Is escapism good for sitcoms? Why or why not? Which show are good or bad examples? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

george ho · 01-31-2019, 10:03 PM

Reading threads like this one (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...d.php?t=379213) makes me wonder how good escapism is for sitcoms and audiences. Is escapism good and healthy? Why or why not? How much dosage of escapism can a viewer consume? Which sitcoms are good and/or bad examples of escapism?

I thought that the ones from pre-1970s American shows, like Gilligan's Island, I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, and family shows setting in the suburban areas, are good examples of escapism. However, I'm not so sure anymore. Gilligan's Island's premise is repetitive and requires a lot of wit, hilarity, and unpredictability because... the characters have been stuck on the mere island for a long while! The Beverly Hillbillies depicts the rural family struggling to assimilate into the rich but morally bankrupt culture. I Love Lucy, despite having a lot of timeless farce scenes ever produced, has the dated formula that later sitcoms would no longer use and dated depiction about married couples. Maybe I could be wrong about them.

george ho · 02-01-2019, 01:57 AM

Ooh... I always thought that there is only one type of "escapism". Now I learn that there's more than one: honest escapism, dishonest escapism, real escapism, fake escapism, etc. Well, "honest escapism" has examples. What about "dishonest escapism"? How much have we seen it from sitcoms, and what are the examples?

jimpickens · 02-04-2019, 03:12 AM

Gilligan's Island
Lost In Space
The Beverly Hillbillies

01-31-2019, 10:03 PM	#1
george ho Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 19, 2010 Posts: 85	Is escapism good for sitcoms? Why or why not? Which show are good or bad examples? Reading threads like this one (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/...d.php?t=379213) makes me wonder how good escapism is for sitcoms and audiences. Is escapism good and healthy? Why or why not? How much dosage of escapism can a viewer consume? Which sitcoms are good and/or bad examples of escapism? I thought that the ones from pre-1970s American shows, like Gilligan's Island, I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, and family shows setting in the suburban areas, are good examples of escapism. However, I'm not so sure anymore. Gilligan's Island's premise is repetitive and requires a lot of wit, hilarity, and unpredictability because... the characters have been stuck on the mere island for a long while! The Beverly Hillbillies depicts the rural family struggling to assimilate into the rich but morally bankrupt culture. I Love Lucy, despite having a lot of timeless farce scenes ever produced, has the dated formula that later sitcoms would no longer use and dated depiction about married couples. Maybe I could be wrong about them.

02-01-2019, 01:57 AM	#2
george ho Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 19, 2010 Posts: 85	Ooh... I always thought that there is only one type of "escapism". Now I learn that there's more than one: honest escapism, dishonest escapism, real escapism, fake escapism, etc. Well, "honest escapism" has examples. What about "dishonest escapism"? How much have we seen it from sitcoms, and what are the examples?

02-04-2019, 03:12 AM	#3
jimpickens Member Senior Member Join Date: Nov 01, 2007 Location: weston,wv Posts: 1,389	Gilligan's Island Lost In Space The Beverly Hillbillies