Modern Family 3x07, "Treehouse"

This blog post will focus on the representations of different types of masculinity in last week's episode of Modern Family, “Treehouse.” For all of its strides in representing queer characters in a positive light, Modern Family still adheres to many of the conventional binaries of masculine/feminine and straight/gay. I find Modern Family an interesting subject, because of its representation of “nontraditional” relationships alongside the traditional nuclear family, and because all are presented as equally quirky. Modern Family has been received with popular and critical acclaim since its premiere in 2009; each adult member of the regular cast has been nominated for an Emmy Award, the first win going to Eric Stonestreet, a straight man, for his portrayal of Cameron Tucker, a gay character. For those unfamiliar with Modern Family, the sitcom centers around three branches of the Pritchett family: Jay, the patriarch of the family, and his much younger Colombian wife Gloria represent a May-December relationship; Claire, who is Jay's daughter, and her husband Phil represent the traditional, suburban nuclear family, along with their three children; Mitchell, who is Jay's son, and his partner Cameron represent a “nontraditional” gay family, along with their adopted daughter Lily.

I apply the term “nontraditional” to Mitchell and Cameron lightly, because the only nontraditional thing about them is the fact that they are represented; their sexuality is not unusual, merely the fact that they are visible on mainstream television. In all other regards, Mitchell and Cameron are unmarked: they are financially comfortable white men, who live in a suburban area. All of the aspects of their lifestyle – their nicely decorated home, their high taste in food, their put-together wardrobes – are the well-respected markers of gay men. As far as the portrayals of masculinity, Mitchell, as a lawyer, is the breadwinner of the household; Cameron gave up a career as a music teacher to raise their child. Cameron is more “flamboyant” than Mitchell, in terms of fashion, speech, and mannerisms. These aspects of their relationship uphold the masculine/feminine binary; the only way a gay couple could be well-received by a wide audience is if they only deviate from traditional gender roles and heteronormativity in one way.

In this particular episode, the A storyline revolves around Mitchell's challenge to Cameron to pass as a straight man and get a woman's phone number in a bar. Cameron asserts, “I could totally pick up any woman in here...I for sure could be a womanizer,” to which Mitchell retorts, “Or you could be someone who just stepped out of a machine called 'The Womanizer.'” Cameron immediately connects being a straight man with being a womanizer, as if the opposite of a gay man is hypermasculinity; Mitchell's response immediately correlates homosexuality with overt femininity. When Cameron approaches a woman as a straight man, he deepens his voice and changes his body language, so that all of his movements are led by his broadened shoulders. He sheds any physical markers that are associated with homosexuality and overcompensates with hypermasculine ones.

Cameron does succeed in getting a woman's phone number, but feels guilty and meets up with her later to confess; she is confused as to why he reveals that he is gay when she knew all along. Katie matter-of-factly states how obvious it is that he is gay, from “The way you talk and walk and dress, and your theatrical hand gestures.” If there even is such a thing as multiple masculinities or any masculinity other than the ideal in the world of Modern Family, the difference between them and the ideal is obvious and unequivocal. Male femininity and/or homosexuality are signaled by a certain manner of comportment distinct from that of straight, traditionally masculine men.

When Cameron asks Katie why she would offer her number to a man she knew to be gay, she responds, again matter-of-factly, “Oh, because I want a gay friend. Someone I can dish with, can give me guy advice, I can shop with.” Cameron reels back, appalled at the heavy stock she puts in such caricatures of gay men, saying, “Those are totally offensive stereotypes!” He is offended by the cartoonish stock character traits that have been assigned to all gay men wholesale, and for a moment the audience empathizes with him. Within the next second, however, she continues, “We could go see Julia Roberts movies together,” at which Cameron perks up and excitedly shares, “I know and she's as nice as she seems onscreen!” Their conversation picks up, “Shut up, really?! Is she?” “She is, yeah.” Just as seen in the How I Met Your Mother episode I analyzed in my last post, the producers of Modern Family put forward an idea that challenges traditional conventions of gender and sexuality, only to retreat immediately. As quickly as Cameron expresses offense at Katie's belief in farcical stereotypes about gay men, he falls into those exact stereotypes, with the gossipy tone of a teenage girl. The producers offer a progressive piece of dialogue that attempts to break down binaries, but immediately rescind it by forcing this gay character back into the only acceptable classifiers to a mainstream audience – easily excitable, attracted to products generally aimed at women, etc.

Given its mass appeal and popularity, I think it is safe to assume that part of the reason why Modern Family is so well-received is because it portrays an accurate yet humorous model of the real world – including how stereotypes about masculinity function. We know that these binaries between masculine/feminine and straight/gay exist in our world, along with people who defy them. There is a huge discrepancy in the representation of such people in popular media. I am a fan of Modern Family and I understand the need to attract and keep a wide audience. I also understand that small steps in the direction of progression are better than none. Perhaps soon enough, though, with all the small steps that have been taken by shows like Modern Family, Grey's Anatomy, and Glee by representing queer characters in the first place, the wide audience will be ready for dialogue that breaks down binaries and does not retreat immediately. I urge popular media to continue its slow progression in portraying multiple masculinities/femininities, but without feeling the need to qualify.

You can watch "Treehouse" here.