I chose the I Love Lucy episode “Job Switching” (links at the bottom of the page for the episode on YouTube), in which Lucy and Ethel switch “jobs” with Ricky and Fred. In the episode, Ricky complains that Lucy overdrew her account again and does not understand the hard work in supporting a household. Lucy argues back that Ricky does not understand that her role as a housewife is also a job and hard work, and that she is just not paid for it. The men and women make a bet that they will switch jobs, and that the women will go out in the work field and the men will stay home and take care of the house. This famous episode ends with Lucy and Ethel working in a chocolate factory, and eating loads of chocolate in order to keep their work area clean.
I will make the students watch the episode, and then give them a brief background in to the history of the show and the time in which it was originally created and aired. Even though this show is overtly depicting traditional gender roles, the class will most likely be quite surprised to learn that Lucy was a feminist in her time. She was the first woman to have the starring role in a sitcom. Additionally, Ricky was one of the first immigrant actors to also have a starring role. This would most likely surprise the students after viewing the episode.
While the show was innovative for its time in many ways, it is obviously still reinforcing the traditional gender roles that society was expecting. Lucy and Ethel are housewives, who when they try and get a job in the mainstream work force, are either not qualified for many positions or (as the episode shows) fail at the positions they are given. Similarly, Ricky and Fred are shown as incapable of doing “women’s” work. The show is warning us, that if we do not follow our specific gender roles (men supporting the household while women keep the house clean), then severe chaos and destruction will ensue. The comedy of this show reinforces the absurdity of thinking women are capable of doing men's jobs and men are not fit to do women's' jobs.
Additionally, this show reinforces class and socioeconomic status as significant factors in classifying our roles in society. This show assumes that every family can afford to live in New York City with the man working and the woman staying home (which is most clearly not accurate). Furthermore, this specific episode shows that when you do not have the talent or education to do high-status and high paying jobs, you end up working in a factory (there are no other options for “unqualified” individuals).
For my class, I will give them a work sheet that has three columns. The column on the left will have “observation”, in which they write an observation that they notice as either gender determined and motivated or class determined or motivated. In the middle column will be “evidence”, they will write what evidence the characters, setting, props, dialogue, etc reinforce their observation and make it clear to the audience. Finally, in the right column, they will write their reaction to this and how it makes them feel to see these roles played out in a sitcom. Do they agree with this observation/role, or does it make them mad and why.
This activity could be taken further by then showing them a clip of a modern day sitcom, such as “Modern Family” or “Two-and-a-half Men”. I would have them fill out the same worksheet and pay attention to the same aspects. They could compare the two sitcoms (one from the past and one from the present) and discuss the similarities and differences. Has our society evolved to a more equal place for gender and class division? Has it stayed the same? Or has it become worse in their opinion. I think this could make them think critically as to how TV has evolved in relation to these different and important approaches and where and how they think TV will continue to evolve.
"Job Switching" Part 1/3
"Job Switching" Part 2/3
"Job Switching" Part 3/3
Can you possibly send me the worksheet you use for this?
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