Khalulyan 1

Seda Khalulyan
Professor Makarosyan
English 114B
12 April 2016
Non-Traditional Marriages Portrayed Through Media
Media portrayal of society changes as times goes on. Society goes from traditional
viewpoints to more of an open-minded mindset. It is now shown to society through media
portrayal that traditional marriage is changing. We see this shift in television shows, movies, and
commercials. This change is more accepted in the younger generations rather than the older
generations. There are many hidden messages behind company slogans and even lines used by
actors. When one watches a commercial or a television show, they start thinking about these
messages and it may lead to them having a brighter outlook on a specific topic. Non-traditional
marriages such as, gay marriage, cohabitation, blended families, and polygamy are portrayed
positively in media to show our changing society.
Gay marriage has been a controversial debate for decades. This controversy regards if
homosexual couples should be portrayed in the media and if this type of marriage should be legal
in this country, along with being accepted in society. No matter what arguments have been made,
television shows and commercials have shown this issue in a more positive way. In a television
show, The Fosters are the typical non-traditional family. They are an interracial lesbian couple,
who adopted two Hispanic twins and two Caucasian siblings. Although some people in society
may view this as unusual, the series proves to the audience that no matter how non-traditional
a family may be, as long as there is love and care for one another, that is all that matters. They
encourage being close with their children and talking to them about their problems because being

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open and honest with parents is better than sneaking around. They also encourage their children
to be themselves and express what they believe in as long as it is does not lead them in the wrong
direction in life. Honey-Maid produced with a commercial with two homosexual couples. The
commercial starts off with a gay couple and a voice in the background saying, No matter how
things change.. which refers to the gay marriage law being passed. This advertisement shows
the viewers that gay marriage is a usual concept in our society now. It shows how society is
changing and how people are recognizing this change. People in society are becoming more open
to being able to see this change wherever one may go, whether it is at school, in a work
environment, or even at an outdoor event. This media portrayal shows the audience that the
lifestyle of many is slowly evolving. The typical traditional household and marriage is not a man
and a woman anymore; rather it could also be two people of the same gender raising and
supporting their own family.
The basic components of marriage are love and care. In Why Gay Marriage Is Good for
Straight America, Andrew Sullivan states, The small percentage of people who are gay and
lesbian were born, as all humans are, with the capacity to love and the need to be loved (45).
This quote tells the reader that it does not matter what your sexual preference is, at the end of the
day we are all the same and we are all equal. Everyone needs love and care; it does not matter
who loves and cares for who, as long as two people are happy that is what should matter.
Whether we see gay marriage in everyday life or throughout the media, this type of marriage is
societys norm now. We all need to have and show these essential concepts to make a marriage
last. In Gay Marriage: Why It is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America,
Edward Olivera states, marriage as an institution makes us better citizens, it imposes
obligations and responsibilities, , it brings with it stabilizing influence of a home and

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domesticity (16). The author is pointing out what makes a stable relationship and marriage. Not
once was gender preference mentioned because in a marriage, stability and unity is most
important. If one is responsible enough to raise a family and is secure to have a marriage that is
what matters.
The idea of cohabitation has had many different stances and perspectives from people in
society. Cohabitation is when two people are in an emotional and intimate relationship that live
together, but are not legally married. Although some people do not agree with cohabitation,
media once again proves that cohabitation is a positive concept. In the television series,
Friends and Greys Anatomy, the unmarried couples date for a while and then decide to
move in together. In Keeping Up with The Kardashians, Scott and Kourtney lived together
with their three children. Although their relationship did not work out for the best, they got to
know each other before they made a full commitment. This shows the audience and even people
in society that it is okay to live with your partner to get to know them better, their good side and
their flaws. This idea portrayed on television show that one does not truly know their significant
other until they live under the same roof. It is best for one to live with their significant other
before they fully commit and legally get married, along with deciding if they are for each other.
The shows revealed to the viewers that when the couples went out on dates, both would only
show their good sides. On the other hand, once the two move in together, they saw each others
good and bad sides, which worked for their better advantage. The shows also portray that couples
should try out their relationship, financially and emotionally, to see if both could handle and take
care of the home, each other, and everything else that comes along in a relationship.
Many couples tend to cohabitate together before marriage to get to know one another
better. Once couples cohabitate, they will get a chance to see if they are compatible with each

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other. In He Says, She Says: Gender and Cohabitation, the authors states, that primary to
cohabit include spending time together, sharing expenses, and evaluation compatibility (Huang,
Smock, Manning, and Bergstrom-Lynch 876). The media portrays this idea throughout many
commercials and television shows, and proves to the audience that couples who cohabitate
together are at less of a risk of getting a divorce when they get married. This is because the
couple has already lived with one another for a certain amount of time and they are used to that
persons habits. It is also shown in the media, how quickly couples can separate or get a divorce
when they do not cohabitate because they do not know how that person behaves in their personal
lives. Often times, when a couple does get a divorce it can get messy due to the fact that there
may be children involved. Nowadays, media portrays to the audience in a clear approach why
couples cohabitating works for their benefit.
In a blended family, the household can get chaotic and jealousy may arise from the
children. Two specific television shows that portray blended families in a more positive way are
Full House and The Brady Bunch. In Full House, a father and two uncles are raising three
girls. In The Brady Bunch, a man and a woman got married and each brought along three
children of their own. In these television shows, often times one child would feel left out. Then,
the family would have a talk with all their children and explain that they are all one the other.
Also, the television shows portray that it does not matter who you are or where you come from,
as long as a family has that special bond between each other, that is all that matters. Additionally,
this gives a depiction that one can be happy in a family that is considered non-traditional in
society, rather than the typical family household. In Variables Associated with Resilience in
Divorced Families, the authors states, By viewing and describing families as resilient, the
potential and ability of such families to recover by themselves is emphasized (Greeff and

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Merwe 53). This ties into media portraying blended families because these television shows
prove to the viewers that any hardship these families went through, they always overcame it.
Some television shows and movies are taken from real life events, which show us that the nontraditional, divorced families do go through struggle, but so do traditional families.
Polygamy is the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time. Sister
Wives and Big Love are shows that portray how polygamous marriage works. Since people in
society view polygamy in a negative way, this reality television show demonstrates to people
how the polygamous lifestyle is. Also, these television shows depict a specific culture and what
they practice. It may not be our societys norm, but polygamy is the norm for the people who
practice it. This can works towards their benefit because it shows viewers that polygamy does
not affect the household and other around them as badly as one may think. It shows that it does
not matter how big a family is, the family members still find a way to work together and learn to
adapt to any given situation. Polygamy can also help prevent cheating within a marriage. Since
one man is married to multiple women, he will not feel guilty about his actions and his wives
will not feel hurt or mistreated because it is normal in this particular household. People tend to
become more accepting and being more open towards this type of marriage since we are exposed
and shown more to this particular way of life.
All in all, in our society, traditional marriage is not like the way it was before. Overtime
the way media depicts society as a whole shifts. People tend to change their perspectives on
aspects that is socially accepted and become more accepting toward change. We see this change
in day-to-day life, and sooner or later people learn to accept change. Media portrays these
changes through advertisements and television programs. The common concepts we are used to,
such as a traditional marriage, are also changing. We do not see two people from different

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genders on television shows as much as before, instead we tend to see couples from the same
genders getting married or interracial couples raising children. Even though there may be
controversies about the way media presents these changes, the media does not change their
viewpoints towards gay couples, cohabitating couples, divorced and blended families, and
polygamous marriages. Media represents these transitions in a positive way, instead of looking at
the negative side and implying that these changes are bad, which works out for the better for
people in society.

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Works Cited
Huang, Penelope, Pamela Smock, Wendy Manning, and Cara Bergstrom-Lynch. "He Says, She
Says: Gender and Cohabitation." Journal of Family Issues, 32.7 (2011): 876-905.
Goshgarian, Gary. Why Gay Marriage Is Good for Straight America The Contemporary
Reader. 11th ed. United States of America: Pearson Education, 2013. 419-21. Print.
Greeff, A. P., & Stephanus Van, D. M. (2004). Variables Associated with Resilience in
Divorced Families. Social Indicators Research, 68(1), 59-75.
Olivera, Edward. "Gay Marriage: Why It is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for
America." Lambda Book Report, 12.11 (2004): 16.