In the former years of television, especially in the 1970’s, there seemed to be a hoist of sitcoms and TV shows that revolved around working class families. Shows that focus on the working class like The Honeymooners, All in the Family, Sanford & Son, and Roseanne seem to have vanished in recent years. What does this say about modern culture and the kind of lifestyle it promotes? Does this create unrealistic expectations for families viewing at home?
I personally wouldn't say that the way certain families are depicted on sitcoms would set an "expectation," per se. Sitcoms may have changed over the years from focusing on working class families to more "updated" versions to most likely reflect on how certain aspects of society have changed over the years, such as gay marriage being legalized and that more people choose to remain single today. – enizzari8 years ago
The 'typical' TV family seems to be stuck in kind of a weird place, where it's clear that the middle and working classes don't exist the way they used to , like in shows from the 70s - 90s, but at the same time there is a lot of resistance to depicting families that reflect the reality of today, with single parents, same-sex couples, blended families, etc. I should probably note that I'm coming at this from watching a lot of shows more geared towards tweens (my sister is a tween), and those shows seem to really stick to the ideal nuclear family setup. – chrischan8 years ago
This is a rich topic. Our middle class is disappearing, so... – Tigey8 years ago