Community's Satirical Views on Marriage

I love this clip from Community because it pokes fun at what is expected in marriage (and a relationship) from a woman according to typical media scripts. Prior to this moment on the show, Britta has been established as a feminist character, whereas Jeff often has slightly misogynistic tendencies. They have an interesting relationship throughout the course of the show, sometimes friends, sometimes enemies, and sometimes having sex.

In this particular clip, they both got drunk and decide to get married. They act out a typical Heterosexual Script, but do so in a satirical way that points out the absurd nature of these scripts. Britta's comments address the myths that appear in popular media: she promises to put Jeff's dreams before hers, promises to earn no more than 70% of what he would earn at the same job, and argues that it doesn't matter how many babies she wants because that kind of decision is always up to the man. It's clear by Britta's sarcastic delivery that she doesn't truly believe these conditions are fair, but that they have become so ingrained into what a heterosexual relationship/marriage is like that they are unavoidable should she want to be married.

According to Holz Ivory, Gibson, and Ivory, gendered relationships are often seen in media. Maleness equates with "authority, status, competence, social power, and influence, and femaleness signals lack of authority, low status, incompetence, and little power and influence" (172). This power imbalance of the impending marriage between Britta and Jeff is presented in a way that highlights the ridiculous nature of the expected gendered-ness.

This clip also calls out the some of the Media Myths identified in Bader. Myth 6 in particular, that the man should NOT be shorter, weaker, younger, poorer, or less successful than the woman, seems outrageous when articulated the way that Britta does. By explicitly saying that, as a sacrifice of marriage, she will set out to never earn as much as Jeff does, Britta calls into question the basis of this otherwise accepted fact of life—that men do earn more than women and tend to be more successful career-wise.

Jeff, on the other hand, only mentions that he will "bottle up [his] repulsion at the sight of [her] hair in the drain." This is not even close to being the same type of sacrifice. By mentioning it after Britta has pointed out the sacrifices expected of her, it calls out the extreme differences expected from men and women and the unfairness of it all.

Readings:

Bader, A. (2007). Love Will Steer The Stars and Other Improbable Feats: Media Myths in Popular Love Songs. In M. Galician & D. Merskin (Eds), Critical Thinking about Sex, Love, and Romance in the Mass Media (141-157). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Ivory, A.H., Gibson, R., & Ivory, J.D. (2009). Gendered Relationships on Television: Portrayals of Same-Sex and Heterosexual Couples. Mass Communication and Society, 12, 170-190.