RetroVision: How America's Iconic Sitcoms Reflect & Yet Subvert Contemporary Norms

Television—like all other artforms—is informed by historical context; furthermore, comedy is a centuries-old medium that has used humor to uniquely convey messages to audiences. The synthesis of these elements via the situational comedy (sitcom) presents a historical lens to view the evolution of America’s societal values, especially those formed in the context of major global events. As products of their eras, the most popular American sitcoms throughout history act as a reflection of the nation’s ideals through the comedic subversion of norms. Measures of audience and critical acclaim identified the quintessential sitcoms of each decade and their three best episodes for an investigation of commentary of American values of their respective eras. Analysis suggests that many iconic sitcoms throughout the ages have used their platform to make statements on hot-button issues of the time, using comedy to portray topical issues in a more palatable way. By disarming the audience through laughter, viewers become more receptive to serious messages implied by the episode. The research presented here has implications for future endeavors; the world is living through another major historical event (the COVID-19 pandemic), so any evidence of an effect on this facet of national culture will be worthy of analysis