Worthy Cause of the Day: Not a single episode of ABC’s uproarious new sitcom Modern Family goes by that I don’t find myself ranting and raving over the pseudo-progressivism of having an openly gay couple on a primetime TV show, and going out of your way to avoid having them show real-world physical affection toward one another.
Happily, I am not alone in my diatribe: A Facebook campaign was recently launched to convince ABC to let the adorable duo smooch to their hearts’ content on national television. It may not seem like a big deal to most, but, as an interesting article on frgdr about a transsexual Israeli entertainer starring as the love interest of a straight man in a commercial for unlimited local phone service pointed out, LGBT acceptance isn’t about “letting queer people live their lives just as long as [so-called progressives] don’t have to hear about it” — it’s about recognizing that when two people are in a committed relationship, they kiss each other on the lips.
I have to say that I’ve noticed this as well. While the show is pretty great, and one of the best (if not the best) sitcoms on TV right now, I always found Cam and Mitch’s relationship a little…distant, at least physically. They do have great chemistry and play off each other emotionally so well, so it always baffled me why they never seemed as warm to each other as the other couples.
But, I guess it is rather great that this is what we’re griping about now. It’s exciting that there is, once again*, a sitcom has come this close to portraying a realistic family without the conservative family values lens. Especially because nobody has seemed to notice.
*It really does seem like it’s sitcoms that have pushed the boundaries on television, at least in terms of the portrayal of non-traditional-hyper-conservative-friendly families. I’m looking at you, All in the Family, Roseanne, Will and Grace, Married…With Children.
Incredibly well executed post
Terribly well written piece of writing!!!