Bob's Burgers Stereotypes

In a seaside city, on the same block as “It’s Your Funeral” Crematorium and “The Petalphile” florist, sits the greasy burger joint “Bob’s Burgers”. Bob’s Burgers follows the Belchers, the family that runs this all-American restaurant. Bob and Linda Belcher have three kids: Tina, Gene, and Louise. Each character on the show is vastly different and dynamic. Bob’s Burgers has been on Fox since January of 2011 and has become a prime animated show loved by millions. Because it has such a large audience, the messages Bob’s Burgers portrays are important to examine. Bob 's Burgers is a progressive television show by showing appropriate gender roles and conveys the message that the audience can excel in life no matter their background. Bob’s

No character in Bob’s Burgers is attractive or sexualized, which appropriates how standards should be for women and especially young girls like Tina. Often adult animated shows like Family Guy and The Simpsons still oversexualize the female characters and belittle women that stand up for themselves. Bob’s Burgers takes away the notion of sex hovering over female characters in these types of shows. Linda is strong and hard working, happy to be helping support her family. In the episode “Lindapendent Woman,” money is tight in the Belcher family household and Linda takes a part time job along with working at the restaurant. Linda quickly ascends the ranks at her new job and becomes a full time manager. Female characters who can handle romance and a heavy workload are uncommon in the media. The documentary Miss Representation explained that female characters either pursue romance or choose to work, and those that choose to work are generally unhappy that they have no one to share their success with (Newsom). Male characters, conversely, are expected to handle being both hard working and romantically involved and are portrayed in media as doing so. Presenting Linda like this gives the audience the message that women can strive in the workforce

Bob thinks he’s going to be fine without Linda, but he doesn’t understand their finance system or even how to work the thermostat. Within a week, customers are complaining about the temperature and there’s no food or electricity because Bob didn’t know how to pay his bills correctly or order food. Bob goes to Linda’s new job and pleads for her to come back. This shows Bob as dependent on others but able to recognize his weaknesses. This message shows the audience that men can be dependent on others and don’t need to know how to do everything themselves. This message allows men to relieve some pressure from their ‘dominant’ stance and, in a way, lets men be more open to show their emotions. Bob openly admits that he needs help running his business and this is not seen as a weakness. George Meyer, creator of The Simpsons, said, “It’s not really fashionable to be a man these days and, in some sense, there’s the misconception that men run the world. And, in reality, nobody runs the world” (Kramer). So