Roles of Women in TV Sitcoms Since 1950: Have They Changed Or Just Been Re-Arranged?

Women's Familial Sitcom Roles Reflecting Societal Norms

Since art imitates life, in taking a look at the 1950s sitcoms, it is easy to see how the art of television reflected women's roles and the societal norms of the day.  Considering these early sitcoms, gives us an overall contextual experience of the perceived and accepted roles of women, particularly in the familial setting. We look back and laugh at the stereotypical roles of women like Gracie Allen, Harriet Nelson, June Cleaver and Lucille Ball.  They all have perfectly coiffed hair, are wearing pearls, dresses, high heels and aprons as they cook, clean and serve the men in their family - interestingly they all have sons, no daughters except Gracie and George who initially had no children and then later included their adopted son and daughter on the show.  The question is have these comedic, familial roles reflected in television sitcoms changed from 1950 to 2015, or simply been rearranged and dressed up in contemporary clothing to fit altered world contexts?

Figure 1. "I Love Lucy" theme song.

The theme song of "I Love Lucy "was so iconic in the 1950s sitcom genre, and since it was one of the first of its kind, debuting in 1951, it would be an excellent musical backdrop to pay to license as part of this documentary.

Take a Look Back…The Culture

America was searching and yearning for a return to normalcy after World War II.  Part of that normalcy came packaged in the huge television boom.  Six years after the end of the War, more than 10 million households had a television, and a majority of them were turned on and tuned in to "I Love Lucy" which aired at 9:00 p.m. on Monday evenings.  Every sitcom of the '50s and '60s placed women in a submissive, mostly ditsy role in which the woman's place was at home in pearls and an apron.  They were beautiful women, but seemingly only had value in a homemaker role, a role in which they asked their husband's permission for everything. The exception was when the women could go around their husbands on a secret escapade, which of course the husband always found out about and the women were either admonished or laughed at for trying to do something "so silly."

Figure 2.  Cooking and Cleaning in Aprons and Pearls.
Google Advanced Images - licensed for reuse

                                

George Burns & Gracie Allen Show

Figure 3.  "Burns and Allen Show" - Video from Prelinger Archive (Public Domain).                  

The "George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" was the first sitcom of its kind, and set the stage and the stereotypes of all the ones to follow. It aired from 1950 to 1958 and was considered hysterically funny for the day.  George Burns and Gracie Allen were also married, a couple in real life, and George Burns was heartbroken when Gracie died in 1964. This video, in the public domain would be used to "set the  stereotypical stage" in the documentary.
                                                                             

Figure 4. Coats & Clark 1950s Hostess Book.
Google Advanced Images - Licensed for Reuse

The Perfect wife, the perfect table, the perfect dinner and the perfect pearls and smile…Society wanted perfection after World War II and women in the perfect role "under glass in the familial role" were one way to show that the War was over and American was  back! This licensed for re-use image is an excellent print portrayal of society's message of the day.

The '60s and '70s: More Sitcoms With Women…All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go

Figure 5. Laura Petrie 1960s in "Dick Van Dyke Show" is perfectly coiffed
as she serves breakfast to the men in her life. 
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Figure 6.  Samantha in "Bewitched," still all dressed up  to cook.
copyrighted image

Fast Forward Gloria in Modern Family...

Figure 7. One more time...Gloria in "Modern Family.
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Women: Now You See Them, Or Maybe Not

Miss Representation - a documentary created by Jennifer Siebel Newsom discusses the roles of women as portrayed in film, television and media today, and how as a whole they are misrepresented and how we as a society continue to pass that  misrepresentation on from one generation to the next. This clip from her documentary, "Miss Representation" serves as a basis for the portrayal of women in society.  Based on her work, if you take a closer look at just one microcosmic element in television from the 1950s to today - women's roles in familial sitcoms - you can see how she is spot on with where we have been, where we have come, and where we continue to go... down the same path time and time again… This is a news story that includes clips from the documentary itself.  Actual clips from  "Miss Representation" and portions of this news clip as well would be placed in this sitcom documentary regarding women's familial roles and societal norms on a fair use basis.

 Figure 8.  Video Review of Miss Representation.  Clips would be used on a fair use basis.