Television is Finally Becoming Two-Dimensional

    In the past fifteen or so years, television has finally started becoming two-dimensional, figuratively, of course. By that, I mean that while programs often portrayed social groups, such as older people or gay people, stereotypically, they're beginning to forge a new path by giving these social groups more complexity. Modern Family and Brokeback Mountain both show the one- and two-dimensionality of characterizing the elderly and gays.
    In his study Aging with Television: Images on Television Drama and Conceptions of Social Reality, George Gerbner notes that the elderly are not often portrayed in a positive light. Because most shows, reality shows and soap operas especially, show almost exclusively young people, older characters are often seen as childlike, absentminded,  irrational and out of touch with reality. Jay Pritchett, the patriarch of Modern Family, is the classic "man's man" who loves sports and is uncomfortable with his son being gay (though he eventually accepts it.) He is often a little out of touch with other members of the family because he's not of the same generation, so he is a point of humor in the show when he doesn't understand pop culture references. On the other hand, he is also well-off, reasonably healthy, and married to a woman half his age who he truly loves. He tries to relate to younger generations particularly by spending time with his step-son Manny, and in this way his character shows more complexity than the stereotypical elderly generation. Jake Twist's father, from Brokeback Mountain, does not have much air time, but is the stereotypical closeminded and bitter elderly man who speaks viciously of Jake's desire to "run a ranch" with another man.

Gay characters are also receiving a lot of good attention lately. While many people still envision gay men as overly-flamboyant and feminine, this stereotype is quickly going out the window with more complex characterization. Brokeback Mountain, especially, does this by showing two cowboys - stereotypically very manly men -  in a long-lasting homosexual affair with each other. While the whole movie they hide their relationship, even though Jake doesn't want to, the fact that they continue to explore their sexuality together is an interesting development in modern television. Mitchell and Cameron from Modern Family are another ground-breaking gay couple slowly changing the opinions of the American audience because of their likeability. While they are more stereotypically portrayed, they are also adoptive parents, which is a fairly new phenomenon.
    By making marginalized social groups likeable and showing them in a positive light, television programmers are helping to open the minds of their audience.