The influence of family sitcoms

September 5, 2002

The Influence of Television Sitcoms

The family sitcom is one of the main types of Television shows that has an influence on family roles, customs, and values. The effects and power of Television is tremendous. The responsibility of Television sitcoms is an important one. Directors of such programs should be conscious of the fact; what they produce can have a lasting effect on society as a whole.
The children in many of today’s sitcoms struggle through the typical worries of fitting in, peer pressure, and issues associated with single family homes or re-marriages. Sitcoms have re-shaped the ideals of the “normal” American family and brought about the gradual decline of morals and values.
One of the first sitcoms to portray the model American family was Leave It to Beaver. In Leave It to Beaver, the family consisted of a working father, a housewife, and two boys. The lives of these boys, Beaver and Wally Cleaver, is centered on l...