1990s TV

The TV of the 1990s definitely changes from previous decades and is connected to the events of the decade. The sitcoms we watched in class have dirtier jokes than seen in previous decades. In the episode of Seinfeld, one of the plots of the episode revolves around Jerry swearing in front of a child. The word is bleeped out, but it is still clear to the audience which word was said. This language would not have been allowed previously, especially in a show from the 1960s or 1970s, which were all more family oriented shows. Seinfeld and Friends are both about a group of single friends living in the city. Sitcoms of previous decades were more focused on the entire family. This change definitely reflects the cultural changes of the decade. Young people especially are more willing to watch TV that includes sexual content. Also, the subject matter of President Clinton's impeachment made Americans more open to sexual content on TV. The Simpsons included lots of pop culture references throughout the episode, which was interesting to watch. Law and Order was one of the main crime shows of the decade. It is the first series to show both the investigation of a crime and the court process. One thing I noticed about the show is that of the main characters, none of them are female. Both the team of cops and lawyers were all male. Most shows today include female characters, so it speaks to the nature of the television industry that still in the 90s there are shows without female characters.