How Does a Conservative Sitcom Do a Gay Episode?
Added 2024-02-01 07:57:04 +0000 UTC“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (November 29, 2011)
Yes, Tim Allen’s follow-up to Home Improvement got branded as the most conservative sitcom on network TV, but is that fair? We’re honestly not sure, because the ninth episode of Last Man Standing’s first season features a gay couple. We’re mostly good with how this plays out, but we also think this show changed in its second season. We’re also skimming over the second-season episode “Bullying,” which ended up arguing that it’s okay to say “gay.” Key takeaway: Tim Allen may be less conservative than Kelsey Grammer.
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Comments
Really enjoying this discussion so far. I think one reason why "conservative" comedy fails in modern times is that they can't get away with what they really want to say anymore. Even Ladyballers probably pulls punches. Modern conservatives hate transpeople so much. They would want a comedy that involves them being physically assaulted or worse, much like extremely racist comedy of the 1800s. Same with jokes against BLM or other progressive movements. It's not enough to mock and ridicule the groups you disagree with, you have to utterly destroy them, either emotionally or physically. A conservative comedy about BLM would involve a BLM supporter being an extreme hypocrite, relying on a copy to save their lives, and then end up being arrested for a minor violation - but the audience would also want that person to be beaten to death in custody...as a joke. They never get what they truly want, so even they aren't interested in watching it. This is one reason why conservative drama works better. It's easier to code and you can get away with more when you just make the people you don't like terrorists or rapists like in 24 or Death Wish, while still making it ever-so-slightly veiled that non-conservatives might enjoy the product too (I have watched all five Death Wish films and enjoyed three of them).
James Eldred
2024-02-03 00:35:40 +0000 UTCOof, that second episode you guys mini-covered sounded brutal. There's no way in this universe that a 90s sitcom starring Tim Allen was going to include a gay son coming out to his man's man father, but somewhere in the multiverse that version of Home Improvement exists and I wish I got to see it.
Jay Bloodworth
2024-02-02 11:09:09 +0000 UTC
