Sitcom morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sitcom morality - leaven ExampleA number of cultural trends that are taken for granted today had their genesis in the 1950s. It was a time when large suburban developments took root, education became a national priority and television was introduced to the American public. It was a very only ift peerlessd down, conservative era, known for its suppression of social movements, such as the ones fought for complaisant rights and counter-culture music. Both, however, exploded in the 1960s, becoming the calling cards of that decade.Leave It to Beaver portrayed an iconic family, headed by a typical suburban couple, Ward and June Cleaver. Their two sons were Wally and his younger brother Theodore (Beaver). Presented from a childs point of view, the show was filled with moral instruction and tips on the proper way to live ones life. The value of a good education was a constant theme, reflecting the mores of the era. If anything, the family in Married With Children show the very opposite o f the 1950s view, as the show consistently poked fun at conservative concepts of morality. Headed by Al and Peggy Bundy, with children Kelly and Bud, the sitcom openly mocked mainstream institutions like education, and became the very definition for the perceived immorality of the 1980s.While the dissimilarities amongst the two sitcoms are legion, they were also alike in a number of ways. Although not nearly as supportive as the Cleavers, the Bundys were known for sticking together to deal with outside threats to the family, despite their incessant internecine bickering. Although infidelity is certainly bandied about in Married, neither Al nor Peggy is ever unfaithful, something that would have been all but unthinkable in the iconic Beaver setting.While the concept of the nuclear family was on the upswing in the 1950s, by the 80s and 90s it was definitely under assault. The proportion of traditional two-parent households declined significantly