Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Core 1: The Goldbergs (1949-1957) vs. The Goldbergs (2013-Present)

After reading Lipsitz, I realized there is a current show called The Goldbergs, which is not a reboot of the 1949 show. Both shows follow a Jewish family in different eras with a few similarities between them, especially the placement of women in a domestic space and the connection to the era in which the show is set. Lipsitz in his article says "the focus on the family in early network television situation comedies involved a special emphasis on mother" (83). Molly Goldberg is the matriarch of the family and works to make everyone happy. She's comfortable in the domestic realm she's placed in and is uncomfortable outside of that realm as seen in last week's episode. Molly's Goldberg friendly and happy face while advertising at the beginning also draws in the audience. In comparison the current Goldbergs, set in the 80s, the mother, Beverly, is just as domestic as Molly Goldberg in the 50s. She has a lot of control as the matriarch, but for a show set in the 80s she still portrays the domesticity of women. This is interesting because the feminist movement began in the 60s and 70s to continue the fight against the social and cultural placement of women. To see a woman still in the domestic space and not being forced to be in that space shows how many women in family sitcoms are still being placed in the home.

Lipsitz also points out that shows centered around working-class settings burdened with the contradictions of the community (93). Many controversial topics relating to the era like consumer issues, housing, and unions were discussed in the 1949 show. Sitcoms of the era could be comedic but also were politically aware through different topics brought up on the show. The current Goldbergs goes about its reference of the 80s in a different way. The 2013 Goldbergs mainly makes references to popular culture of the era like the rubix cube and films like The Goonies, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It brings up a different kind of memory and reality for those born in the 80s than the 1949 Goldberg's does by talking about current issues. Both shows are similar but also quite different which could be because of the time in which the shows are produced. Regardless, there's still a continuance of women domesticity and memory of the era that both shows are set in.

No comments:

Post a Comment