"The Gay That's Not So Gay"

The title of my blog is a quote from Adam Pally an actor that plays a gay character on the new ABC hit comedy show, "Happy Endings".  It is a show about six weirdos (as the actors describe their characters) a.k.a best friends in their late 20's in Chicago.  They all have different quirks and a ton of inside jobs that you laugh at, though you are not completely sure if you got it or not.  It is a fresh comedy that has been somewhat underground and almost canceled.  But due to the creator of the show, David Caspe, asking ABC for another shot and to move the time slot, the show is now a success. 

The character Max (played by Adam Pally) is a laid back bum who mooches off of his friends, who also likes to be sarcastic and  make fun of everyone.  He loves watching sport teams and participating in the them as well.  He also very distance and lies about a lot of things to get his way in the situation.  Some people may consider him a jerk, but the flip side to his character is that he is a homosexual.  He dates other men and talks about relationships and intimacy like any other sarcastic male characters on sitcoms.  David Caspe put this spin on his character to flip the typical stereotype of homosexual men on TV. 

In the documentary we watched in class titled, "Further off the Straight & Narrow" (2006), they discuss the typically characteristics of a male homosexual on TV.  They brought up the sissy male, the submissive male, the over the top theatrical male (like Jack on "Will & Grace").  These stereotypes are embedded as the standard to any homosexual male's personality.  Some people assume that this is how all gay men behave.  Unfortunately for them, that is not the truth.  This show is a clear example that stereotypes are not true, due to Max's behavior on the show.

To complete Adam Pally's quote on his character Max he stated, "I played him like a dude," shrugs Pally.  "I gave him no affectation at all.  I can be arch, like 'The Gay That's Not Gay.' So you've got to find another dimension to it." (Entertainment Weekly, December 9,2011)  In my opinion, the actor is pulling the audience in to under his character on a different level that is not based on sexuality.

This video is just an example of how the show plays with the stereotypes of the characters in it.  This also shows how Adam Pally plays with his character Max.