For this activist blog, I have chosen the topic of gender roles in society and my theme is a favorite show of mine, The Cleveland Show. In this episode of this show, Cleveland Brown Jr. tries out for the baseball team. The only reason he had tried out was because his father, Cleveland. Cleveland had played for that same baseball team as a high school student and ended up being an all-star at the school. Cleveland Brown Jr. in hopes to make his father happy, tries to learn how to play baseball and become who he knows his dad wants him to be. Although Cleveland Brown Jr. wants to make his dad’s legacy live on, he knows he’s not that skilled in athletics and is not too fond of sports in the first place. Cleveland Brown Jr. enjoys baking and watching the food channel unlike majority of the young men his age. He knew that if he did not try out for the team his dad would be disappointed and his dad’s friends would also joke on Cleveland Brown Sr. for having a “sissy” as a son. This episode in relation to gender roles comes about because Cleveland Brown Jr. enjoys doing things that aren’t considered “masculine”, like baking and watching the food channel. Cleveland is expected to enjoy sports like his father did and how most young men his age do. When I watched this episode I asked myself a couple questions, “Why does an action we take determine masculinity or femininity?” and “What makes baking a feminine quality and what makes enjoying sports a masculine quality?” This show, although is a cartoon,has a lot to learn from it because I believe it shows real life scenarios, commonly much more dramatic, but very relatable issues in our everyday society.
