{"id":8296,"date":"2013-04-01T15:17:51","date_gmt":"2013-04-01T20:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/2013\/03\/31\/"},"modified":"2013-04-01T15:31:27","modified_gmt":"2013-04-01T20:31:27","slug":"does-american-dad-reflect-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themagicalbuffet.com\/blog1\/?p=8296","title":{"rendered":"Does American Dad Reflect America?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cBut you told me we hate the gays,\u201d Steve questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was, A, before I knew they came in Republican form, and, B, before they cut and styled my hair,\u201d replies Stan.<\/p>\n

Since the Supreme Court decided to do a big ol\u2019 cannonball right into the gay marriage issue it does seem that everywhere I turn I see \u201cgay\u201d. My email is hitting borderline abuse proportions from the Human Right Campaign, NYCLU, and the ACLU. The online news sites that I read have obviously been keeping the coverage front and center, and of course the pundit shows I watch are following it closely and so in turn I am too. However when I flopped down on the sofa to veg out and told Netflix to go ahead and play the next episode of \u201cAmerican Dad\u201d I couldn\u2019t help but laugh to the universe when the episode \u201cLincoln Lover\u201d started playing.<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a>For those unfamiliar with the series or this episode, Stan (who is the \u201cAmerican Dad\u201d) is not selected by his local chapter of the Conservative Republicans, to speak at the Republican National Convention. After watching a pretentious surrealist play about Abraham Lincoln, he decides to write and perform his own play about the first Republican president, to return to the original values of the Republican party. Stan’s play, a one-man show entitled \u201cLincoln Lover\u201d, depicts a very close relationship between Lincoln and his most trusted guard, Captain David Derickson. The play becomes successful as many gay men come to watch, though Stan (who wrote the play based on Derickson’s notes) apparently does not notice the homosexual overtones of his play. The Log Cabin Republicans invite him to speak at the convention; however, it is not until during a Log Cabin Republican party that Stan realizes its members are gay. He is won over by an elaborate musical number and begins acting more like a stereotypical homosexual male. Further hijinks ensue. (A slightly modified and partial summary from Wikipedia<\/a>. I don\u2019t want to give the whole episode away if you haven\u2019t seen it!)<\/p>\n

What\u2019s I find interesting about \u201cLincoln Lover\u201d is that the character Stan, an egocentric idiot, learns something about homosexuality in this episode. (Don\u2019t worry folks, it\u2019s a good thing he learns!) The thing he learns has him accept homosexuality, and that carries throughout the series. Upon reflection I remembered that Stan doesn\u2019t \u201clearn\u201d things. There is no evolution for the character, Stan even has said he doesn\u2019t learn lessons. Apparently he does about homosexuality. There has been only one other episode I can think of where Stan has learned something and his character evolved, and that was \u201cSurro-gate\u201d. That episode deals with homosexual couples being allowed to raise children. Again, it\u2019s a lesson learned that seems to stick. (Again, don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s good!)<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s telling that a show that very much reflects ongoing culture has its most socially conservative character learn to accept homosexuals and eventually their right to exist as a family. Legalize marijuana? No. Wife get a job outside of the home? No. Go to church every Sunday? Yes. Homosexuals are people like anyone else? Yes.<\/p>\n

If Stan Smith can learn that lesson, maybe there is still hope for our country to come together.<\/p>\n

Oh shit. I temporarily forgot the Stan Smith was an animated character in a cartoon. We\u2019re probably doomed.<\/p>\n

FYI \u2013 \u201cAmerican Dad\u201d is available for streaming on Netflix and you can view the older season on Hulu Plus. The episodes I talked about today were \u201cSurro-Gate\u201d Season 3, Episode 7 and \u201cLincoln Lover\u201d Season 2, Episode 4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"