The Real O'Neals is a really funny, entertaining show that can be enjoyed by many, whether they're part of the LGBT community or not. The show is not an emmy-award winning work of art. It's just a moderately likable show with some good jokes and interesting stories. I'm saying this because this show has a history of being negatively criticized by organizations such as The Catholic Church and One Million Moms just because of the obvious political standpoint it has. The show should be judged by it's actual content as opposed to its messages.
The Real O'Neals mainly focuses on Kenny O'Neal, a homosexual teenager coming out of the closet in a highly religious family. This is a very relatable character, especially in this day in age. Many people are coming out of the closet and some at the age Kenny is. As a bisexual, I think that Kenny is a wonderful character. He may act kind of stereotypical at times, but in a minor way. It's not really offensive, it's just kind of a tacky way. However, it can be argued that the reason for this is because he takes great pride in his sexuality and wants to go around, letting everyone know what he is.
Aside from that, the other characters of the show and the situations they're in are very interesting. Pat and Eileen's divorce is dealt with in a funny and lighthearted way. However, the two of them seem to have absolutely no conflict with each other. The only negative interactions they have are minor arguments that a happily married couple would have in the exact same way, so it's hard to believe that they're getting a divorce. Some divorced couples can tolerate each other like this, sure, but if they're forced to live in the same house and take care of the kids the same way a mother and father would, it would seem unlikely that they're doing so well at not being reminded of their problems.
Shannon and Jimmy, while being cliché characters, a dumb jock and a smart girl, are given a new twist, when put into situations involving Kenny, a character with a trait that's relatively new to television.
The show relies on a lot of stereotypes on Catholics, but they do a good job at avoiding the satire technique, where they make the opposing point of view look like an evil, hateful idiot, by giving Eileen (the Catholic who's mainly against Kenny's homosexuality) an actual personality, good reasons to feel the way she does, and also having her change her ways in a meaningful and realistic way so she's not just a static antagonist.
So, the show is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Not in the slightest. It's not fantastic either. It's just a good show and one would enjoy watching it whenever a new episode comes out. It's a good show and it deserves a little more decency.
The Real O'Neals mainly focuses on Kenny O'Neal, a homosexual teenager coming out of the closet in a highly religious family. This is a very relatable character, especially in this day in age. Many people are coming out of the closet and some at the age Kenny is. As a bisexual, I think that Kenny is a wonderful character. He may act kind of stereotypical at times, but in a minor way. It's not really offensive, it's just kind of a tacky way. However, it can be argued that the reason for this is because he takes great pride in his sexuality and wants to go around, letting everyone know what he is.
Aside from that, the other characters of the show and the situations they're in are very interesting. Pat and Eileen's divorce is dealt with in a funny and lighthearted way. However, the two of them seem to have absolutely no conflict with each other. The only negative interactions they have are minor arguments that a happily married couple would have in the exact same way, so it's hard to believe that they're getting a divorce. Some divorced couples can tolerate each other like this, sure, but if they're forced to live in the same house and take care of the kids the same way a mother and father would, it would seem unlikely that they're doing so well at not being reminded of their problems.
Shannon and Jimmy, while being cliché characters, a dumb jock and a smart girl, are given a new twist, when put into situations involving Kenny, a character with a trait that's relatively new to television.
The show relies on a lot of stereotypes on Catholics, but they do a good job at avoiding the satire technique, where they make the opposing point of view look like an evil, hateful idiot, by giving Eileen (the Catholic who's mainly against Kenny's homosexuality) an actual personality, good reasons to feel the way she does, and also having her change her ways in a meaningful and realistic way so she's not just a static antagonist.
So, the show is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Not in the slightest. It's not fantastic either. It's just a good show and one would enjoy watching it whenever a new episode comes out. It's a good show and it deserves a little more decency.