Families in Television

Families in Television

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Introduction

Television plays an important role in shaping the way individuals behave, believe and even how they think about themselves. The messages that are passed through sound and visual aspect has been identified by the medical practitioners to be more effective, thus therefore what the various television stations offer for their viewers influences the viewer’s behaviors (Thompson & Mittell, n.d.). For instance when individuals watch family program that portrays men as superior to women, there is a chance that men who watch this program would apply the same in their relationships. Televisions as a cultural institution runs programs that portray the evolution of family institutions from the times when men were the bread winners to the current generation when women to get formal employment.

The research paper analyzes how families have been portrayed over the course of television history. The main reason for this study is to identify how television programs influences the society. In the research paper, I will use the concepts on gender disparities, feminism and race discrimination to identify how the three issues have been portrayed over the televisions history. In what follows I will discuss the Brady bunch, full house, and modern family comedies to manifest how families have been portrayed over the course of television history. Ultimately, this discussion will frame family dramas from a social-cultural perspective in order to argue that television programs influences the societal behaviors.

Since the invention of televisions, in most families television has been like one of the family members. It is common to have all rooms in a house fitted with televisions, thus children are exposed to the television programs from the infancy stage. Some parents even use the televisions to baby sit their kids, for instance tuning into a cartoon channel would help keep the child busy as the parent attend his or her chores (Thompson & Mittell, n.d.). In general, televisions offers entertainment, education and moreover keeps the viewers informed about the current issues in the world. The in which televisions portrays the family is crucial because television offers a good source for learning about the families from the various programs it presents.

The various programs that run in televisions have a major impact on the society. For instance, some viewers may follow a certain program with an aim to know what an ideal family looks like, how every partner in a relationship ought to behave, how parents should associate with their children, and how the issues that arise in the families need to be resolved. How the televisions portray the families depends mainly on the programs that runs in every TV station. Family dramas, soap opera and comedies are some of the programs that are run on the televisions and they mainly educate the on matters of family (Thompson & Mittell, n.d.). Soap operas and family dramas programs reveals real family issues that makes very many families to break such as conflicts in the relationships, fights in relationships and jealousy amongst the family members. These programs reveals the main reasons why relationships break, thus the viewers may learn from the programs how to avoid the problems that make many relationships fail.

In mid twentieth century, comedies were very prevalent in most television stations, during this period most comedies touched diverse issues concerning the families. Most of the television comedies in this era promoted traditional family models that were faced with minimal conflicts. The type of the family’s presents in this era was that of one man, one woman and their children. It not until late 1960s that family dramas that were headed by women arose. The Brady bunch is a good example of a comedy that portrayed a woman whose role in the marriage is recognized. In late 1980s to early 1990s, the television programs included people from diverse races. It is during this period that programs that involved both African-American characters started being aired in the televisions. The Cosby show is an example of a program that featured the African- American actors. Initially the minority groups such as the African American were portrayed as lazy and many humorous comedies were made about them. However, the Cosby comedy is changed this picture and the minority groups could now express themselves on the television programs to prove their critics wrong. In early 1990s, programs that portrayed successful couples without children were very prevalent in the televisions.

The family dynamics in the United States have changed over time from the initial patriarchal approach to the current egalitarian. Initially the men were the income earners while women roles were only house based. Today the responsibilities are shared, women are no longer house wives, and they also get employed and share the house expenses with their husbands. The family roles today are more equally shared in relation to the economic roles of women. The sociological reflection theory identifies the media as a platform that portrays culture and societal structures in the form of an entertainment (Thompson & Mittell, n.d.). In this case, the television stations run programs that reflects what is happening in the societies. A family is a crucial institution that makes the society thus most of the programs are focused on issues that touch the institution. The full house, and modern family comedies manifests the makeup of a traditional American family represented in today’s society. The two comedies illustrate the way socialization occurs and the way in which gender roles are altered and perpetuated

Brady bunch comedy was first aired in the televisions in the late 1960s, in 1970s the comedy has become one of the most watched comedy of the times. The comedy presents a marriage between two parents, mike Brady and carol both of whom were windows. Each of them had three kids from the previous relationship. The comedy is mainly centered on the children relationship to their new parent and the way they related to each other (Marinucci, 2005). Such marriages were very rare during that period thus the reason why the comedy attracted much public attention. What made the comedy more interesting is the fact that there were no conflicts amongst the kids and all of them immediately accepted their step parents after the marriage.

The family lives together happily and there is no instance any member of the family remembers their former spouses. Even the children doesn’t remember their lost parents. Conflicts between step parents and step children is quite prevalent in the society, in fact such relationships are considered complex and unlikely to succeed. In most cases the complications in these relationships arise when the children fail to relate well their stepparents thus challenging the couple’s relationship as well (Marinucci, 2005). The issue of gender equality is well manifested in the comedy, at such period of time, carol portrays an independent woman with very strong character. The plays shows carol engaging her husband in all communications on an equal playing field, in fact she has a say in every decision made in the family (Thompson & Mittell, n.d.). Moreover, the fact that when the two couples disagree they tiptoe around the problem is fascinating at this period of time when feminism and the issue of gender inequality was prevalent in the society (Marinucci, 2005). Women were perceived as weak and they were required to be submissive to their husbands, there was no room of discussion about an issue, the man’s word was final and the woman has no right to question their decisions. The social aspect of the period is also well portrayed in the comedy. Mike is the family provider, he is a working man while carol remains in the house taking care of the children and attending to other house chores. The Brady bunch comedy is a good example of a program that manifest how the family institution has evolved. It helps us to understand evolution of roles of parents. For instance, in the Brady bunch comedy, the success of the family helps us understand the basics of learning a family involving step parents and step children. The analysis of the comedy manifests how the family institution has changed over the years. The comedy was played at a period when women roles were mainly in the house while the men were the family providers.

The full house comedy involves Danny tanner who after losing his wife in a car accident enlists a friend and his brother in-law to help him raise his three daughters. The full house comedy is an example of a program manifesting the modernized society whereby men are ready to do the chores that were initially associated with women. The comedy way played at a time when men’s responsibilities were to feed the family and the women mostly attended to the house chore. However, after the sudden death of his wife Tunner and his brother in law takes the responsibilities of bringing up the kids. The three men ensues all the responsibilities including the house responsibilities to help raise the kids. The comedy illustrates the modern contemporary family where the men can also participate in the household chores. The three men collectively divide the parental responsibilities amongst themselves. The comedy exemplifies the family values by exclusively manifesting the concept of socialization throughout the various episodes (Full House, 2016). The children are taught good behaviors by the three parental figure in the house, and they grows up having good behaviors (Thompson & Mittell, n.d.). For instance, there is a time Danny confronts his daughter Michele for dressing against the family values, Mitchel respects her dad’s view and she changes her dressing code. The three men are very determined to see the kids succeed even without the presence of their mother. Everyone is aware of his responsibilities and they attend to their duties every day accordingly without any conflict, the kids learns to respect them and they grew up with very good manners. Though the three kids were girls under the care of three men, they grew up with the necessary discipline as if their mother was around. Tunner used to engage his daughter in close tete-a- tete and they grew up like any other child who is under the care of mother and father. Their determination is clearly manifested at the end of the comedy since the kids grew up well without noticing the gap left by their mother.

The modern family is television comedy that portrays the dynamics witnessed in today’s society. It is one of the best comedies ever played touching on the issue of the family that covered the past present and the future of the family institution. The comedy identifies clearly the dynamics that has occurred in the family institution. For instance the issue of same sex relationship was not common in the past, it represents concepts that are expected to be prevalent in the society. Though today, homosexual is witnessed, it is not that well accepted as manifested in the comedy, however, many states are allowing the same sex marriage thus this is expected to be the case in future. The interracial marriage also is a manifestation of the modern generation relationships, initially the relationships between individuals from different races were not common. The comedy revolves around three types of families, which are nuclear families, step families and same-sex families and the three families are related. Mitchel and Cameron acts same sex couples in the comedy, they have rejected the patriarchal ideology that was followed in their family where a man marries a woman who must be submissive to him. Phil and Claire portrayed the old generation families (Modern Family n.d.). Phil is the family bread winner though Claire is a working. Claire represents the gender stereotypes where even if the woman is working men are the family bread winners. Moreover, the stereotype presents women as weak and inferior to men. However, in the comedy there are instances when Claire instructs his husband what to do. For instance, Claire orders Phil to purchase a family vehicle, although Phil didn’t buy the car that Claire demanded he was not opposed to the orders. The Pritchett family differs from the other two because it involves interracial marriage. Initially, it was unlikely to have interracial marriages (Thompson & Mittell, n.d.). The relationship is more like that of Phil and Claire, jay is the family bread winner while Gloria stays at home to look after the children and perform house duties.

The Pritchett – tuckers represents a same sex relationship. Cameron and Mitchel have resolved into a marriage though they are both men. One thing that makes the modern family comedy different from their others is use of characters with diverse characteristics that the viewers are able to relate to the day to day situations (Modern Family n.d.). Though the comedy main focus is the modern families, the actors are able to make it more humorous by mixing the traditional family dysfunction and the twenty first century family characteristics. For instance, both Claire and Gloria are house wives. Claire left her well doing business to marry phil. Jay the husband of Gloria and Phil are the breadwinners of their families, while Claire and Gloria were left home looking after the children and attending to the home chores (Thompson & Mittell, n.d.). Although the comedy has many areas that can be associated with the old generation such as women stereotype, the comedy has various situations that depicts the modern family.

Conclusion

The Brady bunch comedy involves a marriage of two widowed parents. The two parents had three children each. The comedy manifests a good parent child relationship in the family despite the fact that they were step fathers. The children respects their parents and they socialize with each other very friendly. Marriages that involves step parents are complex since if the child fails to accept their new parents, the relationship becomes sour and in most cases the family ends up breaking. The two spouses together with their children are comfortable in their new life, and no one remembers their former spouses. The two partners are exclusively engaged in the development of the family, mike involves her wife in all the decision concerning the family development, and whenever they quarrel, they solve the issue together. Carol roles are based in the house, she takes care of the children while mike is responsible for providing the food and other basic necessities for the Family. The analysis of how families have been portrayed in the television is an important topic as it helps us to understand evolution of roles of parents in the family institution. For instance, in the Brady bunch comedy, the success of the family helps us understand the basics of learning a family involving step parents and step children. The analysis of the comedy manifests how the family institution has changed over the years. During this period women roles were mainly in the house while the men were the family providers. In today’s society the roles and responsibilities are shared, today women get formal employment.

The modern family comedy portrays an evolution of the family institution. The comedy revolves around three different interrelated families. Pritchett family involves interracial marriage, the relationship also is more like that of Phil and Claire. Jay is the bread winner while her wife Gloria is a house wife. The third family represents a same sex relationship. Cameron and Mitchel have both resolved in to a relationship though they are both male. The three families though interrelated, depicts different family periods. The analysis of the comedy manifest the changes that has occurred in the family institution. For instance the issue of same sex relationship was not common in the past. However, in this comedy the other two families are comfortable with their partners. The interracial marriage also is a manifestation of the modern generation relationships, initially the relationships between individuals from different races were not common. The comedy provides a good platform for better understanding of the evolution family institutions in the United States. The full house comedy manifests the modernized society whereby men are ready to do the chores that were initially associated with women. When the wife to Danny Tunner dies through a road accident, Danny together with his brother in law ensues the household responsibilities and are capable of raising the three kids. Their determination is clearly manifested at the end of the comedy since the kids grew up well without noticing the gap left by their mother.

The analysis of the three televised comedies is crucial in identifying how television programs manifests the societal behaviors. The programs are created to educate, inform or to illustrate what is happening in the society though some people don’t want to accept it. For instance, the modern family drama manifests the concept of homosexuality in the community. Very many people wonder how two individuals of the same gender can live like husband and wife. The drama manifests the existence of the relationships and the way the two couples share responsibilities. The three comedies represents the family institution of their times. The Brady bunch represents the mid twentieth century relationships, while the modern family combines the old to the current generation

References

Thompson, E. & Mittell, J. (n.d.) How to watch television. New Yolk: New Yolk University Press

Full House. (2016). - Series Review and Analysis. Retrieved April 23, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ3zMGcpRoI

Marinucci, M. (2005). Television, Generation X, and Third Wave Feminism: A Contextual Analysis of the Brady Bunch. J Popular Culture, 38(3), 505-524. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-3840.2005.00126.x

Modern Family: (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v ...