Representation of the Family in the Media: The 1960's

 

This week we will be looking at how the media has represented the family in television shows. Throughout the week, we will post information on a given decade starting with the 1960’s. As you read, you will be able to see the changes that have been made over time and learn the impact the portrayals have had on family life.

Television shows in the 1960’s marked a time when the family sitcom began slowly moving away from the ideals of the 1950’s. There were still plenty of shows that represented the nuclear family that consisted of the father being the bread winner, the mother a stay at home housewife raising the children, and the children following the rules and never stepping out of line. Shows such as ‘Leave it to Beaver’ were still popular and included stories of white- middle class families that still practiced the racial and ethnic exclusion typically seen in suburban life. It was during this decade that we were able to see the rise of the suburban domestic comedy and shows that revolved around a supernatural “fantastic family”.

The nuclear family was replaced by a ‘counter programming’ trend that involved shows revolving around broken, single parent families. Even though the divorce rate was rising throughout the 60’s, censorship codes demanded that single parent households were not by choice, but were caused by death of the spouse absent from the family. These shows began to dominate the prime time line up along with the supernatural comedies such as ‘Bewitched’ and ‘The Munsters’.

Comparing nuclear vs. fantastic:

A popular show most associate to be the quintessential nuclear family was ‘Leave it to Beaver’ which aired from 1957-1963. Ward and June Cleaver were middle class suburbanites raising their two boys Wallace ‘Wally’ and Theodore ‘Beaver’. Ward was the breadwinner for the Cleaver family and was in charge of decision making and disciplinarian action with the children. June was the ‘dream’ housewife- always caring for the children, doing housework, and fixing dinner every night by the time her husband was home from work. She was able to do all of this while wearing fitted dresses, high heels, and a smile. The children were always polite and rarely got into trouble and when they did, they would always learn an important moral lesson by the end of the 30 min time spot.

‘Bewitched’ first aired in 1964 and was on until it was canceled in 1972. The premise of the show was a witch, Samantha Stevens, trying to live her life as a newlywed free of magic. Though Samantha was portrayed as a housewife, it was often shown that she would initiate and win arguments against her husband Darren. Feminine power is a recurring theme in ‘Bewitched’ and is portrayed prominently with Samantha’s mother, Endora. Endora never liked Darren and was often shown insulting him and casting unfriendly spells on him. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, whether that is because of her dislike of mortals or men, she never let situations change her personality. 

‘Bewitched’ was a prolific show because it dared to show situations in a prime time comedy that were considered taboo before. Samantha and Darren were the first couple in television history to appear in the same bed together. Samantha’s mother and father were openly divorced and often insulting toward one another when put in the same scenes. Racism was also touched upon in multiple episodes. A story, submitted by a tenth grade English class, involved Samantha’s daughter Tabitha and her black friend alter their skin colors so their peers would treat them equally. 

Why do you think television shows began to evolve around non-nuclear families?

Do you think that 'Bewitched' was a stepping stone for future shows to be more daring? 

Why do you think shows revolving around "fantastic" and broken families gained immense popularity during this time?