Happy Father's Day, Burt Hummel!

In honor of Father’s Day this Sunday, let’s talk about my new favorite fictional father: Burt Hummel. Father of Glee’s Kurt Hummel, Burt has proven to be much more progressive then I think any of us expected at the start of the Series. First of all, who remembers when the actor who plays Burt Hummel (Mike O’Malley) hosted Global Guts? (That’s right, 90s kids. You knew he looked familiar, but you couldn’t figure it out.) So now, let’s review why Burt Hummel, and the writers who have created him, are so awesome.

1. He is a father who isn’t afraid to show his love for his son. So often, we hear about ideas of fatherhood centered on stereotypical notions of masculinity which, unfortunately, leave little room for fathers who display a raw and sensitive love for their children. This seems to be especially true of father son relationships, which are usually characterized by a lack of straightforward expression of emotion, and a lack of physical contact beyond a pat on the back or fist pump. In Burt Hummel, we see a man who isn’t afraid to use the word “love” when he talks to his son. When Kurt tells his father he is gay, Burt responds, “I guess I'm not totally in love with the idea, but, if that's who you are, there's nothing I can do about it. And I love you just as much. Ok?” While we would have preferred hearing Burt Hummel state that he has no problem whatsoever with his son’s sexuality, we do receive two important messages here: 1. Kurt’s sexuality is not the entirety of his identity; he is a whole human being who happens to be gay. 2. Burt is willing to make an honest effort to love and accept a part of his son, despite the fact that he doesn’t necessarily understand it. He then hugs son to make sure Kurt knows how much he is loved, a gesture which recognizes how hard it must have been for Kurt to share this part of himself with his father. Although we can see the Burt Hummel doesn’t understand everything about his son, we see him trying like hell to relate, and support Kurt no matter what. It seems like such a small thing, but how often do we really see fathers and sons on television telling each other they love each other and hugging? Not nearly as often as we should. The relationship these writers have created between Burt and Kurt is refreshing. And on a slightly unrelated note, kudos to Glee for featuring a positive portrayal of same sex parenting in Rachel Barry’s parents. Though we don’t see these characters very often, they are obviously loving parents who support their daughter’s goals and dreams.

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2. Burt Hummel defines a “new generation of dude.” Despite the close relationship Burt Hummel forms with Finn Hudson when he starts dating the boy’s mother, Burt is not willing to let anything come before the love he has for his son; nor is he going to tolerate anyone put his son down because he is gay. When Finn and Kurt end up sharing a room when the two families move in together, Finn goes over the edge. Given the fast changing circumstances, perhaps Finn is entitled to a breakdown. However, the situation in which Finn finds himself does not give him the right to verbally attack Kurt on the basis of his sexuality. While on a rant about their shared living space, Finn uses the word, “faggy” to describe various items in the room. When Burt Hummel walks in and hears the offensive slur being spoken in his home, he delivers a poignant speech about tolerance in today’s world. Burt drives home an important point which even well intentioned people can sometimes miss: he acknowledges that discrimination against homosexuals is on the same level as racism and discrimination against people with disabilities. Often people ignorantly view discrimination against the LGBT community as a lesser offense, perhaps because it is all too prominent in our culture. Burt also is refreshingly honest and upfront about what it means to use bigoted language against the LGBT community. Rather than cutting Finn slack when he claims that he “didn’t mean it like that” when he said the word, “faggy,” Burt instead calls him out. Burt admits to using the word with his football buddies when he was younger. The important point Burt makes here is that when he used the word in his youth, he ignorantly meant that, “being gay is wrong and it’s some kind of punishable offense.” While Burt admits it took him years to figure it out, he makes it clear that he has come to see the deeper implications of using phrases such as “faggy” and “that’s so gay.” Burt goes so far as to refer to that type of language as “poison,” stating that he won’t allow it in his son’s home. Burt tells Finn he thought he was part of a “new generation of dude who saw things differently, who just kind of came into the world knowing what it has taken [Burt] years of struggling to figure out.” This scene leaves us disappointed in Finn, who is generally one of our favorite characters given his progressive and clique-busting behavior; however, Burt Hummel leaves us with hope that this new generation of dude exists, and will become more prominent. Given the impact that our society has on the ideas we form about different groups of people, in order for this new generation of dude to exist, they would have to be born into a world where they are not constantly bombarded with media telling them there is something wrong with homosexuality. Seeing a father like Burt Hummel gives us hope that this sort of future, while maybe still distant, is not impossible and definitely worth fighting for. Every single member of the LGBT community should be lucky enough to have a father like Burt Hummel.



3. Burt demands that everyone respect his son and treat him fairly. While he is lucky to have a father who makes sure that his home is a safe and comfortable place, Kurt is even luckier that his father demands that his son be treated fairly by those outside of his home, too. While Burt wisely understands that he can’t control the way everyone will react to his son’s sexuality, he does what he can make sure Kurt is given the same opportunities to express himself as those around him. When Kurt is denied his request for a solo in the group’s performance of “Defying Gravity,” Burt contacts Will Schuster as well as the school principal to make sure Kurt is allowed to at least audition for the part. Even though we can clearly see that Burt would rather his son pursue an interest in football, he continues to support his son’s goals within the glee club. Throughout the episode, Burt offers his support, even congratulating Kurt for hitting the “Kool-aid, or High C, or whatever,” when his son is able to reach a high F. Hey, at least he’s trying. In this episode, Burt receives a phone call at his workplace where an anonymous ignoramus says, “Your son’s a fag.” Rather than thinking of himself and the challenges that lie ahead for him as the father of a gay young man in a small town full of ignorant people, Burt’s immediate concern is for his son’s safety and happiness. He continues to be supportive, thinking only of Kurt. While we might expect to see Burt become resentful of the fact that his son’s sexuality has attracted this sort of attention, he instead continues to support his son in his efforts to earn the solo. In the long run, Kurt intentionally fails to hit the note during his audition in an effort to protect his father. However, we are still left knowing that Burt Hummel is willing to put up with all that comes with having a gay son, even if that means dealing with an unfortunately ignorant and hateful society.


So. In conclusion, Burt Hummel is awesome, the writer’s of Glee are awesome, and Mike O’Malley is awesome for portraying such a cool dad. I suppose we can forgive the actor for being a Red Sox fan. Burt Hummel may not be perfect, but at least he’s honest about how far he’s come and how far he still has to go. In the meantime, the best anyone could ask is that he love his son unconditionally. Check. So, this father’s day, here’s to Burt Hummel, one of the most progressive dads to grace primetime television in a long, long time. (Let’s not even talk about all of the other TV dad’s who have repeatedly told their son’s to “man up.”)

Just a heads up, I cannot promise that this will be the last post you will read about Kurt, Burt, or Glee in general.

Peace out, cub scouts.

~Feminist at Heart