Family

When sitting down in front of the old “boob tube” most people are looking for one thing – to be entertained. The specific opinions and preferences about what is entertaining vary from person to person, though there is a constant. The constant in entertainment – particularly televised entertainment, is that what we are watching in some way mirrors our life and/or lifestyle. In the 90s, for example, if you were a twenty-something that found entertainment in a humorous exaggeration of what you were going through on a daily basis in life, then you were probably watching Friends. If you find entertainment in watching someone “like you” or in championing the underdog then you might be watching American Idol. The entertainment comes in all shapes and sizes, 30 minute sitcoms, hour-long dramas, reality television, movies, game shows. The one thing all of these types of entertainment have in common, however, is that we can see ourselves in them.

In the realm of polyamory, there is no such parallel. There is no sitcom, or drama or even reality show that those living a polyamorous lifestyle can be drawn into every week. No engaging characters, no thought provoking plots that make us laugh and cry – in fact when the topic of multiple lovers is presented its usually dealt with from a monogamous viewpoint. Some examples include – again from Friends, the episode “The One with the Boobies”, includes an extramarital affair. When it’s discovered the Friends are shocked and when it comes to light, those involved decide to keep their arrangement, with the explanation “He’s gonna keep cheating on my Ma like she wanted, my Ma, she’s gonna keep pretending she doesn’t know even though she does.” Leaving us even with a resolution, that while poly inclusive, still presents the situation in the light of something that mustn’t be talked about. A more recent example comes from the Futurama direct to DVD release “The Beast with a Billion Backs” in which the main character, Philip J. Fry, begins a relationship with a woman that happens to be dating multiple men. In the end he leaves the relationship deciding that a monogamous approach is the “right” one. Again, we are presented with a picture that paints polyamory in a negative light or as something that just simply can’t work. Where then can the polyamorous turn for a brand of entertainment that they can see themselves in? Thanks to the advent of the web series, we can find it – along with almost anything else, on the Internet. The 3Dog Pictures YouTube channel brings up the web series Family.

Family presents the story of a long-term triad relationship. This episodic tale of alternative love, which takes place in Seattle, Washington, follows the lives of Gemma, Ben and Stuart, across the twenty-one episodes that make up the shows first season. Each episode – following the traditional format of “webisodes” is between six and ten minutes long. The series is far from perfect – when watched in series, however, the show presents a picture of polyamory that has been unduplicated in other mediums. Early episodes find the acting stiff and the writing lacking engagement. The first episode in particular leaves one wondering if it is worth following the story for another twenty episodes. It presents the relationship between Gemma and Stuart in an innocent way – a conversation about the neighbors – while Ben is presented as almost an afterthought making us wonder who he is. This sort of awkwardness is where the short run time actually helps the series. The comedy meter ups the ante in episode which two presents the various “flavors” of polyamory in a humorous light. Actors Amber Rack, Eric Smiley and Ernie Joseph relax into their roles of Gemma, Stuart and Ben, respectively as the series goes on and by the half way mark things seem to be running like a well oiled machine. The writing shows great improvement over the course of the series, and begins to take itself less seriously. For example, when the triad is told “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Stuart quips back, “We probably already have.”

Even with its challenges and imperfections, Family provides the entertainment those in the poly community have such difficulty finding in other mediums – art imitating life. If you are involved in poly relationship, Family will help you to feel wonderfully normal in a world where you are regarded as anything but. If you’re thinking about polyamory in your current relationship, Family shows a more realistic picture of polyamorous life. The show receives a solid ‘B’ and were it not for the hiccups in acting and writing early on it could very easily be an ‘A’ – a grade easy to achieve if the show continues with a second season.

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1. 

   dancingvera says:

   January 12, 2010 at 11:35 am

   The main actors (Ernie and Amber), writers (Terisa and Matt), director (Terisa) and producer (Larry) did the audio commentary for the DVD on Sunday night. The DVD is almost ready for distribution. We are all excited that it is nearing completion! My parents even want a copy. You can pre-order one for yourself through http://www.3dogpictures.com. If you are wondering if I am on the DVD, see the back of my head in Ep #9. But mostly my job was catering. Happy watching!

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