Throughout this semester, we have discussed how gender roles are portrayed through different forms of media. Today, our society considers a woman's gender to be "normal" if she has long, hair, is skinny, wears make up and high heels, etc. Many television shows focus on the "normal" type of people; also known as a preferred reading. This ideology of gender displayed through the media brought me to the Showtime television series "United States of Tara." The show is mainly based around Tara, who has multiple personality disorder (which is not normal, but has nothing to do with gender). Tara has a son, Marshall, who is openly homosexual. After watching many episodes, I believe this show is a subverted oppositional reading to gender hegemony.

Season two of the show just started a few weeks ago and things definitely started changing with Marshall. The family just moved into a new town and Marshall is now going to a new high school. The high school is small and every stereotypical group is clearly defined the first day of school. At lunch, every group is seperated by who they sit with. As Marshall is trying to find a seat, a stereotypical gay boy and his homosexual friends say to Marshall, "Aren't you supposed to be sitting with us?" To sum things up, this group of kids he sits with and hangs out with the first week are proud and loud about their sexuality, which is not like Marshall. They are constantly talking down to Marshall for not being more flamboyant and open with his sexuality to other students. In previews to this new season, Marshall starts talking to a girl because he is sick of the stereotypical homosexual and how they display themselves at this new high school.