Marlise Cammer

Santana Comes Out on Glee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGASGDFUVEs&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLAEBEA9AFA28D1C08

In the television show Glee, one of the main characters, Santana, decides to come out to her grandmother. Santana describes her grandmother as “strong” and “never cared what anyone thought of her”. Santana’s grandmother disgraces her granddaughter’s choice of sexuality and even tells her it is a sin not only to be gay but to also make a scandal of it by talking about it. Santana’s grandmother shows us a good example of minoritizing discourse, as described in our class PowerPoint. Santana’s grandmother tells Santana to get out of her life after finding out that she is gay. This supports the aspect of minoritizing discourse that society should be situated around what works for heterosexuals. Santana’s sexuality doesn’t work for her Grandmother so she is forced out of her life, left feeling ostracized. Santana’s grandmother represents a person who looks at the world as black and white, though a minoritizing lens. The grandmother’s views and reaction places heterosexuality and homosexuality at a binary (black vs. white), ultimately showing heterosexuality as correct and homosexuality as incorrect and because of her reference to sin, immoral. Santana’s grandmother’s reaction shows heterosexuality as the hegemonic norm and a denial of anything other than the norm.

James Lull argues that “mass-mediated ideologies are corroborated and strengthened by an interlocking system of efficacious information-distributing agencies and taken-for-granted social practice that permeate every aspect of social and cultural reality” (Lull, 34). Lull’s argument is validated everyday on television when gays or lesbians are condemned for their sexualities. These validations of the hegemonic norms allow ideologies of sexuality to remain the same, causing anything other than heterosexuality to remain ostracized. Lull also states that “messages supportive of the status quo emanating from school, businesses, political organizations, trade unions, religious groups, the military, and the mass media all dovetail together ideologically” (Lull, 34). Lull’s argument states that elite groups formulate the standards of we call socially or culturally correct. Because most of our society gains knowledge from schools, political organizations, religious groups, or mass media we as a society tend to side with their opinions. This tendency is shown through the grandmother reference to sin, showing that she believes in the hegemonic Christian belief that homosexuality is wrong, a sin, and immoral. Lull’s argument of mass media supporting the status quo is shown through the grandmother disapproval; this disapproval could be construed as the writers of the show and the broadcasting network supporting hegemonic beliefs and maintain power structures that already exist within the hegemonic society.

Judith Mayne also agrees with Lull’s argument that mass media and other forms of organizations support that status quo. Mayne says “representations rely on various forms of cultural understanding. Artists, writers and producers are a part of the very culture that they represent in their works” (Mayne, 162-163). Mayne is explaining that artists, producers, and writers support hegemonic views through the stories they decide to convey to audiences; Audiences that look to them for guidance and direction of how to feel about a particular topic or cultural issue, in this case homosexuality. These writers choose to portray homosexuality as wrong and immoral, showing audiences that they should feel this way too. Another interesting aspect to look at is that the disapproval comes from a grandparent; a figure generally looked to for guidance, wisdom, and situations rulings in our society and culture. This aspect in itself is important to highlight because it shows the importance of authority figures in decision making processes and the importance of their approval in life.

We also see Santana’s actions and explanation dictated by hegemonic norms. Santana says that she feels that she can come out and be herself because her grandmother has taught her to be strong and not care about other people’s opinions; however, by searching for approval from her grandmother she is trying to gain approval from the hegemonic community. Lull argues that “hegemony requires that ideological assertions become self-evident cultural assumptions” (Lull, 34). This offers another explanation for Santana to seek approval from her grandmother, a figure representing hegemonic society and norms. According to Lull, Santana seeks approval because it’s a cultural assumption that heterosexuality is the right path for sexuality; therefore, this assumption leads Santana to seek permission and approval for an alternative path of sexuality.

Lull, James. “Hegemony.” Gender, Race, and Class in Media. Ed. Gail Dines and Jean M. Humez. Editon 3. London: Sage Publications, 2011. 33-36. Print.

Mayne, Judith. “Women, Representation and Culture.” Reading Women’s Lives. ANGEL.