Mac Fights Gay Marriage

In the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” episode “Mac Fights Gay Marriage”, Mac confronts Carmen because she is married to a man. For those not familiar with Carmen, she is a transgender whom Mac used to have a sexual relationship with before she became a “full” woman. He meets her again at the gym and he is perplexed that she has had “the surgery” and married a man. So Mac decides to appeal to religion (note he is not a religious guy) to protest their marriage. He claims that their marriage is a gay marriage and therefore it is a sin. Ironically, Mac did not think that his relationship with Carmen was gay before her surgery.

What is interesting about this episode is the caricature of a transgender created for Carmen. She is at the gym working out all day. She is strong and has a very muscular body. Most of us consider that too much for a “normal” woman. This episode is also very ironic in the sense that the only reason Mac is protesting their marriage is because Carmen did not pursue continuing a relationship with him after she had the surgery. The true reason why Mac is angry is because he is jealous, which suggests that Mac might be a closeted gay.

“Mac Fights Gay Marriage” is an example of how media uses satire in comedies to criticize society’s heterosexual hegemony.

Taciani D.