ambiguously gay and the badass gay.
First of all, Seth McFarlane, the creator of the show who also provides most of the voices for the show, confessed in an interview confirming that, yes, Stewie is in fact gay. The thing with the show is that it is played subtly, and the idea that he is gay does not play a big role in the show as he always seems to be plotting his next "evil plan," or about as evil of a plan as a 1-year-old baby can make. This also fits him into the mold of being the badass gay as it has been depicted numerous times throughout Family Guy's run that Stewie is more than capable of taking care of himself and beating people up he feels have crossed him or failed to please him, especially Brian, who in one episode, is beaten up not once, but twice within a five minute time-span.
The idea of having a queer character on the show is not a bad idea because diversity is the name of the game when it comes to television shows, especially in this day and age, but the idea to have Stewie, a baby with a British accent and a slight lisp, interpreted in this way, it just seems as though it is a way for the writers of the show to play off of him for the sake of comedy due to his mannerisms. Despite this, Stewie is one of those characters on the show whom you look at and automatically recognize what show he is on, and he has become one of the most important and significant cartoon characters over the last twenty years since the show began in 1999.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
If One Were The Other...
The beauty of television and media is that there are a lot of hypotheticals related to certain scenarios. One of these is the changing of a character's gender from male to female, and vice versa. For this blog, I will discuss a show's characters as if their genders were flipped, and then I will identify certain situations that might occur if the switch was real.
Let us imagine on a show like Family Guy if Brian, the family dog, was female and Meg, the Griffins' only daughter, was male. We all know that Brian is arguably the character that stands out the most in the show, and I feel as if he were actually female instead of male, he might appeal more to a female audience even if he were to keep all of his characteristics. The only difference is that he would have more boyfriends instead of girlfriends, and he may also be more inclined to share a deep bond with Lois while secretly harboring strong feelings for Peter.
Now, let us take a look at Meg. Meg is the only daughter of the family, but she is also the oldest. I feel if she were to be made a male, she would then become the oldest brother in an almost all-male household, and she could serve as inspiration for younger brothers Chris and Stewie. I feel like she would also have more attention from the family as well as significantly more luck in her social life unlike the scapegoating she endures as her usual self from everyone she encounters, especially from the family. Just like with Brian having more of an appeal to a female audience if he were made female, it is likely to say that Meg would have a broader appeal from a male audience, and the male perspective surrounding her/him would make for a pretty lengthy discussion on male gender roles.
This actually sounds like it would be a good idea for a Family Guy episode-one that takes place in an alternate dimension or something, with all of the notable characters the opposite gender with the exact opposite lives as their real-world counterparts. I am actually kind of surprised that this idea has not yet come to fruition. I mean, Rick and Morty did something like it, so why not Family Guy?
Let us imagine on a show like Family Guy if Brian, the family dog, was female and Meg, the Griffins' only daughter, was male. We all know that Brian is arguably the character that stands out the most in the show, and I feel as if he were actually female instead of male, he might appeal more to a female audience even if he were to keep all of his characteristics. The only difference is that he would have more boyfriends instead of girlfriends, and he may also be more inclined to share a deep bond with Lois while secretly harboring strong feelings for Peter.
Now, let us take a look at Meg. Meg is the only daughter of the family, but she is also the oldest. I feel if she were to be made a male, she would then become the oldest brother in an almost all-male household, and she could serve as inspiration for younger brothers Chris and Stewie. I feel like she would also have more attention from the family as well as significantly more luck in her social life unlike the scapegoating she endures as her usual self from everyone she encounters, especially from the family. Just like with Brian having more of an appeal to a female audience if he were made female, it is likely to say that Meg would have a broader appeal from a male audience, and the male perspective surrounding her/him would make for a pretty lengthy discussion on male gender roles.
This actually sounds like it would be a good idea for a Family Guy episode-one that takes place in an alternate dimension or something, with all of the notable characters the opposite gender with the exact opposite lives as their real-world counterparts. I am actually kind of surprised that this idea has not yet come to fruition. I mean, Rick and Morty did something like it, so why not Family Guy?
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
We All Wear Masks
There has been something that has recently come to my attention lately when it comes to so-called "standards" and "gender roles" or even "identities." It is not the fact that such terms exist; I mean, everybody finds a way to put a spin or a label on things. It is not even the fact that such terms even need to be there. It is the fact that people, regardless of whether they like it or not, are going to be judged by these labels as society seems fit. This type of behavior extends even into media.
One such trope found in the media is Eddie Redmayne's character in "The Danish Girl," a story about a man who transitions from male to female in a time when such activities were unknown and/or unheard of-the 1920s. One could say that it follows under the gender and sexuality trope of "wrong genetic sex" as the character in the movie is physically a man, but emotionally a woman as the film reveals. It could also fly under the gender dynamic of "dismissed gender" as his character certainly does not follow typical male behavioral patterns as he undergoes the stress of having an identity crisis with his gender.
Although not entirely played out as it is explained, one could make a case for the trope of "old friend, new gender" due to the shock and surprise that I am sure went through people's minds when learning about the transition as well as "lady looks like a dude" when people mistake Einar Wegener as a male when she has already made the switch. There is also the gender dynamic of "men don't cry" since it is safe for men to say to each other that crying is not allowed when going through difficult times.
In terms of whether it works or not and if it leaves a lasting impact on people, I would argue and say that while the film does succeed in bringing to the table a rather sensitive topic that is becoming more and more prevalent as people become continually more accepting about it, it could be said that the film probably captures transgender people in a negative light as Wegener in the film is socially ostracized due to him not following traditional gender norms related to men, but this is probably not what the movie was going for. Relating this to "The Mask We Live In," there are always those select group of people who will be quick to point out the flaws in people and deem them unsuitable to carry on as they wish in however masculine or feminine they identify themselves by, and this could be due to the fact that those people are just trying to hide behind a mask that is their own insecurities, and they do not know any other way to cope with a burden that they have.
It is rather sad that discussions like this still need to be addressed in 2019, but hopefully, with a little bit of luck, we can help smash these expectations of traditionalism to smithereens before it is too late. After all, no matter how successful or prosperous we are or get, at the end of the day, we all still wear masks.
One such trope found in the media is Eddie Redmayne's character in "The Danish Girl," a story about a man who transitions from male to female in a time when such activities were unknown and/or unheard of-the 1920s. One could say that it follows under the gender and sexuality trope of "wrong genetic sex" as the character in the movie is physically a man, but emotionally a woman as the film reveals. It could also fly under the gender dynamic of "dismissed gender" as his character certainly does not follow typical male behavioral patterns as he undergoes the stress of having an identity crisis with his gender.
Although not entirely played out as it is explained, one could make a case for the trope of "old friend, new gender" due to the shock and surprise that I am sure went through people's minds when learning about the transition as well as "lady looks like a dude" when people mistake Einar Wegener as a male when she has already made the switch. There is also the gender dynamic of "men don't cry" since it is safe for men to say to each other that crying is not allowed when going through difficult times.
In terms of whether it works or not and if it leaves a lasting impact on people, I would argue and say that while the film does succeed in bringing to the table a rather sensitive topic that is becoming more and more prevalent as people become continually more accepting about it, it could be said that the film probably captures transgender people in a negative light as Wegener in the film is socially ostracized due to him not following traditional gender norms related to men, but this is probably not what the movie was going for. Relating this to "The Mask We Live In," there are always those select group of people who will be quick to point out the flaws in people and deem them unsuitable to carry on as they wish in however masculine or feminine they identify themselves by, and this could be due to the fact that those people are just trying to hide behind a mask that is their own insecurities, and they do not know any other way to cope with a burden that they have.
It is rather sad that discussions like this still need to be addressed in 2019, but hopefully, with a little bit of luck, we can help smash these expectations of traditionalism to smithereens before it is too late. After all, no matter how successful or prosperous we are or get, at the end of the day, we all still wear masks.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
A Test of...Whatever
All throughout media and television, the roles of females within the confinements of a square box known as a lens or television set has gradually shifted from those that were catering to the typical rules of the housewife at the time to becoming strong, independent women with their own type of character development while becoming just as big, if not bigger, of a presence than today's generation of males in the cinematic world. In today's generation where there are all of these so-called "tests" that people throw out just to see if it meets their standards, it is probably no surprise that The Bechdel Test has become somewhat of a prominent name in media. Basically, what the Bechdel Test is contains at least two women who have at least one conversation about something other than men or a man.
One female character that fits the description well is Jackie Burkhart, the spoiled, rich kid from "That 70's Show." For instance, there are plenty of scenes throughout the series where she and her best friend Donna Pinciotti have many private conversations about different things. A lot of them revolve around the boys that they date, but others are also a way for both of them to build character development throughout the series. The Bechdel Test works for Jackie because even though she is not held back by her own faults and insecurities, at the end of the day, she is still shown to be a shallow, spoiled teenage girl going through the same problems that all teenagers go through. She also demonstrates the "Mako Mori Test" by having a story for herself that does not revolve around any male characters. It is about her getting a job, and about her struggling to adjust to her having to do things for herself rather than the other way around.
Jackie also demonstrates some of the female tropes that have been examined and scrutinized in recent times. The first is the "Crazy." For a short time in the show, at the end of season 2 through the beginning of season 3, she develops an intense infatuation for bad boy Steven Hyde after she breaks up with Michael Kelso. Despite all of Hyde's pleas to leave him be, Jackie cannot help but continue to pursue him despite them lacking any sort of remotely common interests. A second trope is the "Wedding-Freak." Jackie tries to get Kelso to marry her by the end of the 4th season, and when he does not answer right away, she gets very demanding and threatens to leave the relationship. She also does the same thing with Hyde in season 7 when he does not give an immediate answer. The final one is the "Nagging Shrew." Though she might be too young to fit into this category, the role of Jackie's character is shown to constantly boss people around, even those close to her. This is especially prevalent in the first couple of seasons.
Jackie is a character who has a lot going for her, but she is also one of those characters who is flawed enough to the point that anybody can relate to her in one way or another.
One female character that fits the description well is Jackie Burkhart, the spoiled, rich kid from "That 70's Show." For instance, there are plenty of scenes throughout the series where she and her best friend Donna Pinciotti have many private conversations about different things. A lot of them revolve around the boys that they date, but others are also a way for both of them to build character development throughout the series. The Bechdel Test works for Jackie because even though she is not held back by her own faults and insecurities, at the end of the day, she is still shown to be a shallow, spoiled teenage girl going through the same problems that all teenagers go through. She also demonstrates the "Mako Mori Test" by having a story for herself that does not revolve around any male characters. It is about her getting a job, and about her struggling to adjust to her having to do things for herself rather than the other way around.
Jackie also demonstrates some of the female tropes that have been examined and scrutinized in recent times. The first is the "Crazy." For a short time in the show, at the end of season 2 through the beginning of season 3, she develops an intense infatuation for bad boy Steven Hyde after she breaks up with Michael Kelso. Despite all of Hyde's pleas to leave him be, Jackie cannot help but continue to pursue him despite them lacking any sort of remotely common interests. A second trope is the "Wedding-Freak." Jackie tries to get Kelso to marry her by the end of the 4th season, and when he does not answer right away, she gets very demanding and threatens to leave the relationship. She also does the same thing with Hyde in season 7 when he does not give an immediate answer. The final one is the "Nagging Shrew." Though she might be too young to fit into this category, the role of Jackie's character is shown to constantly boss people around, even those close to her. This is especially prevalent in the first couple of seasons.
Jackie is a character who has a lot going for her, but she is also one of those characters who is flawed enough to the point that anybody can relate to her in one way or another.
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