Contemporary family-based comedy sitcoms today both reflect and contrast those from those back in the 1960’s and 70’s. All in the Family was one of the first comedic TV shows of its time to present contentious issues from society. More recent shows, such as That 70’s Show, continue to bring forth debatable topics but have also become more accustomed to free speech.
Both shows tend to centralize their comedy on social issues. They touch on subjects such as homosexuality and racism and use those themes to get a point across to the public. For example, the episode played during the screening of All in the Family centered itself on a family’s differing views of a man’s sexual orientation to view issue in a different light. In That 70’s Show, the same thing is done where Eric Foreman’s friend Buddy kisses him, putting both characters in an awkward situation. A few other similar characteristics are that both set in America in the 1970s, and portray the stereotypical family with the old-fashioned, man-of-the-house father.
However, although both sitcoms were set in the same time period, one was actually aired in the 70’s while the other began production in the late 90s and ended in May of 2006. All in the Family took social issues more seriously than the ones presented today. That 70’s Show presents such issues in a lighter sense simply because it is not as “bold” of a statement as it was in previous decades. Also, the main cast of All in the Family was basically white, where That 70’s Show introduced “foreign” characters such as Fez.
Overall, the issues presented in each comedy sitcom are different. All in the Family puts perspective to the social issues previously stated; they are more serious and make the viewer somewhat uncomfortable. That 70’s Show on the other hand, deals with more teen related issues such as freedom of speech, the use of drugs, and relationships between couples and friends.
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