There has been a trend in sitcoms where the man, or husband, is a complete idiot. When did this trend start?
Was it Home Improvement? Since then, there have been many sitcoms where the male plays the subservient role.
Everybody Loves Raymond, According To Jim, King Of Queens and many others portray the woman in the
dominant role. It's not wrong to think the woman runs the household, hell, my life would be in shambles if it weren't
for my wife, but to portray the male role a bumbling buffoon is ludicrous. I mean, come on, these guys in the sitcoms
can't even put their pants on without help from their wives. Why did the writers feel a need to make the male leads
incredibly stupid? I know they are just out for laughs but do they have to give every male lead the common sense of
a garden slug?

Good observation.

I believe it either started with Jack Tripper in Three's Company or ALF.  LOL.

Seriously, it may be a recent phenomenon to turn women onto sitcoms?  Perhaps women watch more TV and/or guys are too dumb to realize that the guys on the shows are idiots.

Good observation.

I believe it either started with Jack Tripper in Three's Company or ALF.  LOL.

Seriously, it may be a recent phenomenon to turn women onto sitcoms?  Perhaps women watch more TV and/or guys are too dumb to realize that the guys on the shows are idiots.


I didn't even think about Three's Company. Now That I am thinking though, what about The Honeymooners?
Ralph Kramden was a bit oafish as was Ed Norton.

Thing with the Honeymooners was that even though Ralph was a bit oafish and was sort of scared of Alice at times, he still wore the pants in the family.  The man was the boss

In recent sitcoms such as The King of Queens, it's the women who wear the pants in the family.  "I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, as long as my wife says it's ok" LOL

I've also noticed on the same lines...a lot of "kid friendly" TV shows portray both parents as dimwits. They portray the kid as this prodigy/genius...and the bumbling parents are merely allowed to throw their ridiculously portrayed 2 cents in every once in awhile. Have you noticed this too?

I've also noticed on the same lines...a lot of "kid friendly" TV shows portray both parents as dimwits. They portray the kid as this prodigy/genius...and the bumbling parents are merely allowed to throw their ridiculously portrayed 2 cents in every once in awhile. Have you noticed this too?


This is best seen on 'Still Standing' but in that case, the whole family is a buch of morons ;D

Even when the man has his act together, he's still a bit slower than mom to figure out what's really going on.  Think Ward Cleaver, Mike Brady, and Cliff Huxtable. 

Even it sit-coms where they're both frikkin' awful, the man is far dumber.  Best case in point, one of my faves, "Married With Children." 

TV is toxic, and I say so as a TV junkie.
::)

As to why:  Irony is a big part of comedy.  The template for sit-coms was developed in post-war America in the 1940s and 1950s when the man was generally more educated, earned more money, and had the final say in any matter of significance.  Thus, it was more humorous to see the man bungle things up than the woman.

I think for a long time the women were ditsy and foolish (Lucy, Grace Allen...) And then there was Maude.  And that went a little too feminist.  Finally, we have the compromise that the women and men can live with.  Men that drink beer with friends and mess up when they work on the house and women that are good at math and go to the gym.

thing is, it still aint funny.

As to why:  Irony is a big part of comedy.  The template for sit-coms was developed in post-war America in the 1940s and 1950s when the man was generally more educated, earned more money, and had the final say in any matter of significance.  Thus, it was more humorous to see the man bungle things up than the woman.


Interesting point, Maxwell Smart.

The whole 'man is slower than women' thing was probably started by Laurel and Hardy around the 1930s/1940s. The humour of both of them hiding things from their wives was common-place and created so many brilliant situations (a good example was the immaculate film 'Sons of the Desert') .

Maybe the producers realise it's not the 1970's anymore and woman do have say as to what goes on,and most men do need a woman to help show them the way.The men in the sitcom probably realise it's better to listen to their wives rather than argue with them. On According to Jim they are both trying to out think the other,on Everybody Loves Raymond I don't think he knows how to take charge,he sometimes tries to assert himself but is surrounded by more dominating females(his mom & Debroah)On King of Queens,Doug is sorta like Jim trying to out think Carrie and do what he wants,he wants more to have have fun instead of being responsible,she likes to have some fun but is more responsible.

Maybe the producers realise it's not the 1970's anymore and woman do have say as to what goes on,and most men do need a woman to help show them the way.The men in the sitcom probably realise it's better to listen to their wives rather than argue with them. On According to Jim they are both trying to out think the other,on Everybody Loves Raymond I don't think he knows how to take charge,he sometimes tries to assert himself but is surrounded by more dominating females(his mom & Debroah)On King of Queens,Doug is sorta like Jim trying to out think Carrie and do what he wants,he wants more to have have fun instead of being responsible,she likes to have some fun but is more responsible.


On the other side of the coin, women in these sitcoms are often portrayed as bitchy control freaks so I guess the whole sitcom dynamic is pretty balanced.

On the other side of the coin, women in these sitcoms are often portrayed as bitchy control freaks so I guess the whole sitcom dynamic is pretty balanced.

Are they control freaks,or are they just smart enough to realise if they don't take charge things wont get done.

Are they control freaks,or are they just smart enough to realise if they don't take charge things wont get done.


Sitcom is based on exaggeration.

Sitcom is based on exaggeration.

Actually most are based on people's real life experiences.

Actually most are based on people's real life experiences.


Which have been exaggerated and taken out of context to create humour.

I could say that is because men ARE morons.  :D ;D ;D


Ok, ok. Before anyone jumps all over me, I'm sure you know that I am just kidding. This is part of the reason why I don't watch sitcoms anymore. I don't like to watch morons-of any gender, race, creed, or whatever.



Cat

Which have been exaggerated and taken out of context to create humour.

Everybody Loves Raymond
Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of Ray Romano (who is represented by the Ray Barone character he plays) and the writing staff. The main characters on the show are also loosely based on Romano's family members

I'm sure there has to be a British sitcom where the male is bossed around.

i goes back further than ya think.

http://blogs.salon.com/0003139/images/blondie.jpg

;D

I'm sure there has to be a British sitcom where the male is bossed around.



I can think of two off hand-Fawlty Towers and Keeping Up Appearances.




Cat

Even shows with no real female lead have women in the dominant role. Take "Two And A Half Men" for instance,
Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) is a drunken womanizer yet is completely emasculated by his mother, Berta and Mia
and let's not forget Alan (Jon Cryer) who is completely whipped by his exwife Judith.

I can think of two off hand-Fawlty Towers and Keeping Up Appearances.


I did have a post set up about Fawlty Towers and Keeping up appearances but it never happened - hmmmph, lol. I think My Family and 'Allo Allo to some degree share a slightly similar formula.

Those four are the obvious ones but my post remarked how a lot of UK's best comedy comes from male relationship dynamics (father and son - Steptoe and Son, flatmates - Hancock's Half Hour, Men Behaving Badly, Peep Show, prison inmates,  - Porridge, landlord and tennants - Rising Damp, brother and older male relative - Only Fools and Horses)

Even in stuff like One Foot in the Grave, Some mothers do 'ave 'em and Terry and June where the main male leads where doing silly things, the female lead was more the support/sanity/sufferer behind the duo rather than the aggressor.

There are exceptions (example being Vicar of Dibley) but I'm not sure the UK know how to write sitcoms for women as a lot of those were rubbish (Agony, Girls on top, Butterflies, Surgical Spirit, Birds of a feather, Absolutely Fabulous, Babes in the wood . . .). I don't know whether it's due to bad script-writing, bad acting or just simply because I am a bloke - who knows, lol.