1950s Sitcoms

            As stated in my opening blog post my research of the progression of gender roles through television will start in the decade 1950. We decided to start with the 1950s because it’s during this era that the idea of a perfect suburban family was invented. It was advertised to veterans of World War 2 that they would come home to a large house in the suburbs with a wife and child waiting for them. This created an ideal of what the American home life should look like and we see this reflection in all forms of media during that time, especially television.

            The first television sitcom I will be looking at is I Love Lucy. This 1950s black and white famous television series stars Lucille Ball and Desi Amaz. The show takes place in a small apartment in New York City, where Lucy and her husband Ricky live. Lucy is a stay at home wife who dreams of making it big in Hollywood, much like her husband Ricky who is a singer. Most episodes of the show portray Lucy comically getting herself into trouble while trying to make it big in show business and Ricky having to come and get her out of trouble. This sitcom gives us a good look at what the dynamic was between husbands and wives in the 1950s. Wives stayed home – Lucy was always sure to have dinner ready for Ricky – while the husbands worked. It also gives us a look at how women were seen in the 1950s. Lucy is portrayed as a naïve and ambitious, always believing what she’s told and doing what she’s asked. Meanwhile Ricky is portrayed as stern and in charge of everything, including Lucy.

            The other television series I’ll be taking a look into is called, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett. This show portrays a Caucasian American family, complete with a mother a father and two sons. As the usual portrayal in the 1950s the mother is a stay at home housewife and the father is a businessman. This family portrays a more stereotypical American family in the 1950s. Much like in I Love Lucy the wife is a stay at home mom and is compliant with whatever her husband wants. She always has dinner on the table for her boys and her husband when they return home, and she’s always dressed in a skirt and blouse. On the other hand the husbands and even the sons in this case go out and work, or go to school and are seen as in charge, the men of the house.

            Both of these sitcoms give us a good look at how women were seen in this decade, compliant to their husband’s wishes and a good housewife. The wives in both these sitcoms were always dressed in skirts and often times portrayed as naïve. The husbands in both these sitcoms are shown as hard workers, and always in charge of the family’s affairs. We’ve seen this become the stereotype of the 1950s home life, and as I continue with my research we will see how long this stereotype holds true.

            Below I have attached two pictures, one showing Lucy from I Love Lucy cooking dinner in typical 1950s attire and the second showing Harriett from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett serving a dish to Ozzie and their sons. Both of these are examples of what I've discussed earlier in this post.