Topic: Sitcom

Tim Allen’s new sitcom Last Man Standing premiered on ABC Tuesday night, drawing jeers from sensible audience members and critics alike. Several took offense to one joke in particular. Mike (Allen) is complaining about the sensitivity training at the school his kids attend. “I just don’t think your kid should go to that school,” he says. “You know how that ends up—Boyd dancing on a float.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Tanner Stransky wrote a post on why the joke is offensive. And he’s right—it’s pretty awful. But the real problem is the series’ larger concern with masculinity, and a growing trend in returning to so-called traditional gender roles. More »