Re: meade waxes nostalgic for the 1950s (at least as they were portrayed on I Love Lucy)
Posted by:
Steve Urkel
()
Date: February 21, 2021 10:09PM
Reseacher Wrote:
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> I remember Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Researcher Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Interesting Meade chose the Donna Reed Show
> as
> > an
> > > example. I will give it to Meade, he is
> right,
> > > but for the wing reasons, and a racist
> > > motivation.
> > > Let me explain.
> > >
> > > In the 1950s and into the 1960s, the
> depiction
> > of
> > > work in television suburbs was sectioned off
> > > according to family members. While the
> suburban
> > > dream emphasized a homogeneous definition of
> > the
> > > family, domestic architecture was set-up to
> > > display class Attributes and reinforce
> > > gender-specific functions of domestic
> > > space-fathers worked outside of the house,
> > mothers
> > > on the inside.
> > >
> > > In real life, as well as In television, the
> > > suburban model was based on a white,
> > middle-class
> > > family, whose fathers/husbands worked outside
> > of
> > > the house earning the sole income, and
> > > mothers/wives worked from the inside of the
> > house
> > > maintaining a high functioning, uniform
> > domestic
> > > front. An additional area of work existed
> that
> > > included employees hired from the outside, by
> > the
> > > family, to work on the inside. In this
> channel
> > of
> > > employment, different classes and races
> gained
> > > entrance into this otherwise exclusive world.
>
> > >
> > > Historically, the relationship between the
> > suburb
> > > and race, specifically African-Americans and
> > > Anglo-Americans, both on and off television,
> > has
> > > been a strained and evolving one. During the
> > 1950s
> > > and 1960s, purchasing a home in the suburbs
> was
> >
> > > difficult for non-white families. Loan
> > > applications, accepted if submitted by
> whites,
> > > were
> > > rejected when filed by black families of
> > similar
> > > standing whose backgrounds were carefully
> > > screened to make sure they were in fact
> members
> > of
> > > the middle-class.
> > >
> > > Furthermore, in many communities where
> > non-white
> > > families were allowed residency, They were
> not
> > > permitted to buy houses adjacent to each
> other
> > in
> > > an effort to keep one family of color per
> block
> > > and were often sold lots that bordered on the
> > > edges of the Community as a way to isolate
> > these
> > > households.
> > >
> > > The American suburb/city split, in its
> > formative
> > > years, was acutely influenced by
> > > a desire of some to enforce racial separatism
> > and
> > > exclusion. The FHA was key in insuring
> > > the all-white demographics of such
> > neighborhoods
> > > making these practices more public
> > > policy then just personal opinion.
> > >
> > > White-flight from cities to suburbs,
> > > was in many ways a rejection not only of
> urban
> > > living, but also of the communities of
> > > color that inhabited those metropolises. The
> > goals
> > > of this utopian
> > > ideal would not benefit everyone: An ideal
> > white
> > > and middle-class home life was a
> > > primary means of reconstituting and
> > resocializing
> > > the American family after World War
> > > II. By defining access to property and home
> > > ownership within the values of the
> > > conventionalized suburban family, women and
> > > minorities were guaranteed economic and
> > > social inequality. Racial (white) homogeneity
> > was
> > > part of the perk in
> > > selling the suburban American Dream to
> > potential
> > > residents, and its exclusionary
> > > philosophies were part of the reality of the
> > > racist American Nightmare.
> > >
> > >
> > > In real life suburbia was easily reflected on
>
> > > television, there were no people of color in
> > those
> > > communities off-screen, there would
> > > be none on-screen as well. The most popular
> > > programs depicting these neighborhoods,
> > > such as Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver
> > and
> > > The Donna Reed Show, had no significant black
> > > character roles.
> > >
> > > Overall, portrayals of people of color were
> > few
> > > and far
> > > between during the early years of television
> > > programming, particularly rare was the
> > > depiction of non-white families ( other than
> > > "Bula," and "Amos and Andy," and we can get
> to
> > > those later. There were no Black actors ever
> > on
> > > the Donna Reed Show, and Leave it to Beaver
> had
> > > one line spoken by a black maid for its six
> > season
> > > run. There were no Blacks on Father Knows
> > Best,
> > > but a Mexican gardener was featured twice.
> >
> >
> > a young Greg Morris on "Dick Van Dyke Show",
> only
> > Black I recall on that show. Sammy Davis Jr on
> > the "Rifleman" showing off his gun handling
> > abilities, Sammy had the fastest most accurate
> > draw in Hollywood. The "Goldbergs", a early
> > situation comedy about a Jewish Family was
> > popular. Adventures of Boston Blackie was
> popular
> > but he was white. Most Black actors in
> Hollywood
> > would be used just as extras in Tarzan movies
> as
> > natives; or as train or toilet attendants,
> > servants, slaves, roles like that..
>
> My point was about suberbia and the White family
> as depicted on TV in the 1950's.
>
> In the 1960's, we were given a few new shows with
> Black stars, "Julia" being the first to Star a
> Black woman. But it wasn't until the 1970's when
> we were given a show about a Black family with
> both a father and a mother (Good Times).
>
> For Meade to celebrate a time and a place that
> didn't exist, and believe he was supposed to be
> part of it, is saddening. And, by the way, the
> daughter on the show was an entitled self centered
> bitch who showed no emotion toward anyone but
> herself.
>
> To Meade's disappointment Donna Reed left the
> Republican Party after 1964, was a strong anti war
> activist, and supported Engine Mccarthy in 1968.
Please donate to Paul Petersons' A Little Consideration Charity. Charity was organized by former Donna Reed Show Star Peterson to assist kids who were popular in entertainment but just fizzled out, like Danny Bonaduce, the cast from such shows as "Who's the Boss" and "Mickey Mouse Club:. Kids that lost their popularity.