How men were treated in classic sitcoms

throwAway_MensRights · 2023-11-06T20:30:52+00:00

Yes watch them all the time, and that's not the takeaway I get at all.

For example the entire premise of the I Love Lucy episode was that Lucy and Ethel wanted equal rights for some things and wanted to be treated better in other areas. Essentially what women today want. Equal rights when they want and pedestal when they want.

They had to open their own doors, light their own cigarettes, get their own coats, they did not order first at the restaurant, and they had to split the bill. This was a perfect, albeit 1950's safe sitcom way, of explaining exactly the hypocrisy that some women were trying to fight for at the time. All benefit and no downside and the episode showed how stupid and unfair it was.

Remember Lucy owned that show. She owned the studio, she owned the production, she was the star. Desi was great in his own rights but a huge womanizer and not great at business. Lucy was the brains of the outfit and the episodes were hers. She was a strong, independent, fiercely intelligent woman that understood and appreciated her privilege in society.

The episodes show a relatively traditional-esque view that stands up today. The man works and supports his wife and kids. All the money that comes in goes into the family books and the wife is in charge of spending whatever she wants on whatever she wants as long as she's not bad at budgeting, which are other episodes. Ricky is in charge of work and his job comes first as that puts bacon on the table. The exchange to that is Lucy is in charge of the social aspects of the house. This was the societal contract and agreed upon. Most of the time they do what Lucy wants. Some of the time they do what Ricky wants. When Ricky has to pack up and perform in Europe, it isn't a discussion or blackmail episode. He's going, and she can come if she figures out how not to be a financial drain. When Ricky has to go to the other side of the country for work, again, Lucy follows as is expected.

The Dick van Dyke show is similar. Man works, woman and child are supported. His work comes first, she manages the home and finances. She's overly emotional wreck often, but that's the point being an over the top sitcom. Sally is an independent woman and does what she wants, but really she wants a family as well.

I think these are great shows that show the ups and downs of a more traditional social contract.

Title	How men were treated in classic sitcoms
Author	italianbro89
Upvotes	8
Comments	1
Date	November 6, 2023 4:59 PM UTC (2 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/17p7b7a/how_men_were_treated_in_classic_sitcoms/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/how-men-were-treated-in-classic-sitcoms.1237479 https://theredarchive.com/post/1237479

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