# Advanced Gay

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6th episode of the 3rd season of Community

"Advanced Gay" Community episode Episode no. Season 3 Episode 6 Directed by Joe Russo Written by Matt Murray Production code 306 Original air date November 3, 2011 (2011-11-03) Guest appearances John Goodman as Robert Laybourne Jerry Minor as Jerry the Janitor Larry Cedar as Cornelius Hawthorne Dan Bakkedahl as Murray D.J. Pierce as Miss Urbana Champaign Episode chronology ← Previous "Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps" Next → "Studies in Modern Movement" Community season 3 List of episodes

"**Advanced Gay**" is the sixth episode of the [third season](/source/Community_season_3) of the American television series [*Community*](/source/Community_(TV_series)). It aired originally on November 3, 2011 on [NBC](/source/NBC).

In the episode, Pierce decides to market Hawthorne Wipes to the [gay community](/source/Gay_community), only to be stopped by his skeptic father. This draws the ire of Jeff, who inadvertently exposes his own "daddy issues". Meanwhile, Troy is recruited by Greendale's secret [air conditioning](/source/Air_conditioning) repair school.

The episode was written by Matt Murray and directed by [Joe Russo](/source/Russo_brothers). It received mixed critical reviews.

## Plot

Urbana Champaign "Pocket Full of Hawthornes" video excerpt.

A video ("Pocket Full of Hawthornes") by drag queen Miss Urbana Champaign ([Shangela Laquifa Wadley](/source/Shangela_Laquifa_Wadley)) devoted to Hawthorne Wipes has made the product popular among the [gay community](/source/LGBT_community). Pierce decides to cash in on its popularity by launching a new line of wipes—Hawthorne's [Pride](/source/LGBT_pride) Wipes—in "Greendale's First Annual Gay Bash". While plans for the party get underway, the event is canceled with the arrival of Pierce's dad, Cornelius ([Larry Cedar](/source/Larry_Cedar)), who makes several offensive comments towards the group.

Jeff ([Joel McHale](/source/Joel_McHale)), who has grown up deeply affected by his father's absence, is furious by Pierce's submission to Cornelius and decides to help Pierce go ahead with the party. Britta ([Gillian Jacobs](/source/Gillian_Jacobs)) thinks Pierce and Jeff have [Oedipal complexes](/source/Oedipal_complex), although she constantly mispronounces it as "edible complex". Pierce is initially reluctant to disobey his father but relents after receiving a warm welcome from the people at the party. Midway through the party, Cornelius shows up. Out of fear, Pierce declares Hawthorne Wipes a "[straights](/source/Heterosexual)-only" product, much to the disgust of the gay people at the event. When they jeer at him, Pierce collapses, faking a [heart attack](/source/Myocardial_infarction). At the hospital where Pierce is being treated, Jeff rants at Cornelius for his treatment of Pierce with an impassioned rant seemingly directed at his own absent father. Cornelius himself suffers a heart attack and dies.

Meanwhile, Troy ([Donald Glover](/source/Donald_Glover)) impresses Jerry ([Jerry Minor](/source/Jerry_Minor)), the school plumber, with his seemingly nonchalant talent for plumbing. Jerry warns Troy not to abuse his talent. While walking down the hallway alone, Troy is kidnapped by the secret Air Conditioning Repair School, led by Vice Dean of Air Conditioning, Robert Laybourne ([John Goodman](/source/John_Goodman)). At the school's initiation, Troy is the quickest at assembling an AC unit while blindfolded. This leads to an invitation to join the school by Laybourne, who promises Troy lucrative employment as an AC repairman for life. However, if Troy accepts, he must keep his occupation a secret. Jerry confronts Troy about being approached by the air conditioning school, but Troy rebuffs him. Troy consults Abed ([Danny Pudi](/source/Danny_Pudi)) about choosing between plumbing and air conditioning. Abed is indifferent, saying that both are similar, but tells Troy to go with what makes him the happiest. Troy says that he just wants to watch TV with Abed.

At Cornelius's funeral (attended by all members of the group), Pierce tells Cornelius to "suck it" in his [eulogy](/source/Eulogy). Jeff gains ownership of Cornelius’ [ivory](/source/Ivory) [toupée](/source/Toup%C3%A9e). Laybourne meets Troy at the funeral, asking for a decision. Troy declines the invitation, saying his decision is to "watch TV with [his] friend." Laybourne warns Troy that he is making a mistake and vows to keep pursuing him. At the funeral's end, Chang ([Ken Jeong](/source/Ken_Jeong)) picks up Miss Urbana Champaign and comically derides Jeff for going home alone.

## Production

"Advanced Gay" was written by Matt Murray, his first writing credit for the series. It was directed by [Joe Russo](/source/Russo_brothers), his 18th directing credit.

## Cultural references

The storyline involving Troy and his talents is a spoof of the 1997 film *[Good Will Hunting](/source/Good_Will_Hunting)*.[1][2] His initiation ceremony as an air conditioning repairman drew references to *[Twin Peaks](/source/Twin_Peaks)* and *[The Big Lebowski](/source/The_Big_Lebowski)*.[3] The vice dean’s speech to Troy about the lifetime commitment to secrecy parodies [Men In Black](/source/Men_in_Black_(film_series)).

Troy and Abed's "Inspector Spacetime" act is a spoof of the television series *[Doctor Who](/source/Doctor_Who)*.[2][3]

The name of the drag queen, Urbana Champaign, is also the name of a [college town](/source/Urbana-Champaign) in Illinois.

“Cornelius” is [Chevy Chase](/source/Chevy_Chase)’s given name; in this episode, it is the name of his character’s father.

## Reception

### Ratings

In its original broadcast on November 3, 2011, "Advanced Gay" drew an estimated 3.84 million viewers, with a [Nielsen rating](/source/Nielsen_rating)/share of 1.7/5 in the 18–49 demographic.[4]

### Reviews

The episode received mixed reviews from critics.

Emily VanDerWerff of *[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)* gave it a 'B+', saying while "the episode didn’t quite earn all of its emotional moments, but I was impressed with how well it did regardless." She added that the episode's ending was weak.[5] Alan Sepinwall of [HitFix](/source/HitFix) praised Goodman's role but found Pierce's father's character too exaggerated.[1] [Hollywood.com](/source/Hollywood.com)'s Kelsea Stahler said "'Advanced Gay' wasn’t terrible, it just feels like a bit of a letdown after the fantastic '[Remedial Chaos Theory](/source/Remedial_Chaos_Theory)' and the hilarious '[Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps](/source/Horror_Fiction_in_Seven_Spooky_Steps)'."[2]

Ethan Alter of [Television Without Pity](/source/Television_Without_Pity) said the episode's [A and B stories](/source/Subplot) were "mashed together in a lumpy, misshapen way." He also criticized the [stereotypical portrayal of gay characters](/source/Gay_stereotype#Gay_men).[3] Leigh Raines of TV Fanatic said, "By no means is *Community* opposed to tackling controversial issues and writing non-[PC](/source/Political_correctness) jokes, but this episode was sure to offend just about everyone. Still, I guess that was the point." She rated the episode 3.5/5 stars.[6]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hf_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hf_1-1) Sepinwall, Alan (November 4, 2011). ["Review: 'Community' - 'Advanced Gay': Edible complex"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111105090017/http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/community-advanced-gay-edible-complex). *[HitFix](/source/HitFix)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-alan-watching/posts/community-advanced-gay-edible-complex) on November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hollywood_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hollywood_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-hollywood_2-2) Stahler, Kelsea (November 4, 2011). ["Community' Recap: Advanced Gay"](http://www.hollywood.com/news/Community_Recap_Advanced_Gay/8099479). Hollywood.com. Retrieved November 19, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-twp_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-twp_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-twp_3-2) Alter, Ethan (November 4, 2011). ["Community: Enough with the Daddy Issues"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140403143551/http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/telefile/2011/11/community-enough-with-the-dadd/#more). [Television Without Pity](/source/Television_Without_Pity). Archived from [the original](http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/telefile/2011/11/community-enough-with-the-dadd#more) on April 3, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Seldman, Robert (November 4, 2011). ["Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory,' 'The X Factor,' 'Parks & Recreation,' 'The Office,' 'Vampire Diaries,' 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111106134548/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/04/thursday-final-ratings-big-bang-theory-the-x-factor-parks-recreation-the-office-vampire-diaries-greys-anatomy-adjusted-up/109650/). *TV by the Numbers*. Archived from [the original](http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/04/thursday-final-ratings-big-bang-theory-the-x-factor-parks-recreation-the-office-vampire-diaries-greys-anatomy-adjusted-up/109650/) on November 6, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-av_5-0)** VanDerWerff, Emily (November 3, 2011). ["Advanced Gay"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111104235148/http://www.avclub.com/articles/advanced-gay,64371/). *[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.avclub.com/articles/advanced-gay,64371/) on November 4, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-tvf_6-0)** Raines, Leigh (November 3, 2011). ["Community Review: Daddy Issues"](http://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/11/community-review-daddy-issues/). TV Fanatic. Retrieved November 19, 2011.

## External links

- ["Advanced Gay"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2049724/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

v t e Community Episodes Awards Characters Jeff Winger Abed Nadir Season 1 "Pilot" "Spanish 101" "Introduction to Film" "Social Psychology" "Advanced Criminal Law" "Football, Feminism and You" "Introduction to Statistics" "Home Economics" "Debate 109" "Environmental Science" "The Politics of Human Sexuality" "Comparative Religion" "Investigative Journalism" "Interpretive Dance" "Romantic Expressionism" "Communication Studies" "Physical Education" "Basic Genealogy" "Beginner Pottery" "The Science of Illusion" "Contemporary American Poultry" "The Art of Discourse" "Modern Warfare" "English as a Second Language" "Pascal's Triangle Revisited" Season 2 "Anthropology 101" "Accounting for Lawyers" "The Psychology of Letting Go" "Basic Rocket Science" "Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples" "Epidemiology" "Aerodynamics of Gender" "Cooperative Calligraphy" "Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design" "Mixology Certification" "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" "Asian Population Studies" "Celebrity Pharmacology" "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" "Early 21st Century Romanticism" "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking" "Intro to Political Science" "Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy" "Critical Film Studies" "Competitive Wine Tasting" "Paradigms of Human Memory" "Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts" "A Fistful of Paintballs" "For a Few Paintballs More" Season 3 "Biology 101" "Geography of Global Conflict" "Competitive Ecology" "Remedial Chaos Theory" "Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps" "Advanced Gay" "Studies in Modern Movement" "Documentary Filmmaking: Redux" "Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism" "Regional Holiday Music" "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts" "Contemporary Impressionists" "Digital Exploration of Interior Design" "Pillows and Blankets" "Origins of Vampire Mythology" "Virtual Systems Analysis" "Basic Lupine Urology" "Course Listing Unavailable" "Curriculum Unavailable" "Digital Estate Planning" "The First Chang Dynasty" "Introduction to Finality" Season 4 "History 101" "Paranormal Parentage" "Conventions of Space and Time" "Alternative History of the German Invasion" "Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations" "Advanced Documentary Filmmaking" "Economics of Marine Biology" "Herstory of Dance" "Intro to Felt Surrogacy" "Intro to Knots" "Basic Human Anatomy" "Heroic Origins" "Advanced Introduction to Finality" Season 5 "Repilot" "Introduction to Teaching" "Basic Intergluteal Numismatics" "Cooperative Polygraphy" "Geothermal Escapism" "Analysis of Cork-Based Networking" "Bondage and Beta Male Sexuality" "App Development and Condiments" "VCR Maintenance and Educational Publishing" "Advanced Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" "G.I. Jeff" "Basic Story" "Basic Sandwich" Season 6 "Ladders" "Lawnmower Maintenance and Postnatal Care" "Basic Crisis Room Decorum" "Queer Studies and Advanced Waxing" "Laws of Robotics and Party Rights" "Basic Email Security" "Advanced Safety Features" "Intro to Recycled Cinema" "Grifting 101" "Basic RV Repair and Palmistry" "Modern Espionage" "Wedding Videography" "Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television" Inspector Spacetime: UWSAASTWCATTT

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Advanced Gay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Gay) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Gay?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.