Things they did on older sitcoms that would never happen on today's sitcoms

[shocolah]

1. Any wife calling her husband "sir" (I Love Lucy)

2. Man having total control, and that's the way it is because "he" said so (I Love Lucy, Bewitched and sometimes, All in the Family...and many others).

3. Andy telling Aunt Bea that she is not allowed to wear a wig. What business of that is his?



On some of the newer shows, like Roseanne, the house is not always spotless. But I remember on Bewitched once that Samantha twitched the living room and kitchen to be a total disaster when she wanted to get rid of a new maid she hired (not Esmerelda).

[Jimbo]

How about the following:

Ralph Kramden waving his fist in the air while shouting "One of these days, Alice bang! zoom! straight to the Moon!"

- The National Organization of Woman, and other women's groups, would demand that the program be cancelled immediately because it promotes violence against women. Jackie Gleason's career would be over.

Lucy Ricardo making fun of Ricky's Cuban accent.

- the self appointed "Political Correctness" police would be all over this one. They'd be shouting about racism to anyone who would listen. The network would be forced to issue a public apology. Desilu would be required to make a sizeable donation to some charity or organization in order to prove they were genuinely sorry about the incident. Half of the show's writing staff would be fired, and the other half would be required to attend "sensitivity training".

[Janice]

Originally posted by Jimbo
How about the following:
Lucy Ricardo making fun of Ricky's Cuban accent.

- the self appointed "Political Correctness" police would be all over this one. They'd be shouting about racism to anyone who would listen. The network would be forced to issue a public apology. Desilu would be required to make a sizeable donation to some charity or organization in order to prove they were genuinely sorry about the incident. Half of the show's writing staff would be fired, and the other half would be required to attend "sensitivity training".

This is very true Jimbo. I've never seen the episodes, but on the I Love Lucy message board, there's a discussion about Ricky 'spanking' Lucy.
That would go over big today.

[Chocoholic]

Originally posted by shocolah

2. Man having total control, and that's the way it is because "he" said so (I Love Lucy, Bewitched and sometimes, All in the Family...and many others).

Nowadays, it's the wife who has total control because the husband acts like another child

Anyway, good points on the others.

[Arfies]

quote:
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Originally posted by shocolah

2. Man having total control, and that's the way it is because "he" said so (I Love Lucy, Bewitched and sometimes, All in the Family...and many others).

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Here's a bit of an answer to that, for Bewitched anyway:

DiSPELLing the Myths

[Warm & Fuzzy]

Originally posted by tvthemes88
make you laugh?????

I have to agree with you there. Current sitcoms are just not as funny as good ol' classic ones...

[Jimbo]

Originally posted by Janice

This is very true Jimbo. I've never seen the episodes, but on the I Love Lucy message board, there's a discussion about Ricky 'spanking' Lucy.
That would go over big today.

Janice:

I remember seeing that episode and thinking the same thing (I can't recall particular story line of that one).

There was another episode in which, early in the program, Ricky threatened to hit Lucy (as Fred and Ethel were standing there). A little bit later, Lucy bumped into something, giving her a black eye. When Fred and Ethel saw her, they assumed Ricky followed through on his threat. I did not like that one at all - that to me is not humorous.

I want to make it very clear that I do not in any way condone violence against women. When Ralph Kramden shakes his fist at Alice, nobody believes that he's really going to hit her. Whenever he threatens to send her "to the moon", she just stands there, looks him in the eye, and comes right back at him with a putdown of her own. Because they've always kept it in that context, I don't have a problem with "The Honeymooners".

[dawsongirl]

A husband insisting his wife stay at home and not get a job for various, usually sexist, reasons.

[TVgen62]

Originally posted by Janice
I've never seen the episodes, but on the I Love Lucy message board, there's a discussion about Ricky 'spanking' Lucy.

Originally posted by Jimbo


Janice:
I remember seeing that episode and thinking the same thing (I can't recall particular story line of that one).

Pardon me while I go a bit The "I Love Lucy" episode where Ricky spanks Lucy was one of the "bet" episodes: Lucy bets Ricky that she can resist buying a hat longer than Ricky can keep from losing his temper.

Actually, there was another one where Lucy accepts a minor part in Ricky's show. He serenades her while she sits at a balcony. While he sings to the audience (his back to Lucy), she does a little magic act (with an assist from Fred). If I forgot any, I'm sure someone will remind me.

I'll try to post something NOT a little later. Meanwhile, thanks for putting up with me.

[TJL]

I love that on old sitcoms Dads were always wore slacks and ties - even when hanging around reading the paper!
And I won't get inot the formalwear the Moms wore while doing the daily chores!

[Montclave]

I'd have to say how Beaver walks all over town alone.

[DarleneIllyria]

I don't really watch many current sitcoms, so pardon me if I get this one wrong. In the 70s you had these out spoken characters like Archie Bunker, George Jefferson, Fred Sanford etc. The viewer could tell how much of a bigot Archie was by the way he talked about all minorities. I'm sure everybody has seen at least one ep of 'All in the Family' so I guess you guys know what I'm saying.

Let's pretend for a second that AITF wasn't on in the 70s. Picture the idea being pitched to a network in the year 2002. First few episodes air and the viewers hear Archie and see his bigot ways. That show would be off in a flash because it would offend so many people. It was groundbreaking in the 70s but I doubt it'd last in 2002. jmo

[Stormtracker TF]

Originally posted by tvthemes88
make you laugh?????

Yep.

[Kitt]

Originally posted by Jenny
I don't really watch many current sitcoms, so pardon me if I get this one wrong. In the 70s you had these out spoken characters like Archie Bunker, George Jefferson, Fred Sanford etc. The viewer could tell how much of a bigot Archie was by the way he talked about all minorities. I'm sure everybody has seen at least one ep of 'All in the Family' so I guess you guys know what I'm saying.

Let's pretend for a second that AITF wasn't on in the 70s. Picture the idea being pitched to a network in the year 2002. First few episodes air and the viewers hear Archie and see his bigot ways. That show would be off in a flash because it would offend so many people. It was groundbreaking in the 70s but I doubit'dlast in 2002. jmo

All in the Family didn't go over well with the network execs back then either. The public liked it so that was that. Most of the so called offensive things that have been mentioned so far would be excepted today just as they were then. The stab at political correctness is just not the way it works out. Sitcoms and shows like Saturday Night Live make everyone and everything fair game. And if anyone gets upset about it, it's usually the religious right crowd. not the so called politically correct crowd.

[egregiousgirl]

And if anyone gets upset about it, it's usually the religious right crowd. not the so called politically correct crowd.

That's often true, but I still think the PC police would have a fit with All in the Family. Archie was such a bigot, but the show was meant to make fun of people like him. However, I know of a lot of people who loved Archie and everything he said (yikes!). Nowadays he'd probably be too much of an icon for bigots like him for All in the Family to have a chance.