Compare and contrast representiations of marriage, family, and consumer practices in The Honeymooners and Father Knows Best.
Week 5 Day 2 Discussion Question 4
March 11, 2016 | 1 Comment
Class, Culture, Representation
March 11, 2016 | 1 Comment
Compare and contrast representiations of marriage, family, and consumer practices in The Honeymooners and Father Knows Best.
March 6, 2019 at 10:53 am
The portrayal of marital and family values displayed in “The Honeymooners” and “Father Knows Best” represent post-war middle class in slightly different ways. In the episode “Head of the House,” Jackie Gleason’s character, Ralph, is out to prove that he is the boss of the house. He tries to display his male authority in his goal of being “king” of his wife, Alice, and the consumer items of the house. Alice typically points out his “inadequacies as a provider and consumer” (Sheehan, 375). Thus, their relationship often consists of bickering, although they make up at the end. The lack of children in the show helps to exaggerate the effect of the patriarchal authority within their relationship, as Ralph must show his masculinity by being the king of his wife, rather than the boss of his family. When they are bickering, his physical size adds to the on-screen effect of male dominance.
In “Father Knows Best,” while the post-war patriarchal undertones are explicitly expressed in the title of the show, the values of middle-class masculinity are not as strongly displayed as they are in “The Honeymooners.” Instead of gender role values, the episode “Family Dines Out” places more importance on the middle class values of hard work and the American Dream. Bud learns of how the upper class father made his wealth and tries to emulate him by starting at the bottom and working his way up. The father is proud of his son for taking the initiative of starting the American Dream, saying that anything is possible for those who are willing to work. As for his daughter, Betty, he is disappointed in her for being a “middle-class snob” and being embarrassed about the family’s social position. Throughout the episode, it is clear that the father makes most of the decisions for the family, consistent with 1950s gender roles, but these decisions were usually made for the benefit of the children, even if the parents needed to make sacrifices. The last American value displayed by the episode is the idea that material goods are used to display wealth. In an age of increased consumerism, Betty sees the upperclass family’s willingness and ability to spend on cars, servants, and a large home as something that should be admired. And Bud aspires to be just as successful so he can consume the same type of goods.
In this episode of “The Honeymooners,” the main post-war American value pushed to the forefront is middle-class masculinity displayed by a patriarchal rule over the family and the consumer goods of the home. “Father Knows Best,” however, pushes the values of hard work and the American Dream to amass more wealth and consumer products. In terms of marital relationships, “The Honeymooners” shows a very one-sided relationship dominated by bickering, while “Father Knows Best” shows a relationship that must make sacrifices for the children.