Analysis of the television series I Love Lucy

¶ … Love Lucy" Analysis

I Love Lucy was an outstanding 1950's sitcom that ultimately supported 1950's non-threatening gender roles. Though the show differed from other 1950's sitcoms in that Lucy was a 40+-year-old physical comedian married to a Cuban, Lucy still supported the mainstream idea that a wife should be happy at home, doing housework and subservient to her husband. Lucy's attempts to leave the mainstream by seeking a career in "show business" against her husband's wishes or seeking a job "outside the home" generally ended in comical disaster and sent the clear message that Lucy and her audience were better off in their traditional gender roles.

Lucy's character is quite a bit like other TV housewives of the 1950s in some respects, yet quite different in other respects. June Cleaver (Gelman, 2012), Kathy Thomas (Plath, Make room for daddy, 2008), Margaret Anderson (Plath, Father knows best (TV series) - DVD review, 2008) and Lucy were all attractive, housebound, knew how to dress attractively, did housework and were subservient to their husbands. Those were supposedly the ideal traits of the 1950's housewife and Lucy often showed that she was a mainstream housewife in those respects. At the same time, Lucy was quite different. For example, Lucille Ball was the only physical comedian: much of the comedy in I Love Lucy was based on her physical comedic skills and willingness to look messy and ridiculous. Lucy also differed in that she had a constant sidekick played by Vivian Vance, who was also a skilled physical comedian and accomplished actress. Lucy was also more ambitious than the other housewives in that she actively sought a career outside her home and sang, danced and performed comedy skits within the show. Finally, Lucy was married to a Cuban rather than a standard white guy, which opened the comedy to additional bits and themes based on Ricky Ricardo's ethnicity.

"I Love Lucy" was very successful during such a conservative time in terms of proper gender representations because the show ultimately upheld those representations: Lucy was within the mainstream in that she was attractive, knew how to dress well, was housebound, did housework and was ultimately subservient to her husband; whenever Lucy and Ethel ventured outside of the mainstream by looking for a job, the results were disastrous and comical; whenever Lucy ventured outside of the mainstream by trying to break into "show business" against Ricky's wishes, the results were disastrous and comical; whenever Ricky and Fred tried to venture outside of the mainstream by doing "women's work" such as housework, the results were disastrous and comical. For example, when Lucy and Ethel go to work in the "Job Switching" episode, they are fired from every job at the candy factory and ultimately end up in a very comical scene at the conveyor belt because they cannot keep up with the fast tempo of regular work (YouTube, 2010). At the same time, Ricky and Fred are completely incompetent and ignorant at all the types of housework shown in that episode, ultimately attempting to boil 4 lbs. Of rice at once in a single pot (YouTube, 2010). I Love Lucy gave a clear message: venture outside of traditional gender roles and the results will be disastrous and comical.