i think one of my favorite thing about bob’s burgers is bob’s complete lack of gay panic (or transphobia, depending on how you interpret marshmallow’s gender).
- bob picks up transvestite hookers in his cab. they good-naturedly flirt with bob, and he just good-naturedly flirts back (”hey, who’s picking up who?”)
- linda makes a joke about him being gay for torpedo jones, and there’s no declaration of “what no i’m not gay!!!!” or even a hint of acknowledgement of bob’s heterosexuality.
- he’s gotten into some weirdly, awkwardly homoerotic moments with mr. fischoeder and seems more amused than anything else.
- marshmallow shows up in the restaurant, and linda gleefully declares it a fulfillment of a premonition of a “tall, dark and handsome” visitor. bob points out “marshmallow’s not handsome, she’s beautiful!”
- louise suggests bob wishes to marry sandy “can can” frye and become “bob can can.” bob’s response is to simply scoff, “i wouldn’t take his name.” no mention of “i’m not gay, louise.”
- gene may be canon genderfluid, or he may just be experimenting with life, but either way, bob has never once told him to “man up” or that he can’t, say, dress as queen latifah for halloween, be in a girl group or identify himself as bob’s daughter. sometimes you see him thinking “man, my kids are weird,” but he rolls with it every time.
i’m sure there are other examples i’m forgetting, and it’s part of a larger reason i like this show; the fact that people by and large treat each other with respect (even louise, agent of chaos, wouldn’t out a kid as a bedwetter). and it’s still funnier than anything else on television.
