Are the kids ALL right with gender scripts?

The 2010 film, The Kids Are All Right is a prime example of modern depictions of same-sex couples in the media. At the time, the film was arguably one of the first popularized films to be centered on the everyday lives of a modern lesbian couple and their two children. In many ways, the family operates just like any other middle class family, which is a positive approach, but can also be very detrimental. While it is great to see popularized media exposing the many possibilities the word “family” encompasses in America today, the ways in which the lesbian couple, Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening), are depicted directly showcase the gendered portrayals of homosexual couples on television (see clip below).

According to Holz Ivory, Gibson and Ivory (2009), relationships on television generally consist of a dominant partner and submissive partner. These roles are based on traditional gender scripts associated with heterosexual partners where the man is in charge as the patriarch and provider and the woman as the nurturer and dependent. While the study ultimately concluded that dominance and submission is seen mostly in gay male partnerships, using the film The Kids Are All Right I argue that these same depictions are often common in lesbian depictions as well, that is when lesbian couples are being presented as such and not just a friend with a “lesbian tendency”. I say this because compared to gay representations on television; lesbians are not often shown as stable couples, but as one friend that engages in a girl-on-girl fling, or a one time lesbian encounter, which usually confuses them before they return to their heterosexual lifestyle.

Returning to the gendered relationship study, Nic and Jules are each depicted in a way that genderizes their roles in their marriage. For instance, Nic, a successful doctor, is the sole monetary provider of the family, earning her role as the dominant. Her dominance is furthered by her characterization as the primary decision-maker and voice of order within the home. In all ways that Nic can be classified as dominant, Jules is her submissive other-half. Though she is attempting to start a boutique landscaping business, Jules is primarily unemployed and, like Holz Ivory, Gibson and Ivory (2009)’s study suggests of submission, Jules “exhibits indecisiveness”. In addition, in the one lesbian sex scene of the movie, Jules is pictured sexually servicing Nic, another example of Jule’s status in the relationship. In the clip, both Nic and Jule’s gendered scripts are overt. Jules as the feminine, health conscious woman that is often characteristic of the health fads seen in modern middle and upper class housewives; and Nic as the masculine, critical partner who “just doesn’t get it”. Finally the genderization of their relationship is solidified in the final part of the clip when Nic says, “I feel like I’m carrying the whole load here”, referring to the family’s means of income and her role as the provider (Gilbert & Cholodenko, 2010). In response, Jules owns her submissive role when she says, “That’s the way you like it. That’s the way you keep control… You hated it when I worked. You wanted me at home taking care of the kids. You wanted a wife”(Gilbert & Cholodenko, 2010). Overall, while The Kids Are All Right served as a positive example of modern family possibilities, it exhibited genderized partnership roles that can be seen as stereotypical of both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, which slightly diminishes the progress it stood to make in modern media.

References:  

Gilbert, G. (Producer), & Cholodenko, L. (Director). (2010). The Kids Are All Right [Motion picture]. USA: Universal Pictures.
Holz Ivory, A., Gibson, R., & Ivory, J.D. (2009). Gendered relationships on television: Portrayals of same-sex and heterosexual couples. Mass Communication & Society, 12 (2), 170-192. doi: 10.1080/15205430802169607