Two And A Half Men English Literature Essay
Can you conceive of a family without a adult female? Well this is the instance in “ Two and a Half Men ” . It is an American telecasting situation comedy, with Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones as the chief characters. This situation comedy began demoing in 2003, with the secret plan environing Charlie Harper – a jangle author ( Charlie Sheen ) , his edgy brother, Alan ( Jon Cryer ) and Alan ‘s boy, Jake ( Angus T. Jones ) . Charlie enjoyed his unworried life, but things began acquiring complicated when Alan gets divorced and moves, along with Jake, into Charlie ‘s beach front Malibu house. This fundamentally was the premiss, up until the 9th season. The secret plan now followed Charlie ‘s decease, and Alan seeking to travel on with his life after the decease. He is helped by his new “ best friend ” , Walden Schmidt ( Ashton Kutcher ) , who besides has his ain jobs ; that of a bad divorce. Walden, Alan and Jake finally acquire closer, even going close friends, and organizing a foster household unit. I chose to analyse this telecasting show as I felt it is a successful comedy with many concealed significances refering to larger significance, and cosmopolitan commentary on the human status, peculiarly the American society and its social norms.
The show starts off with Alan traveling in with Charlie, after his married woman divorced him and kicked him out. What makes affairs worse is that Alan was the 1 who paid for the house. Right from the beginning, one can see that this situation comedy contains many illustrations of social norms sing sex and gender.
Two and a Half Men makes adult females out to be objects of sexual pleasance for Charlie, the chief character, and so subsequently for Walden. Even the subject vocal, ‘men, work forces, manfully work forces ” suggests the show will focus on on the subject of gender stereotypes.
Charlie Harper is portrayed in the show as a really masculine adult male, harmonizing to the American stereotype. By this I mean he drinks and smokes a batch, every bit good as slumbers with dozenss of random adult females, and he merely sprinkle his money around in order to acquire what he wants. He besides drives a Jaguar and has a big, Malibu beach house. All this coincides with his confident demeanour. Alan nevertheless, is the complete antonym. He would be considered a somewhat feminine male based on the American stereotype. This is so as he is weak minded and even has problem with adult females. His problem with adult females is made rather obvious from the beginning, holding been divorced by his “ overmastering ” married woman. Other contrasting traits when compared to Charlie include, he drinks weak “ feminine ” drinks, his auto is by no agencies comparable to Charlie ‘s as it is low terminal and ever has mechanical problem, and ever seems to necessitate to borrow money from Charlie. To add abuse to injury, Jake, his ain boy, does non truly esteem his manhood. In the American society, most males look up to Charlie, as this is what the stereotyped masculine adult male is, while they try non to be like Alan. Bing a just representation of society, and being a comedy, the points come across easy.
The 2nd point I would wish to touch on is Jake and the assorted positions of maleness that are invariably being thrown at him. His position of gender is invariably being changed as a consequence of his interactions with his male parent and uncle. Sing as though they both love Jake, there are merely looking out for him, by invariably seeking to model him into what each thinks is the right signifier of maleness. However, since they are two “ different versions of work forces ” , they frequently contradict each other. The chief thing Charlie tries to transfuse in him is how to be better with misss. However, Jake besides indirectly learns something else from his uncle ; that to an extent, he does non desire to be like him, as Charlie ends up deceasing a alone adult male, even though he had so many unpointed relationships with several random adult females. This swayed him to more follow the way of his male parent and care more about holding a household than money. Similar to how Jake is being influenced, Charlie was besides influenced by his female parent. She excessively uses her money to acquire whatever she wants, in add-on to utilizing her organic structure. Her actions are so bad sometimes, that she was even referred to as “ the female parent of all pumas ” . Charlie is hence merely go throughing the traits which he learned from his female parent down to Jake. Jake now has to do a determination. He must either follow Charlie and his beliefs, hence conforming to what society says is masculine, or seek to emulate his male parent, who of class does non worry much about what society says. However, he has to follow one of those waies, while at the same time taking into consideration what his female parent thinks maleness is. To a lesser extent, there are besides the norms of the other male childs at school that he has to maintain in head. Many immature males in the American society have this same job. They are being pressured by their equals every bit good as by their household, and must do a determination. By showing this in a comedy, it is easy for males of this age group to hold on what is happening in the show and associate it to their life.
My 3rd point is on sorting people socially, and the advantages and disadvantages of this. It is clear that Alan and Charlie grew up in an upper category household. Alan is a chiropractor. Throughout the show, he is ridiculed that he is non a existent physician, which goes along with the “ feminine ” gags. However, he still enjoys the benefits that come along with being in the upper category as he lives with his brother, even without paying rent. In Charlie ‘s eyes, nil is excessively expensive ; he spends whenever he feels like. Most times he spends on unpointed things such as intoxicant, cocottes and trips to Vegas. He is able to make all of this as a consequence of being in the upper category, which coincides with him non being limited monetarily. It is believed that the United States operates under the myth that they all live in a category society, and there is clear grounds in the show. [ Langston, 75 ] . Jake represents the stereotyped upper category adolescent. Similar to the upper category adolescents in the American society, he is free populating without a attention in the universe and puts out small attempt when it comes to his school assignment. As with Charlie and his behavioural traits, Jake likely acts this manner because of his societal standing and because he is male. In the American society, it is believed by some people that males are non expected to make every bit good as females in school.
In my sentiment, the show accurately represents the impressions and thoughts of what society is, and how people within the American society act. By this, I mean there are people that represent each of the three societal categories. For illustration, Charlie is upper category, Alan is in-between category, and Berta, the housekeeper, is lower category. Despite the difference in category, they all live “ merrily ” together and socialise good with each other. You do non acquire the feeling that any character is seeking to maintain the other down. Even Berta, although she is at the opposite terminal of the societal category hierarchy, she is treated as if she is in the same societal category. This is likely as a consequence of each character esteeming each other and cognizing that they can non make without one another ; Berta needs the occupation as it is her merely beginning of income, while Charlie truly has no thought how to make any housekeeping whatsoever. However, one decidedly benefits more than the other, that being Berta, as doing a life to a great extent outweighs Charlie ‘s demands in this instance, and Charlie knows this. There are a few minutes in the show where she stands down, likely as a consequence of this. This is really similar to what happens in the United States. The upper category frequently use their power to maintain the other categories down and in their topographic point.
The show tries to picture gender and societal issues, but there are cases where they intersect and influence each other. For illustration, being both male and extremely flush, Charlie is better off than most people in the United States.
The concluding point I would wish to touch on is privileges. As stated by Dictionary.com, a privilege is a right, unsusceptibility, or profit enjoyed merely by a individual beyond the advantage of most. In the show it is clear that Alan, Charlie, their female parent, and Jake all enjoy their privileges, though in different ways. In the American society, the male is the dominant group, and Charlie, Alan, and Jake all take advantage of this. They being males has helped them go successful. Merely when you think they already have an advantage over others, they besides have something else traveling for them ; they are male every bit good as a portion of the upper category. As a consequence, their privileges far outweigh those of the “ regular Americans ” . Examples of this include, they do non hold their intelligence questioned because they are male and white, and their ability to pay for something is ne’er questioned, as they are in the upper category. To see how this relates to the American society, merely expression at who makes the regulations in the state ; the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, who besides happen to be made up largely of white males from the upper category. Unfortunately, these regulations more benefit the dominant group, who happen to be these white, upper category males, and are revised to guarantee the dominant group remains in power. However, each individual in the United States, no affair your race, gender or societal position, must stay by these regulations. Similarly to in existent life, Alan and Jake benefit greatly from this, while other characters in the show suffer. Therefore, the show attempts to demo both sides of society and how the societal categories treat each other ; the good and the bad.
One can therefore see that “ Two and a Half Men ” is a situation comedy that can be enjoyed by assorted age groups, from adolescents to grownups. You are guaranteed to express joy at least a few times during each episode. However, behind the wit there are concealed significances. Some of which include sex and gender issues, gender function and building, racial and cultural illustrations, and an effort to act upon gender individuality, peculiarly with Jake.
