Milestone On Way To A Fairer Society Cultural Shift Collectively, We’ve Begun To Shift Our Perspective.

Yep, she’s gay. And nope, “Ellen” is not high art.

Nonetheless, American pop culture took a step forward Wednesday night as we tuned in to watch “Ellen” come out.

American television once again functioned in that curious, yet significant, role it plays in our culture. As with groundbreaking shows such as “All In The Family” and “M*A*S*H*,” it managed to simultaneously reflect and accelerate cultural change.

Television moves in tandem with its mainstream audience. When the country began to seriously shift its attitudes about racism, Archie Bunker showed up to bring the conversation into our living rooms. When Americans needed to resolve the tragedy of Vietnam, Hawkeye Pierce and his pals appeared with an intelligent mix of anti-war humor and genuine sorrow.

Creatively, “Ellen” may never join that league. Up until now, it has been a fairly forgettable, wacky sitcom. Maybe “Ellen” simply will go down in the television history books as a sort of lesbian “Julia.” Remember the nurse played by Diahann Carroll, television’s first black professional woman? She had the same sort of harmless, girl-next-door persona as Ellen, plus she was perfect.

We don’t expect high art from “Ellen.” The 30-minute sitcom is not the perfect medium for exploring the rich complexities of human sexuality.

“Julia” wasn’t brilliant television either. But it helped Americans discard ignorant notions about race and learn a lesson or two about our common humanity.

Of course, the two groups that care most about “Ellen,” Christian conservatives and gays, probably will never be happy with the show. It won’t be sanitized enough for conservatives and it’s likely to be too squeaky-clean for gay audiences. But for the mushy mainstream, into which most of America falls, it’s probably just about right. Collectively, we’ve begun to shift our perspective on homosexuality, to throw out old stereotypes and discover the human beings who live behind the labels.

That can only be good.

As Ellen observed Wednesday night, no one ever wheels out a cake and says, “Congratulations, you’re gay!” For gays and lesbians watching across the country, “Ellen” finally did.

It’s time the rest of us joined the celebration.

, DataTimes MEMO: For opposing view, see headline: Ultimately, they’ll embrace pedophilia

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