The Gender Roles of Michael Bluth

In two generations of the Bluth family, Michael stands alone as the only independent and upright adult. Michael Bluth, the central character of the television sitcom Arrested Development, shoulders many responsibilities as the center of his family. Much of these duties come from his role as a parent. Michael has combination of stereotypically male and female characteristics and roles that depict him as a typical mother and father. Women, who are typically described as accepting, nurturing, and sensitive, are conventionally in charge of domestic tasks such as looking after children (Gender and Gender Identity”; Signorelli). Men, who are generally described independent, experienced, and competitive, are typically businessman and white collar workers (“Gender and Gender Identity”; Signorelli). Michael, who is president of his family’s real estate firm, is also largely responsible for their personal growth and development. Michael Bluth in Arrested Development fills the gender roles of both a mother and a father to his son as well as the entirety of his immediate family; even in his roles as a brother and son he acts as a parent.
As a single parent, Michael takes on the roles of father and mother to his teenage son. His brother-in-law even refers to him as, “a non-traditional mother,” in, “S.O.Bs” (Day and Vallely). Michael is a non-traditional parent in that he displays the qualities of a traditional mother as well as a traditional father. He fulfills the expectations of traditional father in disciplining his son, George Michael. When Michael chooses to transfer his studious son to a new school in, “S.O.Bs,” he is oblivious to George Michael’s unhappiness (Day and Vallely). After discovering what he believes to be the truth regardi...

... middle of paper ...

...otypically fatherly characteristic. The fact that he still cleans up after his family and comforts them when they make mistakes puts him in a stereotypically motherly role. Michael guides his family and acts as both a mother in order to do so.

Works Cited

Day, Richard, and Jim Vallely. "S.O.Bs." Arrested Development. Prod. Brian Grazer. Dir. Robert Berlinger. Fox Network, 2006. Netflix.
Farrow, Jake and Sam Laybourne. "The Ocean Walker." Arrested Development. Prod. Brian Grazer. Dir. Paul Feig. Fox Network, 2005. Netflix.
"Gender & Gender Identity." Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
Signorelli, Ph.D., Nancy. A CONTENT ANALYSIS: Reflections of Girls in the Media A Study of Television Shows and Commercials, Movies, Music Videos, and Teen Magazine Articles and Ads. Kaiser Family Foundation and Children Now, Apr. 1997. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.