The Gay Identity of Mac

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The inquiry, "Is Mac homosexual?" is a query that nearly every character on It&39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia contemplates at some point throughout the show&39;s duration. An enduring series such as It&39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, now spanning sixteen seasons, observes numerous alterations in even its most morally ambiguous personalities. Rickety Cricket, for example, transforms from a cleric into a deteriorated "street urchin"; Frank and Charlie frequently diverge paths only to invariably reconvene; moreover, Dennis even vanished from the program for a full half-season.

Among all these individuals, Mac might be the one who experiences the most profound shifts. At one juncture, Mac transitioned from being generally fit to appearing notably overweight. Subsequently, he became exceptionally muscular, boasting a bodybuilder&39;s physique. Most significantly, Mac has endeavored to ascertain to whom he is attracted. In quintessentially It&39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fashion, Mac frames his genuine identity struggles within dogmatic certainties that are more indicative of his appalling personality than of his sexual orientation.

Mac Declares His Homosexuality Multiple Times Throughout It&39;s Always Sunny

For The It&39;s Always Sunny Character, Disclosing This To His Father Was The Most Challenging Aspect

Mac has, in fact, disclosed his homosexuality on several occasions throughout the program. In the two-part season eleven conclusion, Mac engages in a threesome with two males and, immediately thereafter, informs his companions, "Well, I&39;m gay," to which they all respond with various iterations of "No st." The comedic essence of It&39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia lies here; the jest is not directed at Mac for being gay, but rather at Mac for presuming he is somehow concealing an aspect of himself that everyone else is already cognizant of.

Consistent with every individual in It&39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mac is so conceited that he could not conceive of the Gang possessing any knowledge about him that he himself did not. Nevertheless, the subsequent segment of the season finale retracts his declaration of being out of the closet, and Mac is once again content to feign heterosexuality, much to the exasperation of everyone present.

During season twelve, episode number six, "Hero or Hate Crime," Mac reveals his gay identity to secure a lottery ticket during an arbitration process, which the Gang immediately identifies as a scheme, assuming he will revert to being closeted as soon as the ticket is cashed. Instead, he opts to remain openly out, concluding the episode on an uncharacteristically moving and optimistic note. From that moment onward, Mac is openly gay to everyone except his father, a man he has striven to impress throughout his entire existence.

In season thirteen, episode ten, "Mac Finds His Pride," Mac delivers a deeply moving dance performance to articulate his sexual orientation to his father. While his father remains unyielding, the performance profoundly affects Frank, eliciting tears as he states, "I understand it." This might be considered the most heartfelt moment in the entire series (and serves as a stark reminder of the exceptional acting prowess of Danny Devito when he isn&39;t wielding a toe knife).

Rob McElhenney Desired That Mac&39;s Sexuality Not Alter His Character

Rob McElhenney has extensively discussed Mac&39;s sexuality within the series. To Rolling Stone, he conveyed,

"It felt beneficial that we were acknowledging a segment of our viewership in a manner that was neither patronizing nor offensive, upsetting, or caricatural. We were not conceiving a gay character purely for comedic impact, one who existed solely to be gay and funny because of it, but rather a profoundly intricate, deeply troubled, severely messed-up, and dreadful individual, who coincidentally happens to be gay. And we fully embraced that."

Mac&39;s humor does not stem from his homosexuality; rather, Mac is humorous and he is gay. His sexual orientation holds no bearing on how the audience is intended to perceive him. A clear illustration of this is found in season nine, episode five, "Mac Day," when Mac&39;s cousin, Country Mac, proudly declares his sexual preference to the Gang, stating, "I&39;m into dudes! Loud and proud brother," and they are all overjoyed upon hearing this news. Their disdain is not for gay individuals; it is directed squarely at Mac.

Regarding the creation of a gay character within their fictional universe, McElhenney communicated to EW,

"I believe it was crucial to ensure we were exceptionally careful not to change the fact that Mac is an abhorrent individual. And that was an intentional effort we made, to ensure we were catering to a very significant portion of our community, specifically the LGBTQ+ community, and we desired to ensure we had a character who would come out in a way that would feel gratifying and align with the tone of Sunny, while simultaneously not abruptly and dramatically altering Mac&39;s character, because that simply would not resonate with Sunny. And I feel as though that is something I repeatedly hear from our admirers, who express, &39;Hey, man, it&39;s fantastic that Mac came out and it&39;s great that you didn&39;t modify him, that he&39;s still so disagreeable and such an a‑‑hole, and that everyone despises him.&39; That embodies true inclusion, as opposed to suggesting he&39;s come out and now he&39;s suddenly this wonderful person. It simply doesn&39;t function like that. Authentic inclusion involves bringing the LGBTQ+ community down into the metaphorical gutter with us."

Evidently, McElhenney and the entire creative team behind It&39;s Always Sunny in Philadelphia possess a strong grasp of how to craft Mac into both an exceptional LGBTQ+ character and an outstanding character overall.