In our daily lives, the media impacts us both positively and negatively. Not only does it contain many dominant ideologies, but it also reinforces societal norms and ideas. According to Media/Society by David Croteau et al, an ideology is a “system of meaning that helps define and explain the world and that makes value judgments about that world” (Croteau 2002). Similarly, I understand ideology to be the unspoken way that we understand the world around us, which, in turn, helps us make better, informed decisions. Film and television shows, especially, are prominent in influencing us both consciously and subconsciously. F Is for Family (FIFF), created in 2015 by Bill Burr and Michael Price, is a great example of media where many American sitcom ideals are present (IMDb). Despite being an adult animation, it still manages to incorporate almost all aspects of the typical American sitcom. In the television series F Is for Family, Burr and Price use stereotypes and derogatory terms to reinforce dominant ideologies of marriage/family and heteronormativity. Although FIFF is considered raunchy and comedic media, it tackles tough issues surrounding instability, child abuse, and unhealthy relationships.
Set in the 1970s, F Is for Family follows Frank Murphy and his dysfunctional family as they navigate through the fictional town of Rustvale, Pennsylvania (IMDb). His family consists of his wife, Sue, his two sons, Kevin and Bill, as well as his daughter, Maureen. The Murphy family is the stereotypical lower-middle class family during the 70s. Frank, who works as a manager at Mohican Airways, struggles to provide for his family and live up to being head of the household. Sue attempts to be the mother who “does it all” while making it look easy. His oldest son, Kevin, is the average teenager: full of attitude and constantly feeling misunderstood. Bill, the middle child, is often disregarded and forgotten about by his parents and siblings. His youngest and only daughter, Maureen, is anything but a girly girl, rejecting nearly all ideals of femininity. The Murphy family embodies nearly every aspect of the stereotypical American, working-class family. The television show is centered primarily around Frank Murphy and how he interacts with the people he encounters. F Is for Family is a deep story about a child who grew up wanting a better life for his children but ultimately follows in his father’s footsteps. Although F Is for Family imparts various dominant ideologies to its audience, there are two that remain prevalent throughout the series: marriage/family and heteronormativity.
First, marriage and family are obvious within the first few seconds of the pilot episode. Early on, we learn that a relationship between a man and a woman is the “right way”, and anything that deviates from that is wrong (Rao Lecture, 2022, Week 11.1). The end goal of being in a relationship is to eventually start a family and have children, which is exactly what Frank and Sue Murphy did. I believe that if the two were together but decided not to have children, viewers would question their decision. Marriage/family are so prominent that it is difficult to imagine a society where it simply does not exist. At times, Frank and Sue are seen kissing or having sex, which serves as a way to further normalize what is already widespread within television shows. When considering marriage and family, gender roles also come into play. Men are seen as the dominant and aggressive beings who must work to provide for their family. Whereas women must work hard to keep the house clean and cater to their husbands’ and childrens’ needs. On top of this, society expects them to look amazing while doing it. FIFF’s way of displaying marriage and family is typical and unsurprising to say the least.
Second, heteronormativity is heavily presented in all seasons and episodes of F Is for Family. Heteronormativity is the idea that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal sexuality. In most societies, heterosexuality is seen mostly as the standard of comparison for all other sexualities. Unfortunately, any deviation from this norm is perceived negatively and looked down upon, causing individuals to form even harsher opinions about alternative sexual orientations. The writers gave all the main characters a love interest except for Maureen, which is mostly likely because she is only ten years old. Unsurprisingly, all of these love interests involving the main characters follow the heteronormative ways of society. The clearest instance of heterosexuality is between Frank and Sue Murphy since their relationship is the primary focus of the show. Additionally, Kevin meets a girl named Alice Goldman at school, and she eventually becomes his girlfriend. Their other son, Bill, takes a liking to his bully’s little sister, Bridget Fitzsimmons, who also actively bullies and manipulates him. Other supporting characters like the Murphy family’s neighbors and close friends are also in heterosexual relationships. This decision for characters to have partners of the opposite sex reinforces the dominant ideology of heteronormativity. By incorporating instances where characters use derogatory terms regarding other sexualities, FIFF shows viewers that heterosexuality is normal while deviations from heterosexuality are not.
Furthermore, we discussed the different ways in which media texts can be read critically: dominant readings, negotiated readings, and oppositional readings. However, I want to focus primarily on the dominant and negotiated reading of F Is for Family. A dominant reading is sometimes referred to as the preferred reading of a media text (Rao Lecture, 2022, Week 12.2). Audiences accept the meanings encoded in the media text whether that be the producer’s intentions or the socially conventional representations. The dominant reading of F Is for Family is it being another comedic adult animation. Like most adult animations, producers aim to make their audience laugh at the sometimes sexist and controversial jokes present in nearly every episode. This way of writing allows F Is for Family to comment on real life issues and situations but in a more comedic manner. By making references to celebrities and similar television shows, F Is for Family manages to put a modern spin on what resembles an old-fashioned sitcom. Next, a negotiated reading is when audiences identify the dominant readings of a media text but refuse to completely accept the way in which the encoder has intended it, which raises potentially unintended meanings (Rao Lecture, 2022, Week 12.2). The negotiated reading of F Is for Family is one surrounding child abuse and unhealthy relationships. In addition to Frank and Sue, FIFF also focuses on the relationship between Frank and his father, William “Big Bill” Murphy. Despite his loving and caring exterior, Big Bill was an abusive father with a severe drinking problem and ill nature. He frequently called Frank a “sissy” and a “dope” as a way to manipulate him emotionally or express his disappointment (IMDb). Throughout the series, Frank tries to reject all comparisons to his father because he does not want his own children to despise him like he does his father. However, Frank ends up becoming a carbon copy of his abusive father and unfortunately, does not realize it until it is too late. With children that dislike him and a wife that just wants to do her “own thing”, Frank Murphy is left wondering why he cannot seem to break the vicious cycle. Lastly, an oppositional reading is when audiences “resist” the imposition of preferred meanings and actively reinterpret the media messages in contrary ways (Rao Lecture, 2022, Week 12.2).
Like many classic American sitcoms, F Is for Family lacks diversity and representation. There are only a few diverse characters that appear in numerous seasons and episodes. These characters include two Black men, Chauncey “Rosie” Roosevelt and Smokey Greenwood, and one Asian woman, Nguyen-Nguyen Stevenson. Still, they are all the stereotypical Black and Asian characters. Roosevelt and Greenwood are both overweight and talk using various slang terms. They are viewed as uneducated by other (white) characters, and their successes are often disregarded or ignored similar to how Blacks are treated in today’s society. On the other hand, Stevenson has a very petite figure and speaks with broken English. She does not contribute to the show overall since many scenes involving her are not centered on her. These stereotypes contribute to how society views these two groups and the oppression they may face in their everyday lives. Additionally, F Is for Family does not integrate other sexualities and/or genders in the series. Because heteronormativity is one of the main ideologies this show highlights, it would be difficult to incorporate other sexualities and genders. However, I think this is a step that needs to be taken. Doing this will make the show more progressive, which for a sitcom, is exactly what they do not want to be. However, the show being animated makes it easier to be inclusive and representative of nearly all individuals.
Unsurprisingly, Bill Burr and Michael Price have created an adult animation that is anything but original. The television series focuses primarily on Frank Murphy and his traumatic upbringing. Again, being centered around a white, heterosexual, cisgender, middle-class man is the typical writing for an American sitcom. Unfortunately, this very reason is what sets it back ten steps. Since F Is for Family is so similar to American sitcoms, this comes to no surprise. Although F Is for Family touches on several important issues, it still reinforces dominant ideologies and societal norms, and stereotypes to generate more viewership.
References
Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. Media/Society. Pine Forge, 2002.
“F Is for Family.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4326894/plotsummary.
Rao, P. Lecture in Media Studies 2000. Week 11.1, 2022.
Rao, P. Lecture in Media Studies 2000. Week 12.2, 2022.
This was originally created as part of a class assignment for Introduction to Media Studies at the University of Virginia.
Destiny Rae Jones 