However, I Love Lucy was more than just a show about the domestic life of a middle class family. Lucy pushed the boundaries of the expectations of women at the time of simply staying at home. She took on a job at one point, schemed to make money, and even disguised herself to perform at the club. Lucy also challenged the husband-wife dynamic at the time that enforced male superiority: Lucy often ‘disobeyed’ her husband and did things her own way. Unfortunately, Lucy and her friend Ethel would often end up retreating back to domestic life at the end of each little adventure. There is room for debate as to whether I Love Lucy was conservative or not, but nevertheless, the show was coveted by many.
In terms of the impact I Love Lucy and television had on American culture, the show shaped what women bought in department stores. By October 1952, there were 2800 retailers selling dresses, blouses, sweaters, aprons, pajamas and more inspired by the attire of Lucy. In a month, 30,000 Lucy dresses were sold, along with 32,000 heart-adorned aprons and 35,000 dolls were. Lucy and Ricky pajamas sold out in two weeks. Dolls of the couple flew off the shelf like hot cakes. This new age of television shaped not only the domestic life of Americans, but also their buying habits.
Here is a funny clip of Lucy working at a chocolate factory:
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This was cool to read about, as I had heard of the title of the show but I had never actually watched an episode or even knew the plot. The discussion about whether or not the show conveyed liberal views about women's rights is certainly interesting, but I do not know if I could make a decisions without watching any of the episodes. However, I did some research about Lucille Ball, the actress who played Lucy, and she was certainly a revolutionary figure for women in the film industry. She was the first woman to run a major TV studio, Desilu productions, after she bought out her former husband. Under her leadership, the studio had a major influence on the way TV shows were created and it even produced smash hits such as Star Trek. She was also the first woman to win the International Radio and Television Society's Gold Medal. Also, the merchandise from the show and the sale of Lucy's dresses goes to show that celebrities and pop culture have been shaping our shopping habits since the 1950s! It is just like today where movie stars or "influencers" partner with clothing lines to sell what they supposedly wear as well.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.biography.com/actor/lucille-ball
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/lucille-ball
This was a really interesting blog. I heard Mr. Stewart talk about it but I had no idea it had such a pivotal role in furthering women's rights and challenging the idea of husband-wife dynamic in the 50s. I also found it very interesting that a TV show could have such a huge influence on popular society (people's clothes were inspired by Lucy's fashion). I wrote a blog about American Bandstand and I found that its influence on people's minds was ver similar to that of I Love Lucy. While I Love Lucy changed people's minds about women's roles, American Bandstand changed people's views on rock n' roll. I Love Lucy affected fashion and Bandstand affected they type of music people listened to. Both these shows challenged original ideas about things like music and people's roles in society, helping shape our modern society today.
ReplyDeleteSources:
https://www.pophistorydig.com/topics/american-bandstand1956-2007/
history.com/this-day-in-history/american-bandstand-goes-national
This is a very interesting blog post. I wanted to do some more learning on the awards the show won, since it seems to have been very influential. I learned that the show was nominated and won so many awards. The show and its actors were nominated for a total of over 21 Emmy awards, and the show itself won 5 Emmy Awards. Additionally, in 2012, it was voted as the Best TV Show of All Time in a survey hosted by ABC News and People Magazine. It is clear that this show was a huge influence and was very significant.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Love_Lucy
This is a really topic is really intriguing and it was interesting to read about how large of an impact popular culture has had on American society for decades! However, despite how I Love Lucy challenged the common perceptions of women within domestic roles, there were still many shows that promoted these values. One of them includes the show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, in which Harriet, the mother of the family, seemingly never left the house and acted as an all-purpose mother. This show, running for 14 years, epitomized the ideal of the all-American nuclear family and traditional roles most commonly exercised in 1950s conformist society.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/18/arts/dousing-the-glow-of-tv-s-first-family-time-for-the-truth-about-ozzie-and-harriet.html
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