MovieChat Forums > Everybody Loves Raymond (1996) Discussion > "What's With Robert?" was homophobic. An...

"What's With Robert?" was homophobic. And I hate that.

posted 8 years ago by andrereichenbacher
9 replies | jump to latest

Seriously, Robert's family members thinking he "might be gay" simply because he can't make his relationship with Amy work. And he seems to not be able to make relationships with women work in general. And because of that, they all consider the possibility that maybe he doesn't actually like women in that way. What a bunch of crap. Stupid episodes like this prove beyond a shadow of a doubt why ELR as a whole will not stand the test of time. I hated the era of TV in this country where shows like "My So-Called Life" and "Freaks & Geeks" were prematurely cancelled only because they were too "radical" or "unconventional" for the networks and the audiences at the time to accept. Both of those shows were simply ahead of their time when they debuted, and we, as a society, were clearly not yet ready for them. But now? The country's different now. And for the most part, the WORLD is different now. Shows like "Modern Family" and "Glee" that positively portray gay characters and dont just make them display offensive stereotypes are the norm now. And what really pisses me off about sitcom episodes like "What's With Robert?" is that at one time, EVERY sitcom had to have that ONE episode where the main male character or supporting male characters end up questioning their sexuality just because they aren't doing well with dating the opposite sex. And at the end, they had to be assured that they were all man and nothing but man in some way or another. And at that time, male characters were never allowed to acknowledge that another guy might be attractive in some way, because what would that make them? Not a real actual man? Some kind of weirdo or something? Do you get what I'm saying with this? I just hated that this kind of mentality existed in our TV programs for so long. But now, for the most part, it no longer does. And that is a good thing. But because of episodes with extremely outdated plots like this, it is why ELR as a whole will not stand the test of time. Like I once said in another post, topical humor does not age well. And you know what? Neither does so-called humor that shamelessly exploits outdated mentalities. Like racism, homophobia, misogyny/misandry, and the like. That's really all there is to it!

[–] ERThree 8 years ago

Stupid episodes like this prove beyond a shadow of a doubt why ELR as a whole will not stand the test of time.

So why do you keep watching it?

[–] couthlessgal 8 years ago

Exactly. Dude literally has nothing good to say about the show, but can give play-by-plays of nearly every episode, and 14 paragraph posts on why he hates each and every one. Why waste valuable tv and Internet time on that?!?!

[–] Bookmanmovielover 8 years ago

There is one on every board. It's like they sit with a notebook and dissect the show bit by bit and never say a positive thing about it. They watch the show religiously too. I find it pitiful. I'd think people like this don't work because they don't value their time. They must have endless hours to fill even it is watching something they hate.

<“Every man of courage is a man of his word.” - Pierre Corneille>

[–] SaidNDone 8 years ago

that was the whole point of the episode lol.... to show that they were homophobic lol it wasn't implying they weren't

what exactly do you want them to do? pretend that 70+ year old catholic parents don't have certain views? and it wasn't like marie wasn't accepting of him by the end

Azula >>>>

[–] !!!deleted!!! (54110396) 8 years ago

The episode forced all the male Barones to confront their underlying homophobia. Even Frank, at the end, tries to come to terms with Robert 's (perceived sexuality) with Marie's urging. I think if Robert had been gay, there might have been a sort of "don't ask, don't tell" truce with Frank. I don't think he would disowned Robert, though.

[–] JosephASpadaro 8 years ago

The show doesn't stand the test of time?

And here we are, 20 years later, not only watching it, but also commenting on it extensively on Internet chat boards.

And it doesn't stand the test of time?

Huh?

That's the very definition of "standing the test of time".

[–] tmaj48 8 years ago

I don't know how old you are, but many people in Raymond's generation had to face questions like that from their families--if they didn't marry by a certain age, there was talk among the relatives that they were gay. It wasn't so much homophobic as small-minded--everyone was expected to conform to the lifestyles of the day, and the only "appropriate" lifestyle was to get married in one's twenties and have 2-3 children. A man who did not marry could expect whispers about his sexuality, or perhaps rumors about an unhealthy attachment to his mother. A woman who didn't marry could be rumored to be gay, a dried-up old maid, a man-hater, or a twisted unnatural soul with no maternal instincts. Even couples who did marry were watched carefully to make sure that they did not remain childless, because marriage without children was considered selfish; they would often be subjected to questioning by concerned, "caring" relatives who wanted to know when they were going to start procreating already. Those who had one child were warned that they needed to have more, otherwise their only child would be lonely and spoiled. Those who had children of one sex were advised to keep trying until they produced at least one child of the opposite sex. Those who had more than three children were
criticized for having too many kids.

That was the whole point of the show--the Barones were always butting in on everyone's private lives, because that was their nature. Just like Archie Bunker and his prejudiced comments were a reflection of his time, and All in the Family has stood the test of time despite its dated attitudes, Everybody Loves Raymond is a reflection of its generation, too.

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

[–] Samuraibro 8 years ago

LMFAO Glee is far from positive portrayals of LGBT characters outside of cisgendered white men.

[–] andrereichenbacher 8 years ago

Well, if that is truly the case, I wouldn't know, as I chose not to watch it. But I wasn't one of those idiots that was always bashing and badmouthing it and saying what a terrible show it was, because of either the homosexual portrayals or the constant singing. I know there is such a thing as an "off button" on my TV remote. Don't like it, don't watch it. Simple as that. And I have not been watching ELR in syndication as much as I used to, because as many here who have read my posts know, a lot of what was on it bothered and annoyed me a great deal. So I haven't been watching it. Simple as that.

As for the so-called "negative portrayals" of homosexuals characters on TV shows here in the 2010's, I happen to know that it is actaully a lot better than the way it used to be. For example, the character on the short-lived 90s show "My So-Called Life" who was "different" from the others and was getting harrassment and being bullied on a constant basis? That was the norm for portrayal of gay and lesbian characters throughout the decades. I'm not ignorant, I am well aware of this. And if it was that bad for characters in the 90s, it was even worse for them in the 80s, 70s, and 60s! And then there was the whole HIV/AIDS situation that occured when it did. Gay people were being mistreated on a constant basis and were basically portrayed as second-class citizens for a very long time. Now, in the 2010's, it IS a little bit better, but the problem has not yet gone away for good. I am aware of that also.

I dont know what else to tell you. I guess I'll end this here. I wish you well.