17 Aug 2022

81

How "I Love Lucy" changed American society

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Academic level: College

Paper type: Essay (Any Type)

Words: 633

Pages: 2

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I Love Lucy is arguably a legendary and favorite situation comedy of all time and has been able to maintain its capability to charm the audience many decades later. The show evidently follows Lucy Ricardo’s life. Arguably, Lucy’s character is unique and different from other housewives on TV. Lucy, as a housewife attempted to break into the show business, defying her husband unlike the majority of the housewives. These housewives are the same in that they showcase exceptional comedic talents to entertain. Most women, throughout the prefeminist television shows, were not presented as being independent and mature. Instead, their identities were firmly interwoven with other people in the family, especially the husbands. In addition to this, these women are often placed in either domestic or private realm and never make it to the public which was believed to be the male world of work. On the hand, Lucy and Ethel have been brought out as being foolish while Ricky and Fred being smart enough to avoid the shenanigans created by the girls. Majority of the housewives were wives and mothers throughout the pre-feminist 1950s, unlike Lucy who was determined to break the long-held patriarchal tradition and views. 

The characters’ of I Love Lucy tried as much not to perpetuate ethnic stereotypes an aspect that made it the most favourite show. As a result of the conservative and ethnic attitudes that were prevalent during that time, the celebrated attribute of the film was the fact that it managed to appeal to a broader audience. It communicated to the majority of the people and secondly, most of the ideas were slightly diluted to ensure that they remained palatable to the majority of the audience. Evidently, the film was a product of the entire conservative era, and this explains its success. The idea that majority of the people loved I Love Lucy made their minds more open to the critical ideas presented. 

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I Love Lucy continued the famous battle that was prevalent between sexes. For instance, Fred and Ricky attempted teaching the girls various lessons. The "Lucy & Ethel" and "Ricky & Fred" teams apparently tried putting both women and men on the equal ground as they schemed against each other. Evidently, this was one of the many ways that Lucy adopted to escape from the submissive image in addition to her aspect of defiance. In addition to this, there was also unvarying yearning to outshine the other sex which seemingly was an indication of changing times and roles that both men and women would held in several years to come. 

Lucy’s character is apparently non-threatening to society at this time based on the fact that her role was a more representation of the conventional roles between men and women as defined by the society as evidence in her attempts to become a star. The prescribed gender roles were determined according to gender; however, there were cases of role reversal. Arguably, this was believed to be the ultimate dream of the majority of the Americans. For instance, there was an instance where Ricky called Lucy stupid, but in another example, there is also a hot wife referring to her husband like an idiot. Such a case of role reversal related to the intelligence and behavior areas could be an indication of a positive women representation. Such a show that employs this dynamic reinforces an idea that has never evolved, and the ideology has been normalized in the present culture that the audience often could not notice. 

I Love Lucy arguably says a lot to the women watching it. For instance, Lucy and Lucille brought out what was believed to be in their lives through being sympathetic to their current struggles but at the same time suggesting that they are in a position to overcome those struggles. The show, within the cultural context particularly at the time of its production, displayed different, progressive qualities related to gender representation. Incomplete opposition to specific gender expectation as formulated by the society, Lucille was the life force of the entire show. Lucille and Lucy’s personas seemingly made the show profoundly empowering example for the majority of the modern women. Its influence apparently has continued to persist today in the manner in which women view gender representation, how they perceive themselves and how they educate each other. 

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StudyBounty. (2023, September 15). How "I Love Lucy" changed American society.
https://studybounty.com/how-i-love-lucy-changed-american-society-essay

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