That 70s Show Analysis

The “That ‘70s Pilot” episode of That ‘70s Show was written by Mark Brazill, Terry Turner, and Bonnie Turner. It depicts a group of friends interacting and entertaining each other in a mid-70s small suburban environment. In the most part, the pilot captures a wide range of real ‘70s customs and traditions, according to individuals that experienced the ‘70s. This includes factors like: speech, technology, character, clothing, music, etc. In other words, That ‘70s Show performed an excellent job of illustrating the ‘70s lifestyle.
In terms of speech and community, the pilot recycled phrases or terms that were typically used in the ‘70s. In the episode, the word “groovy” was mentioned several times. According to a women who grew up in the ‘70s: “Donna, I felt, used words that were accurate at that time. We would say "killer" a lot. In terms of things that were relatable” (“Our Parents….”). The show also provides distinct and diverse events that were controversial during the time of the supposed setting. For example: Eric’s mother, Kitty mentioned the “gas crisis” (“That ‘70s Pilot”). “During the early 1970s, an oil embargo made gasoline prices skyrocket to over 50 cents per gallon” (“13 Times….”). This crisis,

However, this was never always the case in the ‘70s. In the episode, Eric’s father was throwing a party, he was talking and entertaining the guests, while his wife was cooking for them. In a later episode, the show portrays gender roles in the ‘70s. In the episode, Donna defeats Eric in a basketball match, Eric then feels embarrassed that he lost to a woman, the camera then turns to show Eric in a dress. According to an article: “The show is telling the audience that Eric is not a real man because he lost to a girl” (Jordklein). In addition, it also shows that men believe they should be superior to women in multiple cases. This could be a reason why protests for women’s rights around this