Since we are currently looking at a little bit of history of women’s
rights in America, I decided to share this video I stumbled upon on YouTube
which aired on ABC in 1966 known as The Newlywed Game. In this game couples
that are newly married answer a serious of questions to determine whether or
not the couples know each other. While a very entertaining show, I couldn't
help but notice some gender related issues. This first video was aired in
the beginnings of the show and it even includes the commercials. Notice the
types of questions they ask and how the wives answer. Also look at the gifts
the participants receive according to their gender. Lastly examine the types of
products being sold and who are selling them in the commercials. NOTICE: The videos are a bit lengthy but I can assure you they are fun to watch!
My favorite part was when the host asked the wives: “What is one of the
most exerting things your husbands do around the house?” The first women to
answer said housework then the host immediately asked, “You make him do
housework?” When the husband came back out and heard her answer he immediately
exclaimed “What, I don’t do housework!” This same man was one of the most
sexist men out of all four and he was also the one to least know what his wife
would say.
Concerning the commercials, my favorite one was the Woodbury soap
commercial where the man is talking about his wife and how much she loves this
soap, instead of the wife expressing this herself. However, the only thing she
did say was said in a very sensual tone.
After watching this video, I then got caught up watching another episode
of this same game show but this time aired in 1998, thirty-two years later. It
is very interesting to see the tremendous differences between these two
episodes, not only in the style of the show but even down to how the couples
talk to each other. In the first episode the couples don’t even talk to each
other at all. Also, notice how mostly all the questions were somehow sexually
related, where in the first episode not one sort of question comes up.
Well, I hope you enjoyed going down history lane for a little bit and
enjoying some classic T.V. I also hope you saw many more sex and gender issues
going on these game shows, since I only pointed out a couple. I am including two
more videos of the same show, one aired in the 1970’s and the other in the 1980’s
if you wanted to explore the change couples in America were experiencing. This
post just proves to show that everything I now see and do is somehow
gender related.
This show was really fun to watch. I agree with you, Jezirey and Jayla that in '98 the newlywed show, the couples interact with each other than the other newlywed show from the 60s. One part of the '98 newlywed show that caught my attention was when the host asks the husband after getting the wrong answer, "Are you afraid of your wife?" the husband replies that he should be afraid of her on their way home, while the wife was saying "he should be". I think that no wife would have said that to her husband in a show in the 60s, but in today's society women can express themselves and say what they think.
ReplyDeleteWow, I found the first episode problematic within the first 48 seconds! Apparently one of the couples cut their honeymoon short because the husband wanted his new wife’s home-cooked veal? Yuck. This fact is meant to be seen as a funny little quirk of his, but I feel sorry for the wife who is dragged home from her Hawaii vacation to make a meal for her husband! And how about that poor woman who predicted her husband would rate her sex appeal a one out of ten? (The same husband who “stares openly at beautiful women” in front of his wife).
ReplyDeleteI can’t believe these men feel (or at least act like they feel) that doing simple tasks around the house is so exerting. I have a feeling that, being on television, these men (and women) did their best to conform to the gender roles that were deemed appropriate at the time. Like we discussed last class, there wasn’t much wiggle room in those days when it came to gender roles. I also thought it was funny that one of the husbands got defensive when it was implied that he participated in the couple’s housework as if he was being accused of something.
It’s nice to see that there are big differences between the episode from the 60s and the episode from the 90s, even if the show itself is a little silly. At least, in the more recent one, the couples seem less stiff, talk to each other, and aren’t all white.
Both Newlywed Game episodes were very funny to watch. I like the second episodes better because the couples interact more with each like Jezirey and Jayla pointed out. I like the part where husband got the wrong answer and the wife tried to hit him with a pillow. They are playing with each other. Women now a days can do play with their husbands this way but in the 1960's women would simply not play this way. My favorite part of the 1960's episode is when the host of the show ask on a scale of 1 to 10 how would you husband rate your sexuality? The wife respond 1. When the husband came back he replied 10. I thought that was very hilarious. This couple does not know each other very well.
ReplyDeleteBoth Newlywed Game episodes were very funny to watch. I like the second episodes better because the couples interact more with each like Jezirey and Jayla pointed out. I like the part where husband got the wrong answer and the wife tried to hit him with a pillow. They are playing with each other. Women now a days can do play with their husbands this way but in the 1960's women would simply not play this way. My favorite part of the 1960's episode is when the host of the show ask on a scale of 1 to 10 how would you husband rate your sexuality? The wife respond 1. When the husband came back he replied 10. I thought that was very hilarious. This couple does not know each other very well.
ReplyDelete