Episode analysis 1

Series 1, Episode 13: “Fifteen Percent”

 Representations of gender—male/female stereotypes
 Representations of gays/homophobia
 Representations of ethnicity/nationality
 Intertextual references

Gender stereotypes?

Significant parts of this episode involve representations of some gender-role assumptions or

stereotypes.

What are some of the assumptions that have been made in our society and across history about
typical differences between how males think, feel and behave? (Class discuss?)

Gender (male/female classification, particularly relating to characteristics regarded as masculine or

feminine) is a major area of assumptions and stereotypes. Throughout history, assumptions have
often been made about males and females being better suited to different roles, and having
different ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. Modern attitudes tend to question and challenge
many assumptions about gender roles. Those assumptions are seen as culturally created and often
unfair and leading to inequality.

Here is a Seinfeld script extract where Jerry uses a gender stereotype… (sorry, couldn’t find it
on YouTube)

JERRY: Men flip around the television more than women, I think. Men get that remote control in their hands, they
don't even know what the hell they're watching.

You know, we just keep going, "Rerun, don't wanna watch it.. "

"What are you watching?"

[Spoken quickly] "I don't care, I gotta keep going."

"What was that?"

[Spoken even more quickly] "I don't know what it was - doesn't matter, it's not your fault. It doesn't matter, I gotta
keep going."

Women don't do this. See now, women will stop and go, "Well, let me see what the show is before I change the
channel."

You see? Men just fly. Because women, you see, women nest and men hunt. That's why we watch TV differently.

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What are some of the gender-role assumptions or stereotypes that you know of. (Class
discussion?)

1. In this episode, what skill does Phil possess that Claire doesn’t have? (Ch 1, 0:30) (NB Luke is
also seen as superior to Hayley in this skill.)

2. Mitch, in his car, grapples with some similar skills. (Ch 2, 0:20) What does he attempt, and
what happens? How does this relate to the gender representations referred to in Q5?

Do you think these small examples of gender differences are a humorous reflection of reality, or
some subtle reinforcement of unfair assumptions helping to perpetuate stereotypes? (Class
discussion?)

3. Gloria tells Jay he should talk to his friend Shorty and help him “open up” about his personal
life. Jay replies that men don’t do that. (Ch 5, 0:10) Quote what he says men do talk about
and explain what is represented by that, but also explain what his decision to try Gloria’s
suggestion represents. (Remember the intro to this episode.)

Paragraph exercise (**Note: This is great practice for your assessment task!)

Write a paragraph in which you identify the different gender stereotypes represented in this
episode, and evaluate the show’s portrayal (in this instance) of gender. (What representations
of males and females does it present, and does it do anything funny, interesting, admirable or
perhaps negative in these depictions?)

Gay people, homophobia?

4. Jay has had (and partly continues to have) issues about coping with his son being gay. Does
this portray Jay as the kind of male who is inclined towards homophobia?

5. How does Jay introduce Cam to his buddies (Ch 1, 0:27), and how does he explain later (Ch 2,
2:08) that he does so because of what his buddies are like, not because of his own attitudes?

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 6. When Mitch is upset and asks whether Jay would “introduce Phil as a friend of Claire’s”(Ch 2,
0:55), what point is he making? Do you think viewers are invited to see it as a fair point, or as
an unreasonable one?
7. When we see Jay’s attempts to cope with his gay son Mitch, Mitch’s partner Cam and their
family unit, does the show just reflect the reality of these issues in society, or are these
aspects of the show constructions that work to influence and shape viewers’ attitudes? By
showing us gay people as part of a “modern family”, does the show just present something
that exists, or does it invite viewers to be more open-minded about such issues? Are we
looking through a window, or being propagandized? Answer with direct reference to
examples from this episode, using some of the (green) wording from the first two sentences
of the question.

8. At the very end of the episode, we still see Jay confused about whether his friend Shorty is
gay. Shorty behaves in several ways that might be stereotypically associated with being gay,
but there have also been other explanations offered for some of his behaviours. Comment
on what might be added to the representation of gay people, and the representation of
how others respond to gay people, by ending the episode this way? (Even if Jay and we the
viewers are still unclear about Shorty’s orientation, are we all invited to learn or realize
anything? Does a question mark hover over some stereotypical ideas?)

Paragraph exercise (**Note: This is again great practice for your assessment task!)

Write a paragraph in which you highlight and evaluate the significant part played by depictions of
gay people and others’ responses to gay people in this episode. Also, weigh up the possible “pros
and cons” of such portrayals. (Normalizing gay relationships…pro? Highlighting unfairness…pro?
Gay stereotypes being reinforced… possible con?) Arrive at a judgement about the relative impact
of those “pros and cons” ( is there more “good” or “bad” to having this in the show?) and the
contribution of these representations to the show’s effect and appeal (does it help make the show
popular/successful?)

Representations of ethnicity/nationality?

9. Gloria provides an ongoing representation of someone foreign to the US mainstream. In this

episode (look out for them throughout other episodes as well) there is a brief example of the
representation of her South-American homeland, Colombia, and its people. (Ch 4, 0:40)
Quote her two part comment that draws upon stereotypical ideas about Colombian crime
problems and passionate Latin-American temperaments.)

10. Just after Mitch says he is proud of Jay for “growing” in his ability to deal with the idea of
someone being gay, Jay makes some other comments which cause Mitch to say “Don’t

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 worry, you’re not growing too much.” (Ch 8, 1:45) What are the comments, how do two of
them relate to representations of race or ethnicity, and why does this mean Jay, according
to Mitchell, isn’t showing much “growth”?

Intertextual references?

Approximately two minutes into the episode, Cam tells Jay’s buddies they “look like a scene out of
Jersey boys”.

11. What is Jersey Boys and who was it about?

12. Some of the characters in Jersey Boys , as well as being musicians, had “mob” connections
and spent time in prison. How does this knowledge help explain Cam’s comment?

13. The buddies seem not to be amused by Cam’s reference. There are several possible reasons
for this; what might they be?

14. Cam says Whitney’s hair is “like Barbara Streisand’s in The Way We Were” (Ch 9, 0:47). What
is The Way We Were? And why…
a. is it another intertextual reference that fits some of the stereotypical features of
Cam’s character?
b. does Cam get a better response to this reference than he did to the Jersey Boys
reference?

15. What is the title of the movie on DVD as the family work the remote at the beginning and
end of the episode and which actions on the screen are matched by which members of the
family?

16. This film is regarded by some as highly inspirational and by others as rather lame and corny.
Why might it have been chosen by the show’s creators to be the DVD in their machine?

17. Some of the intertextual references in this episode can be seen as developing characters, as
reinforcing themes and as providing a kind of “treasure hunt” for knowledgeable viewers.
How do you think this weighs up against having some viewers, who don’t get the reference,
not knowing what’s going on?

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