Traditional Family Values In The 1950's

America’s familial values have evolved over time in order to allow the new found societal norms to take place, but haven’t exactly changed. Even though this country is in a completely different place than it was in the 1950’s somehow these stubborn ideals have endured the test of time, like how women belong in the kitchen taking care of the children and men provide for the family, or how divorce is frowned upon even when a majority of marriages end in separation or divorce. 1950 was a tough time for the United States and during this time a sparkle of comedic gold appeared that went by the name of I Love Lucy, similarly in 2009 the end of the Great Recession another nugget of genius showed up, Modern Family. While these shows came about out of two very different points in times and in two very different ways, both strived to achieve the same goal, to show America that being normal is okay and open up the minds of those who are caught up in the outdated traditional family values.
The sitcoms main character, Lucy, was a woman who didn’t want to fit into the molds of the 1950s; she didn’t want to be a homemaker, disobeyed her husband, and Lucille Ball (the main character Lucy) even appeared on the show pregnant! All these things were virtually unheard of during that time period on television yet somehow the show managed to get away with them. I Love Lucy pushed societal boundaries with the first on screen interethnic relationship, something that was so taboo it almost cost them the show, yet it still managed to become one of the most popular television shows of the 50’s. By addressing issues in a light humorous manner, Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnez managed to both reflect the values of the time period and push entertainment and societal