Feminism in the 60’s
There was a wave of feminism in television in 60s sitcoms. Such shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, and Bewitched showed women at jobs outside of the home, being powerful without needing their husbands, or even having more power than their husbands (Napikoski). This wave of feminism made television audiences at home consider the role of women outside of cleaning the home and taking care of the kids. The 60s were an important time for women. The feminist movement in the 60s examined issues such as birth control, equal pay rights, and ending domestic violence. These issues were reflected on television. The question is, is television following societal trends, or starting them?
There was a wave of feminism in television in 60s sitcoms. Such shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, and Bewitched showed women at jobs outside of the home, being powerful without needing their husbands, or even having more power than their husbands (Napikoski). This wave of feminism made television audiences at home consider the role of women outside of cleaning the home and taking care of the kids. The 60s were an important time for women. The feminist movement in the 60s examined issues such as birth control, equal pay rights, and ending domestic violence. These issues were reflected on television. The question is, is television following societal trends, or starting them?
As time progressed, we started seeing more and more strong and independent women on television. There are shows, such as Roseanne that portray women as being loud, in charge, and in control. There are also shows like Futurama where one of the lead characters, Leila, is a strong television heroine. Often times, these women are seen as a positive image for all women; however, there are shows that still portray women as inferior, dumb, and simply as a sexual object. It is disturbing how much these images are now being replicated on television, especially with the emergence of "reality tv".