I Love Lucy Gender Structure

As Mittell discusses in chapter six, television genres can be defined in a myriad of ways. Television programs can be defined by narrative structure, genre conventions and by programming time, to name a few. But as Mittell argues, genres can also be defined as cultural categories that are dependent on context in which it was made (239). The importance of dominant ideologies and viewing practices in determining genre can be seen by looking at how the police procedural drama, Hawaii 5-0 and the traditional domestic sitcom, I Love Lucy, fits into their established genres. From its beginnings in 1968, Hawaii 5-0, is a popular police procedural drama. Rebooted in 2010, the series follows Detectives Steve McGarret, Danny Williams, Chin Ho Kelly

I Love Lucy follows Lucy and her husband Ricky in daily life. Oftentimes, the episode will center on a central conflict between Lucy and Ricky. One of the biggest aspects of this domestic sitcom is the fact that it reinforced dominant ideologies about gender, femininity, and masculinity. Lucy’s portrayal in I Love Lucy as a housewife, who does domestic chores, as evidenced by her dress, apron and the fact that she is responsible for a majority of the chores in household like the laundry and cooking reinforces dominant ideas of femininity and gender by implying that women are responsible for the house. The same reinforcement of dominant gender ideologies can be seen in the portrayal of Ricky, who goes to work, earns money and is the “head of the house,” reinforcing the dominant idea that men should be masculine by being the breadwinners of the home. Even in episodes where Lucy is portrayed differently, such as “Job Switching,” where Lucy and Rico agree switch gender roles for a week, the episode still ends with Lucy and Ricky reprising their original gender roles and maintaining the status quo. In addition, the domestic sitcom also takes place in the house as opposed to a more public venue. In I Love Lucy, the show’s main setting is the couple’s house, usually in the living room. Since a majority of the show’s time is spent there, there is intimacy between the characters and the show’s audiences. The audience members get to see the various activities and shenanigans of Lucy and Ricky, and gives the audience a glimpse into their day to day activities creating a sense of closeness with the characters. The intimacy of the setting make the conflicts of the episode more relatable than those in Hawaii 5-0, because the domestic sitcom has to appeal to a wide variety of people, so choosing topics that individuals can relate to, whether it’s