In
another queer turn of events, Maeby is horrified when her mother,
Lindsay, flirts with one of her high-school crushes. Maeby ingeniously
curtails the competition by telling the boy that Lindsay is
actually her father, adding, “And the worst part is he
thinks he’s passing.”
You
know you’re watching progressive television when the gay,
straight, and transgender folk are equal targets for satire.
In a recent interview with The Advocate (September
13, 2005) Portia de Rossi remembered being upset by the faux
lesbian subplots on her last television show, Ally
McBeal, and feeling exploited by McBeal creator
David E. Kelley’s eagerness to have her character, Nell
Porter, fool around with another woman. De Rossi recalled, “Here
I was really worried that it would be the end of my job on the
show, and he was so titillated by it he wanted to write a whole
character arc about it.”
In
stark contrast, she felt respected enough on the set of Arrested
Development to introduce producers Ron Howard and Brian
Grazer to her then-girlfriend, Francesca Gregorini, and to talk
to her young co-stars about their gay friends. De Rossi told
The Advocate, “I asked both of the [teenage actors
on the show] if they had any gay friends at school, and they
were like, ‘Sure! Steve’s gay, Sarah’s gay….’
If I was 14 and knew some gay people, I wouldn’t nearly
have had the struggle I had. Our world is definitely changing.”
Now
that Portia is officially out as a lesbian, and the
set of Arrested Development is officially a gay-friendly
work environment, making a weekly commitment to watch the show
can be counted as a sedentary form of activism. And
if you've never seen Portia's comedic side, you're missing out
(two words: "chicken dance").
In
the new season, Lindsay and Tobias further explore an open marriage,
although unfortunately for queer Portia fans, their affairs
will likely continue to be of the opposite-sex variety only.
One object of Lindsay's affections early on is Scott Baio, who
replaces Henry Winkler as the family's attorney.
Meanwhile,
cousins Maeby and George Michael continue to deal with the fallout
of their kiss, Buster can't seem to get out of the Army, Lucille
starts to date while her husband remains imprisoned, and Michael
romances guest-star Charlize Theron--another good reason to
watch!
Activism,
guest stars, and the gloriously out
de Rossi aside, the best argument for tuning into Arrested
Development this season is the fact that it is quality
television. As
the Emmys continue to roll in, the show is sure to catch on
and finally garner the audience it has always deserved.
Season
Three of Arrested Development premieres Monday, September
19 at 8 pm EDT/PDT, and the second
season DVD comes out on Oct 11. Visit the
official site or comprehensive fan site the-op.com
for more information.
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