Bianculli, D. (2016). The platinum age of television: From I Love Lucy to The Walking Dead, how TV became terrific. Anchor.
Mittell, J. (2010). Television and American culture. New York: Oxford University Press
Watch a situation comedy that includes at least one adult working woman in a major role (housework or office or other types of work all can count as work). Consult Bianculli on Family Sitcoms, Workplace Sitcoms, Splitcoms, or Single Working Women Sitcoms.
Here are some good specific choices of classic sitcom episodes that say something about race, class, or gender:
• The Honeymooners, “A Woman’s Work is Never Done”
• Mary Tyler Moore “Love is All Around”
• Seinfeld “The Cigar Store Indian”
• Friends “The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant”
• All in the Family “Meet the Bunkers”
• The Jeffersons “A Friend in Need”
• The Simpsons “Scenes from the Class Struggle”
• black-ish “Pilot”
After you watch, complete the following for your initiating post:
1. Explain which episodes of which shows you watched, and briefly outline the plot.
2. Please quote and correctly cite the assigned Mittell or Bianculli readings in at least one of your postings.
3. Find a critical online essay from the ESU Library on gender, race, or class and a specific show or genre—and incorporate that into one of your posts. [Link to it using a permanent link.
