Stereotypes In Sitcoms Over Time

Stereotypes In Sitcoms
s of sitcoms, men and women had a stereotypical role in a couple. Over time, the traditional roles of
men and women in a couple have evolved to be more realistic to real life. An interesting time in the
history of these original gender roles was World War II. When the men of this time went overseas to
fight in the Second World War, only the women were left at home, meaning that they had to take the
jobs the men had. Women became very large helpers for the war. "As men were needed on the
battlefield, there was a shortage of people to work in the outside domain. Consequently, women
filled roles traditionally held by men, and their skills no longer solely applied to domestic chores."
(NA) After the return of the soldiers, many debated the women's ... Show more content on
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Once Ricky becomes angry, Lucy is seen backing up, and calling Ricky sir which shows Ricky's
dominance in the relationship. This scene is carried through by having a lot of comedy throughout,
which is a common strategy for sitcoms when bringing up an important issue. Issues like this came
up all over America at this time after WWII ,when the men returned home the war which left women
in a strange position. With men returning, many women did not want to stop working and it was
something that raised discussion in many households. The idea of the men not being the sole person
for income was a different and strange idea for couples which was shown through the fact that many
couples went back to the traditional roles of men and women. This is a perfect example of this
affinity group of couples and how they were portrayed in the early times of sitcoms. The resolution
of this episode was for men and women to stick with their assumed roles in a couple. While this
show brought up many different issues, society at this time was not ready to accept this idea of men
and women not having assumed roles. This came twenty years later with "The Mary Tyler Moore
Show" featuring a strong, working woman as the lead of the show. Having this character shows
changes in the sitcom world, and the real world. As time progresses, sitcoms begin to show change,
just as the real world has
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Complexity In Sitcoms
Historically, sitcom has been used to display an aspiration lifestyle, as stipulated by dominant norms
(Brown 1990:18). However, UKS creates narrative complexity by depicting multiple social issues
and conflict, which are brought together by the protagonists' friendships. This includes landlady
Lilian's struggles to resist gentrification in season three, Titus' continual search for employment, and
all the characters' ongoing negotiation of romantic relationships. The humour derived from these
overly familiar topics offers critique on the complexity of contemporary tensions in a society of
"employment instability, fast change, and insecure transient neighbourhoods under capitalism"
(Wickham 2013:33). The depiction in UKS of friendship reflects ... Show more content on
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For example, the ongoing joke that the New York basement flat Kimmy and Titus Andromedon
share is actually a Tugboat. The humour created by this is simultaneously simplistic and complex.
The repetition of this joke through all three series' of UKS can be used to argue that sitcom is
simplistic because the issue never develops. However, the humour relates to real–life issues of
housing and rent in desirable locations under advanced capitalism. Furthermore the humour is
derived from landlady Lilian Kaushtupper's criminal past, demonstrating how the dramatic and
comedic outcome within any sitcom must be the inevitable outcome of those characters within that
scenario at that particular time, as well as being understood by viewers as relating to society beyond
the sitcom. Consequently, this joke simplifies a complex issues without explanation. Yet it is also
complex because the humour functions through multiple levels. Therefore, indicating a complexity
derived from the social and cultural context of the programme. Furthermore, UKS may date and this
joke may no longer be deemed funny in ten or twenty years. This demonstrates how sitcom
complexity relates to the concerns of society at the time the specific programme is created (Morreale
2003:

Sitcom And Stereotypes
Sitcom is a genre of comedy centred on characters shared the same environment (situation). It's also
a type of television series. The two conventions in the sitcom are circular narrative and stereotype.
Circular narrative is a special structure of sitcom which suggests that an episode of sitcom should
have beginning, muddle which is that the problem can't be solved too early, character has to be
failed before they succeed and ending. The circular narrative follows that at the beginning of the
sitcom there is an equilibrium, and then there will be a disruption which is to break the equilibrium,
and then is the developing of that disruption, next is the restored order which is to solved the
problem, in the end the problem should be solved, after ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Stereotype helps audiences can get the characters quickly without knowing their background
information. For example, audiences knew that the stereotype of Gloria is ditzy blonde, they could
know that she won't help her husband so much. In the Big Bang Theory, people knew that the
stereotype of Sheldon is nerd, so they will know his IQ is high, they could predict that he is not so
good at socialising. Stereotype also can bring a positive influence, for example, in the Modern
Family, there is stereotype of gay family. Gay family is unfamiliar with some of us, and Modern
Family showed that gay family is the same as other family, they are normal. It helps people to
admire the character or change thoughts about that stereotype. For example, some people might
think nerd is totally social akward, but in the big bang theory, the stereotype nerd was portrayed a
group of clever people and they are normal. Stereotype also helps audiences to predict the conflict
between two stereotypes. For example, Penny and Amy, a 'ditzy blonde' and a 'female scientist'.
Audiences could predict there will be a conflict between them on loving a man and the way the

Sitcoms : A Sitcom And Sitcom Essay
A Comparative of Sitcoms A situation comedy, or sitcom, is defined as a comedy series involving
the same characters in various day–to–day situations which are developed as separate stories for
each episode (Dictionary.com). The structure of a sitcom has not changed much since its inception
on radio, but the characters and premises of the show change with the different times the shows are
based in. This paper will focus on the history of sitcoms as they made the transition from radio to
television, and a comparison of an early sitcom to one of modern times. Specifically, the themes that
the shows addressed, relationships in the show, diversity of the characters, and the portrayed roles of
women in the household will be compared and contrasted for I Love Lucy and Modern Family.
Situational comedies have been an important genre in story telling since the age of radio. At the
inception of radio in the mid–to–late 1920s, sitcoms were present (Edgerton 130). The simple comic
premise for each program meant a lot of time did not have to be committed to listening to the
program. Someone could listen to just one episode and then not again for weeks, but still be able to
understand what was happening. One of the first comedy series on radio was Amos & Andy which
premiered in 1926, and focused on the life of two black men and their friends (History of American
Radio). The characters of the program were urban, ethnic, working–class families in Harlem, and in
this way Amos and Andy was

Black Ish And The Abc Sitcom
Black–ish strategically intertwines the multiple perspectives of its three generational cast to show
that ideas linked to race are not finite and that they can change over time. Blackish attempts to
address the ways in which society views the African–American race in a light hearted, comedic
manner. The ABC sitcom is centered around a modern African–American family living in suburban
California. The cast is comprised of two parents, four children, and a grandfather. Each character
plays a vital role in portraying the different viewpoints and opinions within black culture. Black–ish
employs its multigenerational characters to present contrasting perceptions of what being "black"
means, which challenges the common belief that racial conceptions are finite. Black–ish
strategically intertwines the multiple perspectives of its three generational cast to show that ideas
linked to race are not finite and that they can change over time. Blackish attempts to address the
ways in which society views the African–American race in a light hearted, comedic manner. The
ABC sitcom is centered around a modern African–American family living in suburban California.
The cast is comprised of two parents, four children, and a grandfather. Each character plays a vital
role in portraying the different viewpoints and opinions within black culture. Black–ish employs its
multigenerational characters to present contrasting perceptions of what being "black" means, which
challenges the common belief

Family Guy Is An American Sitcom
Texas Longhorns football fans often use a specific hand gesture when rooting for their team; by
holding up the fore and pinkie fingers while keeping the middle and ring fingers down, using the
thumb to hold the middle and ring fingers in position, they make bull horns. However, if a
Longhorns fan were to make this same gesture in Spain, it would be an offensive gesture that means
to have sex with someone else's wife. All people, and even animals, uses communication to transmit
messages. However, many factors can warp or change what the sender is trying to communicate.
The Texas fan intended to use the hand gesture as a positive message in support of a sports team, but
due to the difference in cultural identity, the receiver interpreted it as something very different.
Cultural identity, along with stereotyping, language and nonverbal cues, plays a large role in
affecting communication between individuals and can be seen anywhere from conversations
between friends, to business exchanges, to sitcoms. Family Guy is an American sitcom that uses
many concepts of communication to transmit humorous messages to audiences. The cartoon is about
a white suburbian family named the Griffins who live in Quahog, Rhode Island, and often uses
vulgar language and slapstick humor to entertain the audience. The main character, Peter, and his
wife Lois have three children, Meg, Chris and Stewie, and a dog named Brian. In this episode,
Stewie and Brian travel back in time to the Nazi invasion of

Sitcom Singles: The Differential Portrayal of Single Men...
The average America watches more than 150 hours of television every month, or about five hours
each day ("Americans," 2009). Of the 25 top–rated shows for the week of February 8–14, 2010, six
were sitcoms, averaging 5.84 million live viewers each (Seidman, 2010), to say nothing for the
millions more who watched later on the Internet or their Digital Video Recorders. The modern
sitcom is an undeniable force in America, and its influence extends beyond giving viewers new
jokes to repeat at the water cooler the next day: whether Americans realize it or not, the media
continues to socialize them, even as adults. It may appear at first glance that sitcoms are a relatively
benign force in entertainment. However, the modern sitcom is more ... Show more content on
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The observations and conclusions reached below were drawn from seven sitcoms airing the week of
February 8–14, 2010. For the purpose of comparison, shows were chosen based on four key
similarities: They were thirty minutes in length, live action, aired on a major broadcast network, and
had at least one single main character who featured prominently in the episode. For these purposes,
"single" was defined as someone not in a relationship, in a casual sexual relationship, or in a newly
dating relationship. The shows chosen were 30 Rock, Cougar Town, Gary Unmarried, How I Met
Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and The Office. Full
episode titles and air dates are given on an attached works cited page. Single women in sitcoms are,
above all, insecure. This manifests itself in different ways, and to different levels: at best, they are
neurotic; at worst, downright psychotic. On the "neurotic" end of the scale falls someone like Robin
Cherbotsky of How I Met Your Mother, who is described as suffering from "constant, ego–
shattering uncertainty," as one moment she denounces her coworker Don as a buffoon and in the
next chases after him shamelessly. Others' neuroses are even more plain to see: Allison of Gary
Unmarried refuses to let herself or her children eat any kind of processed or fattening foods and is
an obsessive cleaner who is terrified of germs. Angela, of The Office, is as

Sitcom Humor Analysis
3.3. Manner The maxim of manner is flouted when the speaker uses ambiguous language or does
not talk properly and understandably (Hu 2012: 1188). Sitcom humour makes use of lexical and
referential ambiguity to flout this maxim for humour (Wu n.d.: 66/67). In the episode, the characters
flout this maxim by using words that others do not know or by using words and phrases which are
lexically ambiguous. When characters use words that others do not know, it either ridicules the
speaker (because they are unable to communicate with others) or the listener (because they have a
lack of knowledge). The humour in lexically ambiguous phrases derives from the phrase's
interpretation either by the characters or the audience. The most obvious way the maxim of manner
is flouted is when a character does not understand a word another ... Show more content on
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Penny: Yeah, I don't know what that means. Here it is not ambiguity that creates confusion but the
fact that Beverly uses scientific vocabulary that Penny cannot understand. Beverly expects other
people to understand scientific terms. She makes assumptions about her listeners based on her own
knowledge. This maxim is also flouted a couple of times through lexical ambiguity. As seen when
Beverly remarks on the two meanings of little: Penny: What was Leonard like when he was little?
Beverly: I think you mean young. He's always been little. This may also be observed when she and
Sheldon talk to each other and the audience does not know what their conversation is about:
Sheldon: So, what do you think? Beverly: I'm very tempted. I'm just not sure it's appropriate with
my son's roommate. Sheldon: Normally, I'd feel the same way. But based on everything I've
observed about us, I can't help but speculate we'd be very good together. Beverly: True. I've had a
similar observation. It's certainly something I could never do with my

Sitcom : A Sitcom Or Situation Comedy
Anyone who owns a television had watched a sitcom of some kind. Ether it's a good episode of Big
Bang Theory or a whole season of How I Met Your Mother we all had experience a sitcom. A sitcom
or situation comedy is a kind of genre that forces on a set of characters in a certain environment.
Each episode would have an event that will affect the characters in the show, and then those
characters will react in a comical way. Over the decades of sitcoms airing on television, certain
sitcoms started to fellow some kind of formula. Each sitcom are different in some way, however
some have clear similarity to one another. For instance take Family Guy, which is a sitcom about of
a middle–class family, and The Simpsons, which also a sitcom about of a middle–class family. To
show the similarity and different of these two sitcoms, I will compare and contracts two episode;
episode 1 of season 1 of the Family Guy and episode 3 of season 1 of The Simpsons. I claim that
both Family Guy and The Simpsons have similar aspects, which are the theme, style of comedy, the
fathers, and their family. Most shows have an iconic theme that's specialized just for them. A small
excerpt from the theme song is enough to recognize the show. The opening of Family Guy starts of a
musical talking about the family aspect of the show. First, Lois and Peter singing about the problems
of television today and how they don't have some kind of family show, and then they immediately
zoom out to the entire main cast

Tv Sitcom : The Big Bang Theory
TV sitcom: The Big Bang Theory The popular hit show; The Big Bang Theory has been one of the
most successful sitcoms today. The show is going strong and is currently in its ninth season. The Big
Bang Theory revolves around the lives of four friends, Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj whom
are all scientists and their neighbor, a hot blonde named Penny. Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj
all fits the mold of geeks in which, that all of the guys are super intelligent, are obsessed with comic
books and action figures, and have little social skills when it comes to interacting with people of the
other sex other than their own. It is evident that there are gender roles involved in the show
particularly with Penny who is portrayed as a ditsy blonde that is known more for her looks than her
brains. This shows the characters portray the typical gender role that the men are intellectually
smarter than women and that the focus of the show is centered on the men. However, as the seasons
continue we can see a shift away from this dynamic as more women characters are introduced into
the roles. The subject for this character analysis will be focused mainly on two couples on the show,
Howard and Bernadette. Howard and Bernadette's character deviates away from the standard gender
roles that were common in the early days of the sitcoms. Their gender roles showcase a switch in the
male and female gender role much similar to the husband and wife in Still Standing. My principle of
analysis

Masculinity In Sitcoms
First, the late nineteen sixties was a big turning point for feminism in television. American sitcoms
began to change a bit during this era. The way females were portrayed was one of these changes.
Most sitcoms up to this point all women were characterized the same, which was the American
homemaker better known as the housewife. The husband was in control and in charge. In the book,
"Signs Of Life In The USA" the report titled "Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes" by Aaron
Devor states that "These two clusters of attributes are most commonly seen as mirror images of on
another with masculinity usually characterized by dominance and aggression, and femininity by
passivity and submission"(505). These are the thing that the feminism movement

Sitcom 'Born Again Virgin'
(Dialogue Magazine) –– Danielle Nicolet, the captivating, petite and seemingly forever–young
actress, has appeared in some of your favorite TV shows over the years such as 3rd Rock from the
Sun to THE GAME to Elementary. Now she's starring in TVONE's new sitcom 'Born Again Virgin.'
Dialogue Magazine: Give us a synopsis of your new sitcom 'Born Again Virgin.' Danielle Nicolet:
It's sort of a modern day 'Sex and the City' about a woman navigating the dating world except she's
doing it from the perspective of someone who is trying to be celibate. She has her two friends along
the way with her, and of course the potential man of her dreams is always right there. He's literally
the guy next door. It's very different. It's unlike any other African–American comedy on cable and
I'm so excited and proud that TVONE is willing to do this...it's a big deal in and of itself that we are
a show that stars three women. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
We're written by women. We're produced by women, and on top of that all of our characters are
distinct and defined, funny and quirky and weird. All of those are characteristics you don't usually
see assigned to African–American actresses on TV. So for all of those things to exist in one package
on TVONE, it's really a first and I'm so proud, excited and amazed that I get to be a part of

Television As A Dominant Theme On Mass Sitcoms
"Friends" is an American television sitcom, which was remembered as one of the most in the
television history. It marked a change in American culture and also stood out that a culture where the
image of youth has become dominant. The prior sitcoms were aiming to focus on the live of nuclear
families that father and mother were the center and knew the best, which represented the generation
of Baby Boomer. In contrast, "Friends" centered on the characters' own lives with angst, ambition,
fluid notion of family, and youth culture. It was considered a dominant theme on mass sitcoms,
which reflected a mainstream trend in the society. A generation X represented that the young people
would not be better of than its parents.
As society developed rapidly, mass media became integrated into the American household.
Television was the most significant invention in the 1950s, sharping American political life and
creating a new advertising method of advertising (Out of Many p.725). Television became a crucial
tool for advertising presidential candidates. The 1960 election campaign featured the first–ever
televised presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. There were about
eighty–five million audiences who watched these debates, demonstrating the sweeping influence of
television. In the 1950s, only about nine percent of Americans had a television. However,
approximately 90 percent of American households owned a television. The presence of a television
in almost

The Television Sitcom Friends By Virginia Kantra
The television sitcom Friends has the six main characters involved in many relationships throughout
each season. Since season one, Ross and Rachel have been referred to as the power couple, the glue
that holds everyone together, and according to television critics as CBS they are, "probably the most
iconic TV couple in recent memory" ("The Best TV" 3). This being said, the couple was a known
favorite and attracted many people to the sitcom. This relationship is the favorite because it has what
an audience wants from a relationship. According to award winning, New York Times bestselling
author Virginia Kantra, audiences want relationships to have, "physical attraction, emotional
conflict, and scenes that foster emotional intimacy" (Kantra 1). The relationship that Ross and
Rachel have is a prime example of this all. It is known that Ross has a physical attraction to Rachel
since grade school, but Rachel also sitcoms her attraction to Ross with various flirtatious acts. Even
though Ross and Rachel seem to be the perfect couple, they have had their fair share of emotional
conflict. The well–known "we were on a break" fight causes comical scenes between the two.
Rachel will always make it clear that Ross cheated on her, but Ross claims that they were on a
break. The couple has an on and off relationship throughout the sitcom because of these many
conflicts. When the couple finally gets together at the end of season ten, everything felt complete.
As many Friends fans know, Phoebe

Television : The Sitcom Genre
Sitcoms have been one of the most popular and influential television genres for years on end. From
some of the oldies like I Love Lucy to some of the more recent ones like New Girl , this genre
succeeds in appealing to all people through eye catching drama, witty comedy, and lighthearted
romance. Almost all viewers are guilty of singing their favorite theme songs or throwing out some
popular catchphrases from some of their beloved characters on the show. The television show
Friends, which aired in 1994, is still one of the most watched sitcoms in history. Even though the
show ended in 2004, reruns still play on T.V and Netflix has even added the show to its database
because of its undying popularity. Even a bit older than Friends, Full House aired its first episode in
1987 and its last in 1995. This shows popularity and influence prompted a continuation of the show,
Fuller House, that is currently in production more than twenty years later. Both sitcoms of Friends
and Full House demonstrate how the sitcom genre, along with the sub–genres associated with it has
had and continues to have a tremendous influence on pop culture. One of the reasons why sitcoms
influence pop culture is because viewers incorporate aspects of the show into their personal lives.
Most Friends fans can admit to incorporating elements from the show into their lives through either
quotes, mannerisms, or styles. In fact, Friends has influenced several parts of society as a whole.
When the show originally

The Influence Of Family Sitcoms In The 1970's
The family sitcom has always been a form of entertainment that has brought people together, and
has played a pivotal role in American society. Family values often change over time to reflect the
issues being faced by each family member generationally. Media and entertainment are often
affected by the social and political issues of their time. Many of these issues, and the way that these
issues have shaped American values, have often influenced the content of television sitcoms.
Although family sitcoms often reflect the values of real American families, in the 1970s, many
television families had very few flaws, as opposed to the real families of the 1970s. Meanwhile,
television families more accurately represented real families in the 1980s. ... Show more content on
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Before the seventies, family values were more conservative and traditional with the popularization
of the nuclear family in the fifties and sixties. The nuclear family was "...built around the nucleus of
the mother and father..." (Stanley, 2012). This changed in the 1970s due to the economic and social
struggle inflicted by the Cold War and Vietnam (Stanley, 2012). Family size began to go down
because people could not afford big families anymore. This trend continued into the eighties when,
"...the average family size dropped from 3.58 people in 1970 to 3.29 people in 1980..." (Suro, 1991).
Because of financial struggle, family size was less of a priority for the average family. Another
change in the 1980s was that marriage was not valued as much as it was in previous years. When a
group of high school seniors were surveyed, there was "...a modest (4%–5%) decline in the late
1980s in the fraction of female seniors saying that they thought it very likely that they would stay
married for a lifetime to the same person..." (Thornton & Young–Demarco, 2001). Because of the
lack of optimism in the 1970s, young women were not as enthusiastic about marriage as previous
generations. Because of social, political, and economic struggles and advancements, family values
changed between these two

TV Show Review: Sitcom
The TV show I am going to review "Friends". It is Sitcom which premiered in 1994 on NBC. It was
one of the most successful shows of the 90's and all the actors who starred in the show became a
household name all around the world and defined the American culture in a numerous ways. The
show is about a group of six friends living in New York City. The show had high rating all through
its run of 10 years. The criteria for the show is whether or not the show actually made me laugh or
not. I was only able to watch through on 10 episodes hoping that show would get better as I
progressed forward but nonetheless it was surprisingly disappointed. There was a laugh track which
felt like the show was funny but still to no use. The show could

Movie Review : ' Black Sitcom '
"Black Sitcom Reduces Stress." New York Amsterdam News, vol. 91, no. 17, 27 Apr. 2000,
p. 26. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.fcclib.nocccd.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct =true&db=aph&AN=3052442&site=ehost–live&scope=site.
The newspaper article talks about how the The Black Sitcom Institute launched a Stress
Management Comedy Showcase to use comedy as a remedy for those who suffer with stress. The
CEO, Arnold Pinnix, creates these showcases in places with high risk of drug use and suicides. I
plan to use this in my essay to support the idea of how the movie adds comedy to relieve the
stressful situation of meeting their significant others parents.
Miller, Richard. "Let Joy In. (Cover Story)." Yoga Journal, no. 289, Feb. ... Show more content on
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31, no. 7, Sept.
2012, pp. 746–777. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1521/jscp.2012.31.7.746.
This article talks about how if you experience a stressful situation with a negative attitude compared
to a positive one and how it can affect a person's life. Stressful situations in a human 's life can
increase chances in having mental disorders if entered with a negative attitude. Many trials have
been done to see the change in a person's attitude or how they react to the stressful task.
Participants played a computer game in which they had to learn whether previously unknown
stimuli (beans) produced positive or negative outcomes. They then had to classify novel stimuli,
which varied in resemblance to those employed in the game, as either positive or negative. With this
it figured out the participants attitude starting off the stressful situation. Then they were given three
anagrams to solve. Two were quite difficult and the last one had no solution. The results were the
greater the negative attitudes towards the task, the more stress upon the person. The way I will be
incorporating this article into my essay is by using a quote to support the idea of no matter how bad
and stressful the situation can be, it can be resolved.
Sawahata, Yasuhito, et al. "Decoding Humor Experiences from Brain Activity of People
Viewing Comedy Movies." Plos ONE, vol. 8, no. 12, Dec. 2013, pp. 1–9. EBSCOhost,

The Family Situation Comedy ( Sitcom )
For many years now when we picture the quixotic American family our thoughts often go to the
suburbs. We visualize a family with a father, a mother and the average 2.5 children. Perhaps, this
stereotypical family has roots in the 1950 's. After World War II, there was a substantial move from
urban and rural areas to the freshly sprouted suburbs. The GI bill, signed into law in 1944, provided
significant funding for this movement with low–interest mortgage loans. (Moon, n.d.) Into the
twenty–first century, the suburbs and metropolitan areas continued their growth. (Frey, 2012) During
the period the suburbs were in their genesis, a relatively new medium, the television, was placing its
roots as a staple in the suburban living room. This device replaced the radio as a family 's focal point
for news and entertainment. In the mid–fifties, a new form of entertainment emerged, the family
situation comedy (sitcom). The show, "Father Knows Best" was credited as the first successful form
of the new style of comedy in 1954, and would have an extended run in broadcast and syndication
for the next thirteen years plus spawn many imitators such as "Leave it to Beaver". (Taflinger, 1996)
Because of their high viewership and capacity to produce income for networks, producers, and
broadcast stations, the domestic sitcom continues to saturate the small screen today. (Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences Foundation, 2013) Feasibly, the capacity of the suburban family sitcom
to

The Sitcom That 70s Show
For this paper, I have chosen to analyze the sitcom That 70s Show. This show follows the lives of a
group of teenage friends: Jackie, Donna, Hyde, Kelso, Eric, and Fez. The show addresses many
social issues of the 1970s, including: Sexism, sexual attitudes, drug use, and the recession. It also
highlights many of the inventions and developments of the entertainment industry, such as the
remote control and Star Wars. I chose certain episodes from Season 1 based on their titles and
descriptions; ones I thought may deal with sexism more in–depth than other episodes. Season 1,
Episode 4 – Battle of the Sexists, starts off with the boys reading a PlayBoy magazine and making
judgements of the women based on their bodies. In particular, they focus on the breasts, and claim
that they can tell how annoying a woman is based on how large they are. Although this is a very
short scene, it clearly depicts the objectification of women, and gives the impression that women are
to be admired for their bodies, not their personalities. In this episode, we learn that the plant that
Eric's father, Red, works at has cut his hours. This means he is no longer the primary breadwinner of
the family, and as to not feel inadequate to his wife, Kitty, he starts fixing things around the house.
The bulk of this episode centres around Donna beating Eric at various games. When they are playing
basketball, Donna scores, and Eric acts as though it's unheard of for women to score. She ends up
beating him, and

Gender Roles in Sitcoms
Gender roles in Sitcoms
"Gender is the crucial factor in characterization in the majority of sitcoms. Up until the impact of
feminism in the 1970s, in the UK at least, it is clear that most of the successful sitcoms featured
leading male characters (Hancock, Steptoe, Dad's Army, Till Death Do Us Part, Porridge etc.).
Women were more likely to feature in 'ensemble casts' – The Rag Trade, Are You Being Served?
This was also a function of the employment opportunities for women. Since the 1970s, women in
leading roles have been more common (but the most successful comedies have tended to be based
on couples rather than single women)." (Roy Stafford, TV Sitcoms and Gender, ONLINE)
Based on television analysis it is very simple to notice what ... Show more content on
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She then adds to this family of five when she and Maxwell have fraternal twins.
Other characters include sardonic butler Niles (Daniel Davis), and Maxwell's socialite business
partner C.C. Babcock (Lauren Lane), who views Fran with jealousy and skepticism." (Wikipedia,
The Nanny, ONLINE)
"The Nanny" " is no longer the type of sitcom where the wife stays at home and just her husband
goes to work. Compared with "Bewitched", this sitcom is more modern and more different in what
concerns the gender roles. Fran Fine is no longer just a home–loving wife who does everything to
support her husband, but she exposes her point of view and most often she dose so as everyone to do
as she wants to. She has a stronger character and is more independent comparing with Samantha.
Cougar Town (2009)
"Jules Cobb – a recently divorced single mother exploring the truths about dating and aging. Jules
spent most of her 20s and 30s married to Bobby and raising a son, Travis. She tried to relive her 20s
and make up for lost time by dating younger men, but has since come to terms with the limitations
of her age and has had relationships with men her age. She resides in a small town in Florida and is
a real estate agent who is successful in business. Because she has been out of the dating world for a
while, Jules discovers it

The Fantastic Sitcoms In The 1950's
Birdie Chen BEWITCHED The '60s were undoubtedly the top point for high–concept sitcoms and
because of the historical and societal shifts during the '50s, the "fantastic sitcoms" arose. The
fantastic sitcoms were a hybrid genre that mixed the conventions of the suburban sitcom with
imagery of the new frontier, offering a diverse perspective of the social world. The intricate bond
between suburban sitcom and space imagery may be a reaction to the most tumultuous decades of
America. First of all, America's loss in the space war against the Soviet Union convinced citizens
that the government should focus on more important goals such as the economy or national security;
moreover, the Kennedy administration faced a similar public ... Show more content on
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They have exchanged vows but one thing that Samantha has not yet told his husband, and is holding
back from doing so, is that she's a witch. Samantha's mother, plays by Agnes Moorehead, finds out
about the marriage and is strongly against her getting wed to a mortal man; nevertheless, she thinks
Samantha should tell Darrin the truth, but eventually she does. After the confession, Darrin was
shocked by her magical power, he didn't dislike the fact that she's a witch, but he was completely
against her using the superpower under any circumstance. He believed that nothing should be left to
spell tricks and that it would definitely upset any Americans trying to live a normal (suburban)
mortal life. Samantha promises to her husband, but during the dinner at Shiela's, Darrin's ex fiance,
Sheila continually tries her best to make Samantha feel uncomfortable throughout dinner; Samantha
could no longer withstand her torture and releases all her anger through magic. Fortunately, when
they arrive home, Darrin isn't too mad about it and at the end of the show she goes back to being a
'good wife.' Through the first episode, we can see that Samantha is not the stereotypical housewife
and that she tends to expand her role, which leads to the discussion of the feminist movement in the
'60s. There are many conflicting views on whether Bewitched was a feminist show, because
Samantha felt a disconnect

The Role Of Women And Gender Roles In The Sitcoms
Sitcoms reflect the changes going on in the world to show what society is like. Sometimes it's a
show about nothing and oftentimes sitcoms actually affect the world. Sitcoms created gender role
stereotypes for society and they did not always show an accurate representation of life. Early on,
sitcoms were family focused and they eventually begin to shed light on different problems in
society. Throughout the sitcoms The Trouble With Father, Sex and the City, The Mary Tyler Moore
Show, and Bewitched women transitioned from being in the traditional role to being an effective
part of the workplace. Women were portrayed differently throughout these sitcoms; they portray
women to be leaders, submissive, or the fool. Women can be in control, successful, and still be
considered normal. This is shown in two sitcoms. Sex and The City portrays four women that are
successful but are looking for love. The message that I got from this show was that the more
successful you are, the harder it is to find love. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha struggled
with the worth, determination, and control of men; along with dating, and marriage. All four of the
women are really different in their own way and they all hold different beliefs. Even though they'd
all deny it, all four of the women were being pressured into becoming married. This sitcom was not
just your usual mother telling her daughter to find a husband; It was their desire NOT to play the
traditional role that they were actually

The Sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond
In the sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond, airing on CBS in the late 90's and early 2000's we see an
nuclear white family with two parents, two kids, grandparents, and a set of other relatives. The
target audience appears to be within the age of 18–35 for this time period in comparison to other
shows such as Frazier or Will and Grace. The family is very middle class oriented as far as the
home, clothing, and jobs of the characters go. They live in the suburbs and are never too hurt for
money. Playing into this story also comes the subtle humor and remarks at sexual acts that happen
very often throughout each scene. However, you never actually see these sexual acts take place and
there is no point of uncomfortable actions throughout this ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The resolution comes when the drama is settled and all family members are satisfied with the
solution. In direct correlation with the text that states, the action is set in motion when minor conflict
situations flare up and heightened verbally through deceit or insults, Everybody Loves Raymond is a
prime example of a comedy formula (Potter, 205).
The patterns of Everybody Loves Raymond are ultimately formulaic for the 90 's. Families are
nucleic and typical of the 90 's middle class working white population. There is a mom who stays at
home and does all of the house work and takes care of the kids, while the father is aloof of all of the
housework and children but works most of the day and is the sole source of income. Both parents
are alive and a constant source of conflict as they (especially the grandmother and mother, as
women are often portrayed as catty) are present and cause embarrassment. The children are hardly
the center of attention at all plot wise. Most plots are surrounding the conflict between family
members, especially disagreements between the husband and wife and between the mother–in–law
and the wife. There are rarely any African Americans, even though the show takes place in Long
Island, which has a high African American population, even back when the show was being made.
Other ethnicity are hardly ever

Television Sitcom : A Tv Sitcom
In a 1988 BBC 'network' examination the former Chief Executive of Channel 4 Jeremy Isaccs said
of sitcom "It is a form in which it is impossible to bring new work. It is the most conventional form
in British television,"(Neale & Krutnik, 1990) while this comment is nearly 30 years old I feel
Isaccs point still stands. Since television 's rise to dominance in the 50's and 60's television sitcom
hadn't progressed much from their radio sitcom forerunners, by the 1980's the cliche and the tropes
were so ingrained in British culture that it could have been viewed as a tired old medium. However I
would argue that the archetypes, cliches and tropes that may seem old hat are actually the key to the
successful rise of the surreal and post–modern ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In writing about the translation of The Office Jim Benson notes that studios were being a bit
precatious in developing a new wave of sitcoms as comedy had seen a slump in the decade before
unable to emulate the success of Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends and Seinfeld. This slump in
interest from the US market was believed to be because the modern viewer didn 't have the same
connection the family home life and domestic situations as the generation before, therefore just like
Neale and Krutnik pointed out something new had to be added into the mix. Benson states that the
US networks tried to tap into the "obsession with Ultra–long work weeks, technology and pop–
culture." This almost satirical view of society is best explored in the office as the representation of
'real people' is both subtle and extreme blurring the lines between surreal and factual.
The Simpsons (Fox, 1989) is America's longest running sitcom, the youtube channel 'Now You See
It' suggests that this is because of "The Perfect Balance." (Now You See It, 2015) The use of classic
sitcom techniques such as sincere lessons revolving around relatable topics like home life, religion
and the workplace teamed with 'cartoon' humour allows for The Simpsons to both make us laugh
and make us empathise with the characters in a way other

Sitcoms Argumentative Essay
Compromises to Satisfy Network Profit Motives A sitcom, is short for "situation comedy", it is a
genre of television centered on an established set of characters. Sitcoms originated in radio, but
throughout the years and the increased popularity they are now generally found on television.
Ccountless sitcoms have been aired over the generations creating a multimillion dollar revenue for
this genre. Broadcasters use manipulating strategies to determine the production of shows that
would air on their network, without regard to the network, limiting the producer's ability to use their
own creative ideas to generate content that adheres to the commercial media's profit driven ideology
for broadcasters. Hegemony and the mass media is when the portrayed ... Show more content on
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Constraints decrease the producer's ability to enter a risk due to limited time, thus causing a
stereotype on their characters, "producers, casting directors and casting agencies freely admit the
stereotyping but argue its necessity on the basis of time and dramatic constraints" (Butsch, 2011, pg.
107). Producers are given limited time to select actors, typecasting is the easier and quicker
alternative. The two–week time period to complete a full production of one episode is quite short,
producers are pressured to stick to what is familiar to them. Sitcoms have made a significant
contribution to our culture's attitude toward the presumptions that a man who made a living with his
hands is immature, irresponsible and lacing common sense. In the show "Kevin Can Wait", the
leading male character Kevin, is basically your standard shlubby husband. Kevin is a retired police
officer who is excited to spend the rest of his life doing what he wants when he wants it. However,
his wife Donna is a school nurse and is very on top of their retirement savings as well as their
children's lives. Portraying the stereotype for Kevin as the immature, irresponsible man. Therefore,
the time constraints assist in the achievement of a profit every week, causing compromise in

The Evolution And Portrayals Of Family Sitcoms Essay
The Evolution and Portrayals of Family Sitcoms Family sitcoms have been the most popular and
positively influenced television shows watched since the 1900s to today. Many of these shows have
consisted of African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic families who all play a role that we as
watchers look up to or perceive as the right way to run our household. Over time there has been an
addition to biracial shows and family role changes throughout these sitcoms. For example, now
observing single parent homes, homosexual guardians and even the changing of social interaction
has both positively and negatively impacted real families who are watching. We have decided to
conduct this study with the focus on three sitcoms from the 1980s which are Fresh Prince, The Bill
Cosby Show, and Full house. In addition, focusing on three sitcoms for comparison in todays time,
2000s which are Full House, George Lopez and Family Matters. Each of these research samples
display a variety of roles played, race, gender and change in family perception. There will be
significant differences in the family structures as a function of time and race/culture of sitcoms aired
in the 1980's versus in the 2000's. More specifically, it is expected that there will be a significant
differences in the portrayals of family size, social class, locations, origin, and gender roles. This
topic of research and study is important because it not only analyzes, but perfectly displays the
evolution changes of family

Role Of Sitcoms In The 1950s
Television sitcoms of the 1950's through the 1990's demonstrated the values and structure of the
American family by portraying stereotypes. Since television sets became mainstream and entered
almost every American home, the content of American sitcoms has reflected the culture of the times.
Thus, as the popular American sitcoms of the 1950's suggest, families living in the 1950's were very
tightly grouped and did everything together with the roles of males and females clearly defined. In
the 1950's, women did the house cleaning and child care and men worked, providing for the family.
In the sixties, women acquired more freedom in their lives. The 1963 Equal Pay Act and the 1964
Civil Rights Act came into effect. It was the end of the baby ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In modern day, women are equal to men and feminism is decreasing. Four sitcoms, Leave It To
Beaver, What's Happening, The Wonder Years, and Malcolm In The Middle, portrayed the
relationships and values of families during different decades. First of all, most sitcoms in the 1950's
showed families with a traditional family structure. It was referred to as a nuclear family, two
parents and their children. Divorce was not common. In the sitcom, Leave It to Beaver about a
caucasian family in the late fifties, the father was the dominant figure of the household and the
decision maker of the family. In the 1950's, a woman usually did not make any important decisions
and was expected to have meals ready when her husband got home. The entire family sat down
together for dinner. Manners were important. This was shown in Leave It To Beaver when children
asked politely to be excused from the table. Respect for adults was important. Wally stated, "Older
people do not need a reason to be mean". It was understood that older people deserved respect
despite their behavior. The children were portrayed as well behaved. They were expected to tell
parents everything. The show emphasized the repercussions of being dishonest when Beaver told his
teacher

Modern Family Changing Sitcoms
Over time the structure of family has evolved. Since the introduction of television many sitcoms
have shown the development of the early days to the modern. Sitcoms such as 'Leave it to Beaver',
'Growing Pains' and 'Modern Family' highlight evolving families over the last 60 years.
Overtime the image of family has changed and is still changing to this day. In the 1950s sitcom
'Leave it to Beaver' the family was represented as 'The Perfect Family'. There was no same gender
marriage, all the characters were white American's and there was a low divorce rate. The family
image was to look perfect and fit into the crowd as most families were nuclear. The setting of 'Leave
it to Beaver' was an averaged sized house with precise decorations and ornaments, ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 'Growing Pains' Maggie Seaver the mother of three children decides to go back to work. Jason
Seaver who is the father now has to stay at home and look after his children. The home front is no
longer the woman's job, more fathers are choosing to stay at home to cook, clean and look after the
children. 'Growing Pains' is representing that fathers can stay at home while their wife goes out to
work. The episodes are about 'how father knows best' as he tackles through the life of his three
children with a sense of humour. Being a stay at home father is very accepted as more fathers are
deciding to stay at home to look after the house and children. It is becoming normal that women go
out to work instead of staying home. The strong stereotype of 'the housewife' is not so common
these days as it was then, 'the breadwinner' now can be the mother. 'Leave it to Beaver' was made in
1957 where the 'housewife' and 'the breadwinner' was clear stereotypes and was the way that
families had to run to be a 'perfect

British Sitcoms Analysis
A clear outline of the area you want to work on – ideally proposed as a question for you to answer.
For my project, I would like to look at British sitcoms that were remade in America, observing and
analysing the key elements that made them succeed or fail. For example, looking at the different
factors into why the original Inbetweeners was incredibly successful and comparing it the American
remake, considering the reasons why it was cancelled after just one series. Factors such as the
duration of scenes, characters and different camera angles. In addition to this, I would also like to
look closely at how the American remakes have failed to adopt the English sense of humour. There
is a balanced argument in this case as the American remake ... Show more content on
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The IT Crowd is another TV programme that failed to reach the heights in the American remake.
There are different reasons why the IT Crowd US flopped than the American Inbetweeners and it
would be interesting to analyse and compare the different reasons they both failed to deliver. In
addition to this, I will also look at another failed remake the television programme Skins which
completely flopped in the US. Skins lasted over 6 years in the UK whilst the American version only
lasted 3 months. On the other hand, the TV programmes I will be looking at the US remakes which
succeed more than the English original version such as the Impractical Jokers and the Office US.
The American Version of The Office has lasted over 9 seasons whilst the English version only lasted
2. It would be interesting to see the reasons why the American version is considerably more
successful and it would be a balanced argument as the American remakes are only known as being
failures. List: Inbetweeners Inbetweeners US Impractical Jokers Impractical Jokers US The Office
UK The Office US The IT Crowd The IT Crowd US A potential methodology or set of
methodologies (how do you plan to research your project?) For the methodology, I would like to do
one to one interviews with students. A lot of

Language In The American Sitcom: The Goldbergs
For Major Paper 1.0, I am describing the use of language in the American sitcom The Goldbergs.
The Goldbergs is a television show on the network ABC. It is about a family living in the 1980s.
Each episode is narrated by the main character Adam. Adam and his family are based on the
producer's crazy family. The show is the producer, Adam Goldberg reliving his childhood during the
1980s. As a child, Adam had a VHS camcorder that he used to record several points in his life.
Adam lives with his mother Beverly, his dad Murray, his brother Barry, his oldest sister Erica, and
his grandfather Pop. By the first episode of the first season you notice that Adam's family is pretty
unique for a television family. The main topic that I will be talking

Sitcoms Influence On American Culture
Sitcoms have long been characterized by laughter, large casts of characters, and recurring locations.
While these qualities have remained consistent over the years, sitcoms have adjusted over time to
better reflect their audience. A number of pre–2000s shows such as Friends and Cheers depict an
idealized group of friends who spend sizeable amounts of their days with each other. These
characters rarely come into conflict, and they confront any problem as a group. These shows possess
a generally positive vibe, acting as a form of escapism for anyone who might be feeling down.
However, these shows have become rarer and less popular over the course of the 2000s due to
changing American perceptions of the world, which have become more pessimistic over time.
Possible reasons for this include personal conflicts, financial struggles, or increased exposure to ...
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The characters of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, collectively referred to as "the Gang," are a
group of almost irredeemable individuals who cannot truly be considered friends. Most episodes
depict one or more members of the group creating and carrying out a convoluted plot to acquire
something, such as money or revenge. Each character is willing to betray, manipulate, and abuse one
another in order to get ahead. They have very few positive qualities, and their many flaws include
addiction, illiteracy, sociopathy, repressed homosexuality, and extreme narcissism. In contrast, the
characters of The Office are far more good–natured. While the show often focuses on the conflict
between the characters, these disputes are much more tame and innocent compared to those in It's
Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Additionally, this strife often originates from misunderstanding or
ignorance, rather than outright malice. Despite their differences, many of the characters still end up
in positive relationships with each

The Simpsons as a Sitcom Essay
The Simpsons as a Sitcom
"The Simpsons" is an example of an American sitcom. A sitcom is situation comedy, which is when
the same setting and same characters appear in every episode. Examples of sitcoms are programs
such as "The Crosby Show" and more recent sitcoms such as "Friends". Sitcoms surfaced in the
1950's in America showing the "ideal" family. Slowly sitcoms started to show the reality of life and
dealt with social issues such as divorce and unemployment. Sitcoms have become very popular
because people could relate to the program and sitcoms show problems, which happen in every day
life in a light–hearted way. These are some of the reasons why "The Simpsons" is very successful
and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Maggie is shown as an ordinary baby who sucks on a dummy. She fits the stereotypical role of a
baby. In the opening credits authority figures such as the police are made fun out and are shown as
lazy and bad at their jobs this creates humour in the programme.
Narrative structure is used very often in "The Simpsons." Narrative structure is the way in which a
story is organised. Narrative usually consists of five stages. These are orientation, complication,
resolution, evaluation and re–orientation. This system is used in "The Simpsons" to create humour
and also let the audience know what to expect. A good example of this structure is shown in one
Simpson's episode called "Roasting on an open fire." It starts of or orientates when the family are at
a school production for Christmas setting the scene and letting the audience know that it has
something to do with Christmas. Then comes the complication when Bart gets a tattoo and they
have to use all their Christmas money to get it removed. Also Homer doesn't get his Christmas
bonus. To resolve this Homer gets another job as father Christmas but doesn't get enough money. He
bets it on a dog and loses everything. Bart and homer find the dog that they betted on being kicked
out. The evaluation of this episode

Complexity Of Sitcoms
The quote within this essay title argues that sitcoms are incorrectly regarded as simplistic, and that
to uncover their complexity and fully explain sitcom a comparison to other television and film
genres needs to be made (Mills 2005:25–29). There is truth in the claim that sitcoms are complex.
This is proven through analysing how sitcom relates to a wider cultural and social context, and
understanding how hidden cultural references work as vehicles of humour. The narrative complexity
and cultural references of the American sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will be discussed to
explore Brett Mills' claim, to argue that it is only by situating a specific sitcom within wider social,
cultural, and political context can the true complexity and relevance ... Show more content on
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A dramatic through–line spanning an entire series offers an additional layer to the narrative,
mirroring the way individuals reflexively understand their lives with the passing of days, weeks, and
years. The constant disruptions and resolutions in sitcom resonates with viewers as symptomatic of
contemporary life (Wickham 2013: 57). Most episodes of Kimmy Schmidt culminate in the
resolution of a minor crisis for example Titus does not know how to text a potential boyfriend, or
Jacqueline is struggling to relate to her boisterous son, usually with help from Kimmy. This kind of
existential crisis explains why as a society people create and consume humorous culture, and sitcom
portrays and communicates the fundamental human desire of individuals to understand their identity
and their general surroundings. In the case of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Kimmy's rehabilitation,
refusal to acknowledge her past trauma, and durable optimism provides the greater story arch of
which each episode is situated within. A difficulty in altering sitcom format is embedded within the
format because representing everyday life and the corresponding cultural and social restrictions only
works if the permanence of environment can articulate the trappings of existence. Television is an
everyday event, making it a fitting medium for the

Sitcom Tropes
The sitcom world is rife with tropes: Love Interests of the Week, the Secret Relationship, the Yo–yo
Plot Point (any story the writers just can't stop going back to). These tropes have been defined and
redefined for new generations of viewers. Characters striving to maintain the perfect nuclear family
on Leave It to Beaver became characters looking to achieve a work–life balance on The Mary Tyler
Moore Show, became characters inept at both work and life on 30 Rock. That New Girl's Jess Day
and Nick Miller are subject to the same "will they, won't they" mishegas as Cheers's Sam Malone
and Diane Chambers is a nice reminder of how little human behavior ever really changes.
But in the last few years, a new kind of sitcom has emerged on cable and ... Show more content on
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In these millennial comedies, the comedy is mined from navigating real sexual experiences. Broad
City's portrayal of pegging, Love's botched three–way scenes, and Master of None's depiction of
how sex evolves over the course of a relationship are all previously uncharted comedy territory.
Partially, this has all been made possible by the freedom of producing a sitcom without the pressures
of a Big Network – the older–skewing audience, the rigid Standards & Practices, the fear of losing
"traditional" advertisers – but it's also a reflection of a new generation of creators and viewers, for
whom "alternative sex" is not something to ridicule, but something to embrace and, eventually,
cultivate an Ilana–esque blasé attitude about.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the "classic sitcom" and the "millennial sitcom" is a
willingness to embrace paradoxes: Optimism disguised by cynicism; "sexy" experiences that are
anything but; a desire for stability foiled by an inability to make concrete life choices. It's reflective
of the target audience: millennials who have had the world's information at their fingertips for most
of their adult lives, and learned to take in conflicting information from different sources at

Essay On Sitcoms In The 1950s
Television sitcoms of the 1950's through the 1990's demonstrated the values and structure of the
American family by portraying stereotypes. Since television sets became mainstream and entered
almost every American home, the content of American sitcoms has reflected the culture of the times.
Thus, as the popular American sitcoms of the 1950's suggest, families living in the 1950's were very
tightly grouped and did everything together with roles of males and females clearly defined. In the
1950,'s women did the housecleaning and child care and men worked, providing for the family. In
the sixties, women acquired more freedom in their lives. The 1963 Equal Pay Act and the 1964 Civil
Rights Act came into effect. It was the end of the baby boomer ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In modern day, women are equal to men and feminism is decreasing. Four sitcoms, Leave It To
Beaver, What's Happening, The Wonder Years, and Malcolm in the Middle, portrayed the
relationships and values of families during different decades. First of all, most sitcoms in the 1950's
showed families with traditional family structure. It was referred to as a nuclear family, two parents
and their children. Divorce was not common. In the sitcom, Leave It to Beaver about being a
caucasian family in the late fifties, the father was the dominant figure of the household and the
decision maker of the family. In the 1950's, a woman usually did not make any important decisions
and was expected to have meals ready when her husband got home. The entire family sat down
together for dinner. Manners were important. This was shown in Leave It To Beaver when children
asked politely to be excused from the table. Respect for adults was important. Wally stated "Older
people do not need a reason to be mean". It was understood that older people deserved respect
despite their behavior. The children were portrayed as well behaved. They were expected to tell
parents everything. The show emphasized the repercussions of being dishonest when Beaver told his
teacher that

Stereotypes In Sitcoms
At the end of the study, the results where indicating sitcoms on television in the past 11 years have
been portraying gender stereotypes. Women appear doing domestic chores and working "less" than
men. However, watching some new sitcoms there has been a slightly change in portraying women.
In today's sitcoms we see women complaining to their partners or yelling at each other. Maybe this
is a way to express how trapped women feel and was a triggering point for all housewives to take
action and fight for what they want. Another stereotype that is very common in today's society is the
single mom. On sitcoms the single mom is portrayed as the woman looking for "something", usually
a father to her children. When in reality the single mom is the one that does a complex job, since is
both mom/dad, sometimes the only source of income. The multitasking mom, that loves her
children, and works very hard to maintain her family all together. ... Show more content on
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Lauren Rabinovitz on her article "Sitcoms and Single Moms: Representation of Feminism on
American TV" makes a point in the study on the Show Kate & Allie which is about two divorced
women both with children that live

The Sitcom
The Sitcom – Similarities between Ourselves and the Characters
A sitcom, short for situation comedy, is a comic television series made up of episodes involving the
same group of characters in a recurring situation. When watching a sitcom one sees characters deal
with life in an unmethodical, irrational, but humorous style.
The ability to bring laughter out of situations dates back to variety shows, but dedicating a whole
program around a group of characters is fairly new considering the long history of comedy. By
being situational, sitcoms tend to poke fun at or bring the irony out of certain issues in life, whether
at home or in the workplace. Because many people encounter these problems everyday, designing
comedy programs with ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"The Drew Carey Show," "Spin City," "Murphy Brown," and "Taxi" revolve around the characters'
jobs and actual work place. Some situations touched on are dealing with co–workers, bosses, getting
fired, getting re–hired, and asking for raises. These are, of course, all dealt with in irrational and
unconventional methods. A third genre of the sitcom revolves around dating and relationships. There
are few early sitcoms about dating and relationships because past generations saw these as personal
areas of life which were not supposed to be glamorized. As times changed and television became
more liberal, shows like "Friends," "Mad About You," "Mary Tyler Moore," and "Seinfeld" became
more popular. These shows concentrate mainly on dating, married life, and singles life intertwined
with a job, or particular lifestyle.
The reaction of the characters is not always conventional because these programs are designed to be
funny. One major point that becomes apparent when one examines comedy is that it is based on
absurdity. The character of Kramer from "Seinfeld" is the ideal example of absurdity. Some of
Kramer's past "accomplishments" include collecting tons of recycling in a get rich scheme, turning
Jerry's kitchen into a butcher shop, marketing his own perfume, seeing how far a car can drive after
the gas tank needle is under the reserve line, and taking props from the Merv Griffin show to create
a talk show in his living

Suburban Sitcoms In The 60's
Suburban sitcoms coming out in the late 50's early 60's portrayed usually an average family with
average problems it solves by the end of the episode, most sitcoms including "Leave It To Beaver"
followed the same formula; two white parents, a mother, and father, and 2–3 children; every episode
followed the same steps, there's a problem, the problem is solved by the end of the episode, and a
lesson is learned by the main character. This held up perfectly in the 50's and 60's society, but
sitcoms needed to adapt to fit their society, as time progressed, more important issues showed up in
the shows, and as the US became more diverse so did the sitcoms. Today suburban sitcoms couldn't
be more different. As society became more diverse, more sitcoms were made to cater to the new
audience. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Sitcoms today have completely done away with what was the "formula" for a sitcom, single parents,
interracial couples, LGBTQ couples as the parents, as well as having multiple kids, 4–5, having
foster children, interracial children even LGBTQ children have become the social norm for a
Suburban

Stereotypes In Sitcoms Over Time

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