I Love Lucy, one of the famous television shows of the 1950’s, depicted a zany housewife balancing chores and a growing family intermingled with a series of continuous mishaps. Aside from the show’s entertainment value, the setting provided a sense of cultural critique. In this paper, I explain the presence of patriarchal norms and degradation of female characters in the show in addition to the breaking of societal taboos brought about by the driven post-war era.
A key part in understanding the setting of I Love Lucy is to understand what the values were key in 1950 American society. This post-war era was filled with a rise in suburban living. There was an importance and normality that arose around the idea of a nuclear family and a strong patriarchal dominance in each household. During this time period, there was a shift from the preexistent war era that set the country on a route towards upward mobility. Television became an
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Based on the criteria of these three interpretations, I Love Lucy could arguably be interpreted from a negotiated position. Viewing a text from a negotiated position means, “majority audiences probably understand quite adequately what has been dominantly defined and professionally signified.” (Hall) This viewpoint serves as a middle ground where the audience is accepting and somewhat rejecting the intended coding of the message the text, or in this case, the show. I Love Lucy acknowledges the legitimacy of hegemonic ideals as well as stands for it’s own purpose. It effectively aligns with social norms of the time period like saying “expecting” instead of “pregnant.” Also, the show takes steps in directions that go against what is to be expected. For example, a broken expectation is the presence of interracial marriage as well as women taking a stand and wanting to be a part of the