Arrested Gender Roles

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Gender Roles on Arrested Development The Arrested Development episode Top Banana details the business and family dealings of the Bluth family (Hurwitz, Michael). This episode introduces traits in the characters of George Michael Bluth, and Maebe Bluth Funke, his cousin. In a sitcom, gender traits and roles are typically exaggerated with great effect for comedic value. George Michael and Maebe defy the traditional societal roles for gender by both exhibiting reversed and exaggerated traits from the opposite gender. Gender roles in society are the general expectations that society places members of particular genders, whether exhibited through traits or actual occupations. Trying to quantify gender roles as traditional or modern is difficult,…show more content…
Maebe showers in the bathroom attached to the bedroom she shares with George Michael, and leaves the door open knowing full well George Michael was in the bedroom (Hurwitz, Michael). This reckless behavior is the opposite you would expect from a stereotypical modest girl (who would likely make great efforts to maintain her privacy). Maebe also shows her recklessness when she suggests that her and George Michael “go play some skeeball” instead of working (Hurwitz, Michael). She steals money from the till and throws away the bananas in a thin attempt at hiding the crime, with no regard to the either the effects of her crime on herself or on George Michael. This behavior is not what you would traditionally expect from a woman. When faced with the prospect of turning into her mother, Maebe’s comment is “shoot me when that happens” (Hurwitz, Michael). This illustrates her desire to shake the role society has indebted to her gender, as her mother happens to be an unemployed wife and mother (a stereotypical gender role for a woman). Maebe Bluth Funke’s portrayal of female gender roles contrasts with traditional female gender roles. Arrested Development does a good job creating humor with the characters of George Michael and Maebe. Much of the conflict within these two characters is about how George Michael is when around Maebe. George Michael’s feminine traits contrast with the traditional traits assigned to the male gender, and Maebe’s masculine traits contrast with the traditional traits assigned to the female gender. The juxtaposition is hilariously successful and entertaining to
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