Why Max Blum is the Best Gay Character You Don't Know

If you're reading this you might not know who Max Blum is. That's a shame, because ABC's Happy Endings isn't just the funniest show you're not watching, it's home to the most refreshing gay man on television since Jack Tripper pretended to be one in Three's Company.

Max is slovenly, loosely employed, a little chunky, and he doesn’t care. In fact, on paper it's easy to assume Max (played by Adam Pally) is creator David Caspe's attempt to provide a gay character whose sexuality ends with the fact that he happens to be gay.

Whenever I watch Modern Family or The New Normal, it's entertaining, but I see a show full of novelty produced by calculated market research that gives the audience the same dated jokes we've been fed since Will & Grace. It's nice that Hollywood isn't afraid of homosexuality, but it's even nicer that Caspe's Happy Endings isn't afraid of actual homosexuals.

 

Max's presence on Happy Endings goes well beyond tokenism. If Caspe only wanted to create a gay character that straight men can relate to, he's unwittingly given a voice to a bunch of gay men who struggle to find a place in a community of very high expectations.

Adam Pally as Happy Endings' Max Blum

 

Don't get me wrong. It's wonderful that so many sitcoms have provided dynamic gay cast members and don't shy away from sexuality and conflict. Since Ellen came out of the prime time closet and Will & Grace swept the Emmys, gay characters have thrived as open and integral parts of Hollywood's success, and it's made an undeniable impact on society. That's important.

 

Portraying gay characters in a positive light is responsible, and in many cases - Modern Family, The New Normal, Will & Grace - the relatable gay characters are exceedingly successful. However, in each of those cases, the “straight man” (characteristically speaking) is paired with an eccentric stereotype.

 

This makes sense. After all, the eccentric stereotype is hilarious. But this approach is also the safest way to portray edgy content. Namely, it isn't threatening. Homer Simpson once said exactly what Hollywood thinks of its straight male audience: “I like my beer cold, my TV loud, and my homosexuals flaaaaaaming.”

The formula works. Will & Grace was wildly successful before gays could kiss on TV, and Modern Family and Glee are being lauded as pioneers by gay advocates. But they target an audience that's used to us. Happy Endings is the first show to offer the “bro” crowd a gay character who isn't offensive and two dimensional. Max is the gay bro they can relate to.
 

The entire cast doesn't concern themselves with misconceptions. Instead of selling his straight audience short, Caspe gives the urban straight man what he's already experienced. The truth is, most guys don't care if their gay friends are successful, effeminate, slovenly, or poor. They care that they're loyal friends.

 

Happy Endings frequently pokes fun at our expectations about sexuality, race, and gender, often by ignoring these expectations altogether. It's grounded in exaggerations, word play, and no stranger to cheap shots, but even when a stereotype finds his way on screen, he still manages to be endearing.

 

This ensemble isn't for everyone, and while a lot of many gay men may cringe at Max's behavior, much of that reaction is conditioned by misconceptions about our own community. We're not all lawyers and doctors or theatrical stereotypes, and a lot of us are perfectly okay with that. In a new Hollywood in love with its gay characters, it's refreshing to see another layer to our very diverse community.