Quick summary of episode:

While celebrating Meg’s birthday, Peter dresses up as a clown and performs an act on a unicycle. But before he can perform, he falls off the stairs and onto his father, Francis. At the hospital Francis’s last words are an insult calling Peter a “fat, stinking drunk”. Upset by his father’s words he finds out that Francis wasn’t his real father and goes on a quest to find his real dad. Meanwhile, Stewie is going through the “mine” phase of childhood. After disobeying Lois, she spanks him which leads Stewie to find out he likes being hurt by Lois.

_______________________________

Sex Role Analysis:

  • Lois
    • always in the house, more specifically in the kitchen, seen washing the dishes and cleaning up Stewie’s messes
      • could also relate to Goffman’s analysis (the family)
  • Setting: women in private; men in public
    • When comparing the scenes that Lois is into the scenes Peter is in:
      • All of the scenes Lois is in (except for one) portrays her at home
      • The scenes that show Peter  are in two bars, a doctor’s office, a hypnotist’s office, on a plane, Ireland, etc.

Worth noting:

  • When Stewie pretends to have a housekeeper, the fake housekeeper is a female; the doctor at the hospital tending to Francis is a male
    • Female domestic, male nondomestic
    • Could also be seen as function ranking
      • Doctor is considered a higher-ranking job than housekeeper
  • When having a conversation with his real father, his dad says: “Why can’t you be as attractive as other Americans?” to which Peter replies that he’s pretty typical and that “most Americans look nothing like the way they’re portrayed in the media.”
    • Not related to gender but I still though it was interesting since we are talking about the stereotypes and representations of groups that the media portrays and how it can influence our thinking, expectations and perspectives
  • References to violence targeted at women:
    • “Slap me across the face like a bitch” -Stewie
    • The tavern they go to is “Wifey McBeaty’s Tavern”

Shared by: Hope Duppler
Image Credit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0837967/