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Illegitimate Children
In 1957, the amount of illegitimate children given up for adoption rose by 80%. -
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Mary Kay and Johnny
The first sitcom to air was "Mary Kay and Johnny". It ran for 15 minutes and featured original daily scenarios and situations, that would later be emulated in later sitcoms. -
Boycott of Bus Services
Martin Luther King. Jr lead a boycott by the black community on bus services in Montgomery, Alabama after a woman was returning late after a day of work and was too tired to give up her seat to a white man. The boycott entailed that the black community did not use any bus services, instead walking or riding by bicycle. The Supreme Court rule that the isolation of coloured people from white people, was illegal. -
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Poverty
During the mid-1950's 25% of the American population lived beneath the poverty line. -
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The Civil Rights Movement
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The Beats Movement
Participants of the Beats movement was known for experimenting with substances like alcohol, drugs, etc. They believed in the importance of creativity and transcending rules, especially literary. -
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Gender Roles Developed
Gender roles developed post- World War 2. Adults started getting married and having families earlier. There was a pressure to have children and settle down. There was no longer a shortage of men in the workforce. Woman was expected to return to their previous role of being a housewife. This was a regression in gender equality, as having a "male" occupation gave woman a sense of independence and freedom. The ideal American family was white, middle class, the husband was the source of income. -
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Rock & Roll
The rise of Rock & Roll was inspired by the Blues genre of music. It was popular amongst teenagers who adopted it as their anthem of rebellion against the conservative views of older generations. It was also popularised by the the onset of television, and through shows like American Bandstand that each episode featured different bands and singers. -
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Sitcom: I Love Lucy (1951-1957)
"I Love Lucy" featured Lucille Balls as the protagonist Lucy. "I Love Lucy" included some of the common norms associated with the 1950s. However, it also defied some. Controversial topics like sexuality and childbirth were taboo. The female gender role of the time was that where the wife in a family was caretaker of the home. During an episode of "I Love Lucy", Lucy and her best friend Ethel worked in their husbands' factory jobs, while their husband stayed home to take care of the home. -
Breakdown of Schools Segregated by Colour
The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, established in 1910 won a legal battle against segregation in schools that separated kids based on colour and race on 17 May 1954. The first school to enact the act was Little Rock's Central High School. However, only 2% of Southern schools enacted the act. -
Baby Boom
There was a surge in the amount of babies born. 1957 had the highest birth rate since the 1920s. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1957
American congress enforced multiple civil rights acts. -
Trends & Fashion
Clothing was not as secular to different gender. The line separating male and female clothing blurring. Female clothing showed more skin. Leslie Hornsby, a British teenage model's boyish figure became a trend, with girls worldwide trying to imitate her figure after she appeared on the covers of influential fashion magazines. Actress Audrey Hepburn's style of dress was replicated by woman worldwide.
Denim jeans and mini skirts became common clothing items. Mini skirts were considered scandalous. -
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The Hippie Movement
The Hippie movement is characterised by vibrant, tie-dyed clothing, nature, Eastern religious principles, and experimentation in drugs like marijuana and LSD. It originated in the USA and spread through Europe and Australia during the 1960s. The hippie movement was influenced by elements of the earlier beats movement. One of the biggest gatherings was the famous Woodstock Music Festival, half a million people culminated in the masses to celebrate indulgence, a philosophy known as hedonism. -
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Feminism Movement
The feminism movement was being adopted at an increasing as woman were unsatisfied with the roles that society had forced on them. They were unsatisfied with the limitations their roles burdened them with; the expectation of being a domestic caretaker, bear children, getting married young, not having a powerful job. -
Assassination of John. F Kennedy on November 22nd 1963
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Sitcom: Bewitched
'Bewitched" is about a witch named Samantha who is happily married with her unaware husband Darrin Stevens. After her husband finds out, she agrees to stop using her magic in order to become the ideal housewife. It is a reflection of gender roles of the time. Samantha's magic make her a minority; something that must be kept private. This could reference to the many minority groups that were discriminated against during the 1960s and 70s, as racism was viewed as something okay. -
Abolishment of White Australia Act 1901
The White Australia Act 1901 was abolished in 1965. -
Sitcom: I Dream of Jeannie
"I Dream of Jeannie" aired between 1965 and 1970. It was a reflection of gender roles of the time. -
Disappearance of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt
Australian prime minister Harold Holt went missing swimming of the coast of Queensland on December 17, 1967. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King. Jr on April 4th 1968
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Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon on July 20, 1969 at 20:18 UTE (Coordinated Universal Time) on the Apollo 11 aircraft. -
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Sitcom: The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch featured a blended family, opposing the old nuclear family that was common amongst family-centric sitcoms. Mrs Brady was a divorcee, and Mr Brady was a widow. The show was the first to portray the plights of a blended family. The show acknowledges the rising amount of blended families appearing in the wake of post-world war 2, when adults felt pressured to marry young. Inevitably resulting in more divorces as less time was dedicated to developing strong relationships. -
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Sitcom: Cheers
"Cheers" was a sitcom that feature a bar called Cheers based in Boston, Massachusetts that focused on the interactions between a cast of main characters. The series deals with many different issues and topics like addiction, gender rights and homosexuality. "Cheers" was one of the first shows to acknowledge homosexuality in a neutral sense. It used satire for comedic relief. It also featured strong females. -
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Sitcom: The Cosby Show
"The Bill Cosby Show" was the first sitcom to feature an upperclass, educated black family. It portrayed a group of people that for a long time had been ignored in the stead of other types of families that better fitted the ideal family- the main white family with a father, mother and children. It encouraged black people that they too could access opportunities and privileges that were perceived as being exclusive, so it was less a matter of race but on the character of the individual. -
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Sitcom: Seinfield
"Seinfield" is a show that centres around Jerry Seinfield, a smalltime comedian and his group of friends. It is plot driven interspersed with witty, unpredictable dialogue and humour revolving around the cast of characters' interactions with the different complications faced that are often exaggerated. The show does not tackle any major issues. The dress of characters is an indication of the time of its release, featuring many styles and trends like big hair and baggy clothes. -
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Sitcom: Frasiers
"Frasiers" is a spinoff of the sitcom, "Cheers". It follows the life of Frasier Crain, a psychiatrist who moves to Boston to pursue a single life, but is forced to care for his handicapped father, Martin Crain. The show's comedy centres around the interactions between the different characters, mainly Frasier Crain and his brother, Nile Crain. The two share a similar pompous perspective of themselves. The show is quite closeted, and does not reflect major events from the 90's. -
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Sitcom: The Nanny
"The Nanny" is a sitcom based on Fran Fine, a Jewish American that is employed by Maxwell Sheffield, a widowed Hollywood producer, as a nanny for his kids. She contrasts the stereotypical idea of what a nanny is. Her unconventional, down-to-earth personality bring them closer together. The sitcoms displays a common trend, a family that is stretched thin by things like work. It also has a more diverse cast of characters, featuring characters from different religious backgrounds like Judaism. -
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Sitcom: Friends
"Friends" is a sitcom about six 20-30 year old adults who are trying to make a life for themselves in the city of Manhattan. The group of friends were alike to a family. It reflected a change in the understanding of what family was. It was no long isolated to close, blood-related family. It included other forms of relationships. -
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The Vietnam War (1965-1972)
The Vietnam War was fought between communist North Vietnam and democratic South Vietnam as well as their allies. The USA pledged support to South Vietnam and their cause, enlisting her allies including Australia. There was vocal protest against the different allies' involvement in the war. Eventually, Australia revoked their support in 1969.