“Love American Style” was produced in the 1960’s and portrays various cultural differences than the way we live now. In the first clip, the man and women are going through marriage challenges and decide to split up while living in the same house. In this clip I noticed that gender roles were different than they are now. More inequality between men and women was present. When the man woke up, his wife had made him breakfast and you could tell he was used to being catered to. The first thing he said to his wife was “Where’s my coffee?” Another very sexist incident was during the argument about whether they care about each other's work. The man said that the woman does not care about the work he does everyday, but when told he does not care about the woman’s work he said that she does not do anything. Women were also expected to have their hair and makeup done all the time. In all of the clips, all of the women have their makeup and hair perfect no matter what time of day it is. We still live in a patriarchal society today, however there was more gender stratification present in the sixties. Another change since the sixties has been our technological advances. In all of the clips they are using phones with cords where we now have wireless phones. The second clip showed a man waiting to get into a telephone booth which is unheard of today in our society as most of us have personal cell phones. Another minor difference I noticed in all of the clips was the amount and type of alcohol drank. It seemed as though all of the men drank hard liquor a lot, more than the women, and today it seems like men drink beer more and usually not in the morning before work. -Chameleon123
It really does show the inequality and sexism of that era. Women were to be seen not heard and in this scene, she spoke her mind about all of the issues she had with him not only verbally but through her body language as well. I also agree with you in regard to technology its dramatically changed our world some say for the better. In the first and last shows it does depict how maybe people of the upper class reverted to drinking because both of the white males were drunk the previous night for whatever reason whereas the black male had what seemed to be water instead of having liquor which could be due to his social standing in society. Benoodles123
The sixties scene opens with a couple kissing under a tree, allegedly having an affair just by the words they are using. Another couple pops up, who seem to have a toxic relationship. The woman gives her husband a dirty look and the the man just asks for coffee, not really looking to excited. The husband complains about his hot coffee so the wife tosses an ice cube into it, splattering coffee everywhere, so it's pretty evident that the couple is not the happiest of couple. Then the arguing starts, it sounds like an affair just like at the beginning. It sounds like he flirts with women when he gets drunk. Now the tables are turning on the wife. She was accused of flirting with another man at a party. The husband caught them. Its starting to seem like this isn't the first argument that this couple has had. Maybe it happens every other week. The “it's not you it's me” card getting pulled out. The relationship seems to only provide money and nice things, and the couple is lacking communication and love which is why they are drifting apart. Now they’re being honest, the man is accusing his wife of things she wanted to do in life that she was terrible at. The wife is obviously done with this marriage. They start to be one-hundred percent honest and then that's when things start to calm down between the two of them, and they separate. rosethorns123
I agree that when the couple was fighting it seemed like the only positive things being produced in this relationship were money and nice things. When they were fighting about what they contribute to the marriage, the only thing the husband could think of was the financial support and stability he provides. The husband did not acknowledge the wife for doing anything other than using his money. It seemed like the relationship was very unhealthy. The idea of getting a divorce was so taboo that they just decided to separate as you said. This separation was good for them though, as it led to the rekindling of their love. -M&M123
This situation of fighting may play into Marx's belief of social conflict theory. The only way to change a relationship in this perspective is through conflict, which is exactly what the couple was doing. They finally resolved their argument when the fighting got very strong and other people began to get involved. The driving force behind their resolution was when they banded together to fight a common enemy, the man the wife was about to go on a date with. They fought together to defend themselves because the man thought their separation together was an insane concept. They finally realized that they still loved each other, and it was all over. aardvark123
I also agree that the only positive things they were gaining from the marriage were money and tangible things. It seemed that the husband was kinda shallow and superficial. He thought that he contributed more to the marriage because he gave her things and that she did nothing. In fact, he told her that she does nothing. I also found it interesting when they bonded together to fight against Mike. It was like what Doc said earlier today about America banding together in the time of crisis. SAS123
In the first story, Love and the Legal Agreement, it depicts what appears to be an endogamous couple who are having marital issues. In the 60’s it was normal to see homogeneous couples whereas today it’s quite the opposite. Today we see miscegenation couples, homosexual couples, as well as the “normal couples”. Louise seemed very upset in the beginning of the scene slamming things down and speaking about the relationship and how it’s not what she wants anymore, she even explained how when Darrien drinks, he likes all of the guest. In the older days, some women were more tolerant of their husbands mischievous ways. The couple then went on say they would live separately in the same home and that each other would be able to date ect without interference from the other. In the end we saw that that was unable to happen because after seeing what other people were like they realized that they were not worth it and that their marriage was more important. In our society today, people don’t hold marriage to the same standard that was held earlier in time. People would rather “shack up” than to fully commit to a person and work through the hard times with that one person so that at anytime when they feel they want someone different or are unhappy they can just leave without the hassles of divorce, alimony ect. It was interesting that this couple did not have any children which isn’t unorthodox but the fact that they are having issues within the marriage was compelling to me because today, usually when couples have children is when the issues begin. The second story shows how much our culture has evolved. It shows an African American woman working in a secretarial position for the president of a school. It also shows how the Doctor down played the African American male when he came into his office saying that there are 1100 legitimate militants in the school. We see how the woman was defending the Doctor but also trying to save the young man’s life telling him that he’d be a common prisoner. We also see how the doctor was willing to pawn the young lady in return for Harley Davis to keep his “bomb” from dropping. As Harley was giving his list of improvements he described a “natural women” having an uptight natural, a down pair of kicks, get rid of high style threads and drape her shape in a hip dashiki. This is a point of interest simply because now a day’s males like a woman with long straight hair, red bottom heels, and barely any clothes. In the final story paints a picture of infidelity and shows how the male had a spirit of veracity only after seeing his wife. In today’s times, women and males cheat on one another and keep it a secret instead of severing the relationship. He obviously felt as if he was with a prostitute or someone untrustworthy because he felt the need to check his wallet for his money. He thought that he had a married another woman and was willing to correct his wrong whereas today people in different cults are ok with marrying multiple women even having wives within the family. It also shows how sexuality is different in the things they wore and how they took on different personas as evidenced by the wig and clothes that were found around the room. Today sex is so publicized and it’s not as personal for everyone anymore as it used to be earlier in time. In all of the stories it shows the extent that people will go when they’re lusting after someone. It opens our eyes to the varying degree of differences and similarities from the 60’s to now. Change is inevitable, our society will continuously change with each new generation and the new technology being created. Benoodles123
You brought up some really good points in your post. This guy likes this woman, but when she starts showing her interest in him he lists off all of these things that she needs to change. But I liked the fact that she stood up to him and confronted him, "I thought you liked me the way I am." There was a very strong division of labor in the 60's, women had their pink collar jobs and the men took on blue collar and white collar jobs. The woman were also expected to serve and care for the men, which included having things ready for him when he woke up to when he came home. You are completely right in saying that change in society is inevitable, but I wonder if TV is a reflection of change or a catalyst of change. sunflower123
Love American Style was a popular romantic comedy television show that aired in the late 60’s and early 70’s. It show cased mini clips and skits on relationships, often taking the comedic route. The first clip was about a couple who was struggling with their marriage, but instead of getting divorced they decided to separate while still living in the same house. In today’s age, divorce would have been the first solution to anyone’s marital problems. But in the 60’s and 70’s it was uncommon to get divorced, and it held more meaning than what it does today. The second clip was about a minority man who was trying to get a woman’s attention by threatening everyone’s lives, including his own. I thought it was interesting that while he barged into a college campus, not as a student, and threatened violence we just assumed that he was an uneducated black man. But when he was talking to the woman about authors he liked they both realized that they had academic books in common and bonded over that. This was not the normal stereotype back then or even now for blacks. Also, in todays world he wouldn’t have talked to her face to face because of the technology and social media that we have now. The last clip was strange. There was a man who woke up in a hotel room with no memory of the night before and found woman’s clothing and a pamphlet saying that he got married. He was worried the entire clip because he already had a wife at home, but at the end of the clip it turns out that the mystery woman he married the night before was his wife. There are movies and shows about that stuff today, however there is a different tone to it. Most of the time they do not previously know the person that they married, and they usually threaten to get a divorce immediately after realizing what they had done. Throughout all the clips there was patriarchy undertones, but it was also normal for women to stay at home and tend the house, which is why the man in the first clip said to his wife, “you don’t do anything”. Whereas today, usually both couples in the household work full time and a husband would never tell his wife that she didn’t do anything unless he planned on sleeping on the couch that night, or get served with divorce papers since it seems to be such an acceptable thing to do now. sunflower123
I liked how you talked about how the audience would assume that the black man was uneducated in the second clip. Because he was trying to inflict a crime, one may assume that he was not a student. However, as this episode proceeded, we realize that the man is actually intelligent and likes similar authors like the woman, like you said. I think in todays time, it is not uncommon to see black people in college. I also agree when you say that in todays world, the man or woman would most likely talk to each other over social media. In this case, the man would have no need to even confront the woman because he could easily speak to her over instant messaging or tinder. Check123
There was many differences between the 1960s day and age and today. In the first clip the couple was grappling with whether or not to get a divorce and their date thought that they were immoral. In today’s society divorce is a relatively normal part of society. We have a more open idea of marriage and love. There are many couples that live together and will never get married. In the second clip they were talking about black militancy groups. There are not as many of those types of groups around today. There is still rioting and protesting but today the social movements utilize the internet to change the world. For example after that athlete from Stanford raped a girl and was sentenced to a very short sentence stories about rape culture on college campuses went viral and many schools took measures to prevent rape on campus. Groups like Black Lives Matter and the LGBT community are concerned with going viral on the internet because that is what inspires in change in 2017. In many of these clips the women are in stereotypical positions and the gender conflict is evident. The wife is an inspiring actress and then just becomes a housewife She is expected to serve the man his breakfast and he becomes disgruntled when his coffee is hot. The women just wants to be understood and listened to but the man isn’t concerned with her mid life crisis. In another clip the women is the secretary and her boss is trading a date with her for his potential safety. Also all of the women have full faces of makeup and are wearing dresses or skirts this shows how fashion and fads change and how that reflects the ideas of the society. The fashion of today reflects our gender fluidity; there are many articles of clothing, like skinny jeans and flannels, that both girls and boys would wear. -Glass123
I think it is really sad how relevant divorce is now in our society. Out of all of my friends from high school I know I am one of the only kids whose parents stayed together. I feel like people are getting married so young and so many things are changing for divorce to be more common. Women are sticking up for themselves more they aren't as accepting of when their husbands cheat and they are more self dependent. In the 60's women needed men to support them financially, but today it is a whole different story. Now it could be the woman supporting the man. I think you made a lot of good points in your post though. LItv123
The whole concept of divorce was the most noticeable difference I noticed. In today's society, over half of marriages in the United States end in divorce. Personally, that is crazy to think about. In the 1960s, it was a taboo to get a divorce. You were frowned upon by society because it was going against the cultural norms of that society. I like how you pointed out the fashion differences between today and the 1960s. I did not pay too much attention to that and I should have. You were able to look in depth at smaller details and I like all of the points you made. -softball_savvy123
Each of these videos took place in the 60’s and shows their different lifestyle compared to 2016 lifestyle. There are so many differences in their everyday life from their clothing, overall style, and the way they interact and talk with one another. In the first half of the video you watch two married people and their issues in their marriage. Darrian and Louise clearly have problems in their marriage. What they are doing to each other is very ethically wrong and is seen as deviant behavior. They decide they need to separate and that it is in their best interest as they do not have romantic love for one another anymore. However as soon as the clip starts you see the demeanor of the male being dominant in the household. The house has a very patriarchy mood to it. You see the sexism in the 60’s is very prevalent and the man supports the women and the women stays home. As the video goes on I believe that role conflict becomes a problem between the characters as they take on different role sets. They each want to begin dating so instead of being a wife and a husband they have to be each other’s friend. Which clearly does not work for them and that causes role strain between the two characters. The entire events play out in a disaster and they end up back with one another. In the second video the story is about an African American man coming into a white man’s office to get the attention of a woman. One thing that I really noticed about this second clip was the way the African American character was talking. He was using such different language than what we use today. Especially when he was talking to the girl his words were really amusing and funny to listen to. It was really cool to watch how different everyone talked in a different time period. I also think this showed stereotyping at the end of the scene when he was addressing the women. He was telling her that she basically needed to dress in more vulgar clothes and not so “white” clothing. Another thing that was present in the video was gender inequality. The two men were negotiating a date with the woman when she had no say what so ever. They were deciding where they would go and what they would do without asking her if that would be okay. It was a very sexist scene to watch in my opinion, but the vocabulary that was used was very amusing to listen too. In the third video the man wakes up in a hotel and doesn’t realize where he is. He then comes to notice all the different women’s clothing in his room and begins to think he has cheated on his wife. It gets worse when he sees a marriage certificate and believes he got married to someone else as well. In the end it ended up being his wife the whole time and there was a mix up because he couldn’t remember. Overall everything back in the 60’s was very different from today. From the language, the phones that were used, to the clothing. Litv123
I like how you made the point of Harley Davis's words and language used in the second clip. I thought it was also amusing to watch, and I had a difficult time following what he was saying. In today's society, especially in younger generations, so many funny slang words are used. If someone from the 60s heard a young man from 2017 speak, they would probably be amused just like we were watching this clip. Our generation is so quick to judge other cultures and generations, when we have some of the most eccentric culture to date. Our generation mixes trends from various ethnicities and generations make up what society today perceives as social norms and deviant behavior. daisy123
"Love American Style" is a great representation of folkways, norms, mores, and more of the era that are very different than the cultures of our time. In the episode, it all started in the household with Darrien and Louise. Darrien comes out of the bedroom and expects his coffee and breakfast to be in front of him. Louise is upset but this does not really trouble Darrien because he is the head of the household. In the current era, most men cannot get out of bed and expect their wife to make them breakfast and have their coffee ready every morning. Louise also didn't work which was a norm at the time but isn't always the case in our day. She was the caretaker of the home and Darrien was responsible for the financials of the home. This was a common couple at the time. Another example of a change that I saw was the reaction of Louise when Darrien asked if she wanted a divorce. It sounded like to me that was not even an option. Today, when people want to separate the first thing they do is get a divorce. It is much more accepted now than it was then. They were going to "separate" first and see how that went, which didn't even last a day, especially when neither of them would leave the house. In the second episode the thing that stood out to me was towards the end when the African American man described the perfect woman. Males saw woman as beautiful differently than men see them now. He described a natural woman as someone with an uptight natural, a down pair of kicks, and drape her shape in a hip down dashiki. This would not be attractive to most men of the current era. Most men see woman as attractive as those with less clothes. Scuba123
I think it's crazy how if anyone went back in time, most people wouldn't come off as attractive as they would today because of things as simple as clothes or hairstyle. As cultures change over time, so do our values and beliefs. What people find attractive is personalities and interests and those things are all cause by what we grow up around and what influences us. It's also crazy how easy it is to get a divorce now and it makes me wonder how many couples were unhappy back in the 60s because they couldn't get a divorce without spending a lot of money that they didn't have. -Kiwi123
The traditional norms of families were very present in this episode of “Love American Style.” By traditional norms, I mean the idea that a marriage is more of a patriarchy. The wife stays home while the husband makes the money. It’s a very stereotypical set up of how a wife and husband should be. But, like any marriage, Louise and Darian have some issues. Louise is tired of Darian drinking and flirting with women, so she begins to display deviant behavior. She throws ice in his cup and has a very deviant attitude toward him throughout breakfast. Finally she tells him that she is through with him. She does not want to divorce because it is such a taboo, so they settle with a separation. However, the conflict over which one of them should leave becomes so difficult that they both stay. The idea of seeing one another with someone else becomes too much to bare, that they both begin acting out. After trying to make each other jealous by finding other people to date, they are called crazy for living together while separated. The two of them come to their senses and are reminded of why they are in love. This episode made me wonder if the same thing would have happened today. There are plenty of couples who separate but live together still for many reasons. No one today would call them crazy for it to their faces. It has become a norm to separate, and even divorce. It seems like the cultural norms played a role in Louise’s decision to not get divorced. If she had wanted to leave Darian in today’s society, it would be much easier to do. No one would judge her for it because divorce is such a big part of our culture today. -M&M123
I agree with you! I too found it interesting in how she reacted when her husband suggested a divorce. I mean, she didn't want to be with him anymore because of his constant flirting with other woman and his non-caring attitude in what she did. Being separated, and living in the same house isn't unheard of today. However, in those days it was considered crazy and they were called sick. Now, even if some people disagreed with that choice, I don't think they would say that to the couples faces. In the end, they came to their senses and left to have a good time at their favorite restaurant. The 60's and 70's were filled with deviance behavior in all aspects of life. Panda123
"Love American Style" was a common television series in the 1960s. Watching two episodes of this television series, allowed me to see the cultural norms of their society. The norms of the 1960s are much different than our social norms today. In today's society, marriage is more often and not viewed that the wife and husband are viewed as equal (or husband and husband or wife and wife). In the 1960s; however, marriage was viewed more as a patriarchy, meaning the husband was the head of the house and that he worked in the work field while the wife would stay at home and do housework and watch the children. It was a stereotypical patriarchal relationship for the most part. However, their marriage did have issues just like any other marriage. Within that period, she was acting very deviant. In today's society, divorce is not a big deal. In fact, more than half of marriages today in the United States end in divorce. In the 1960s, divorce was considered a taboo. They eventually decided to get separated, but it did not last very long. In my opinion, though it was not stated in the episode, I believe that because of the cultural norms in the 1960s, they did not stay separated. While I do believe they are still in love with each other, but I think the cultural norms did effect them without them even realizing it. It was weird to me that the husband in the show expected his wife to make him breakfast and pour him his coffee every morning. That is a clear sign of patriarchy as well. Honestly, that scene bothered me a little bit. His wife seemed a tad upset that he became so pushy about it. In today's society, that is almost unheard of unless it is Valentine's Day or a special occasion. It is not an everyday event, because even though it sometimes does not feel like it, women are held in a higher standard than the 1960s. -softball_savvy123
Very well stated. I agree that there was a huge inequality in the husband and wife relationship. It also did seem patriarchal. I also found the way the woman went out of her way to serve her husband weird too. I think that there was still love between them. I think that they need to try and work things out. A marriage isn’t always easy. It does take work from both sides. The good thing is at the end of the skit they did reminisce about some of the things they use to do when they first fell in love. Sometimes little reminders like that are very important. Diver123
The show "Love American Style" was a popular TV series in the 1960s. I think it's ironic how the show's name is "Love American Style", because American Style is constantly changing, and the 60s culture in the show is a lot different from the culture we have in present day America. In today's society, divorce is not unheard of, in fact it is widely accepted. In the first episode, the couple would rather be "separated" than divorced. When it came to discuss terms of their separation, neither wanted to move out so they decided to live together. A couple of the other characters noted this behavior as "sick" because it was a culture shock to hear of people doing such a thing in the 60s. Today, people may remained married but separated for various reasons, including financial or family reasons. Other people may also remain living together after a divorce as well. During class, Dr. White had told us about a couple he knew back in the Caribbean that built a huge house together, but are now separated and live separate lives. Because they spent so much money on this palace, they decided to live in the same home. Society is evolving, not just in the United States, and people are becoming more accepting of divorce and separations. In the second episode, A younger man named Harley storms into Dr. Selby's office complaining at a rapid pace about an unclear issue. He seems to be threatening Dr.Selby and his assistant with some kind of vile of explosives. After ranting for while, it becomes clear that he is trying to get the attention of the assistant because he has feelings for her. Nowadays, an approach to getting a woman's attention would never happen like this, and if it did it is likely that he would get rejected. The assistant says that she never knew he felt that way, and it seems like he just assumed that she did. I think this is actually funny because it seems that the norm today is girls trying to get boys' attention in very unclear ways. It seems most men don't know how to tell if a girl is into them instead of the other way around. As the assistant and Harley start to get along, Dr. Selby suggest that they go out on a date together. The two men treat this as a negotiation, and Harley starts to list off his demands for the assistant. His list consists of things like getting an uptight natural hair-do, getting a down pair of kicks, and to wear something chic and not so uptight. This shows that society in the 60s was very patriarchal and puts standards on women and how they are to be seen in public. When she tries to interject, the doctor says, "Hold on, we're negotiating." This is another example of how women are not seen as valuable as men. She is seen as an object of negotiation rather than a woman he would be lucky enough to take out on a date. Gender stratification was worse in the 1960s, as many different scenes in this TV series show. In today's society, there is still some gender inequality, however women's rights have increased drastically in America. Culture and social norms have changed along with society as time goes on, and "Love American Style" is a great example, showing some of the differences from just over 50 years ago. Daisy123
“Love American Style” was a television series that aired in the late sixties to the early seventies. The show was about relationships at the time, but had a comedic spin to it. We watched a series of three short takes and tried to see the differences of the society norms of the sixties and seventies and present day. The first short take was about a man and a woman having marital problems and decided to get a separation instead of divorce. The scene starts with a lady going out of her way to serve her husband. The way she is treated isn’t seen in today's life. First the wife is ringing a bell to let her husband know that breakfast is ready. When the husband sits down he is expecting his wife to already have his coffee poured and waiting for him. In today's society it is more like every man for himself. Most families in America serve themselves their own breakfast. Breakfast as a sit down meal doesn't happen much anymore. Now after some arguing the couple decide that they want to get seperated and not divorced. This seems like an easy out. It’s like walking away from the problem and trying to work things out. What is better about the separation of then as compared to now. Now instead of a separation a lot of families just go for the divorce. It seems like people think that marriage has little importance and divorce is an easy out. The second short take is about a college student trying to get attention of another student by forcing her to have a sit in with him. Nowadays this would not even come close to happening. Our society takes acts of terror very seriously now. All that aside the two students found out that they had a lot in common. The lady had no idea that she had several similar interest as the male student. The third short take deals with a man waking up News Years Day in a hotel room in Nevada. After a wild night of partying he finds out that he got married to somebody he does not know. To top things off he is already married. After some funny dialog his wife appears in the hotel room knocking on his door to be let in. Come to find out he and his wife drove to Las Vegas and got remarried. Of course the man was so intoxicated he didn’t remember the next morning anything that happened the night before. Now in Las Vegas there are too many checks and balances to make sure that this could not of happened. The show being shot in the sixties and seventies is well obvious. The way the people dress and carry themselves is a lot different than the way it looks like now. Another thing that was big is open drinking of hard liquor. It was common for people to offer guests a social drink, that isn’t seen as much anymore today. Diver123
I agree thoroughly with your point about the way people dress and carry themselves being a lot different in the 1960s than it is now. In fact, in the pursuit of romance especially, one's swagger and fashion had all to do with who you'd end up going home with at the end of the night. If you wanted to wow the lady at the end of the bar you had to do it with persuasion, and not with how many followers you have on Twitter. That's why when you look at pop culture in the 1960s or 70s you always see ladies in big fur coats and means with bright orange suits. I mean, what else is a shawty mac to do when dating apps haven't been invented yet?-MrG123
There were many differences between the culture displayed in the television show and what is seen in today. In the first episode, the wife is showing deviant behavior towards her husband. She gave him a little attitude for being fed up with his flirting behaviors. Back then, wives had specific roles that were expected of them. The wife was to stay home, keep the house clean, care for children, look pretty, and cook meals. Today, women are not seen as deviant when they do not follow the traditional roles that was seen by society. In addition, men who cheated on their wives were not seen as being as bad as a woman cheating with another man. The 1960s was a very patriarchal society and men were always at an advantage. Women were minorities that were not treated as equally. Another difference between societies that I saw was the separation of the couple. The wife wanted to separate from the man. The two did not want to get a divorce because it was not a societal norm like today. Couples that divorced were very uncommon and those that did were frowned upon by the rest of society. The couple decided to still stay together, but live separate lives while living together. Once again, one would not see this from happening in today’s society. With almost half of married couples getting a divorce today, it is very uncommon to see couples continuing to be together when they no longe loved one another. Continuing on to the second episode, the writers joked about blowing up the university office. It was a folkway then and a more now. In today's television, it is risky to joke about terrorist like attacks, especially with the many terror groups that inflict real harm on many people. Besides that, this episode also displays what a man will do to show a woman that he is interested in her. In today's society, it is very easy for a man or a woman to show that they are interested with another through dating sites. It is completely normal for one to look up a profile and swipe right to show interest. In the last episode, a man believes that he has cheated on his wife and married another woman after a crazy night out. In my opinion, I don’t think this type of situation is unheard of today. Many people go down to Vegas to get married and may even be doing so while they are already married to someone else. However, this episode had a different tone. If a mistake like this was made today, divorce would be an easy option to clear things up. But in the 1960s, divorce was not norm. An act like this back then could be seen as social suicide. Check123
Love American Style was a television show that characterized the society of the sixties in America quite well. The sixties was an era of free love and sexual revolution, and the mass media broadcasted that ideology through the show, Love American Style. The first episode started out with the husband and wife confronting each other about their quick affairs with people at a dinner party the night prior. This shows the surgence of free love in American culture. The show also demonstrates patriarchy. The man earns the money, and the woman stays a homemaker. The wife said that her job was to be a wife, giving into the patriarchy that her culture had instilled within her by growing up in a patriarchal society, which is also shown in the following episode when the man is negotiating with the woman and telling her what she shall look like. Furthermore, the married couple in the first episode were fighting about their affairs and how they should not even be together because their marriage is falling apart. The previous generation would have looked at the situation and not even considered a separation because the divorce was such a taboo subject. If they were to get a divorce twenty years ago, society would ostracize them and alienate them from society for deviating from the social norm, but in this new generation, as demonstrated in the television show, a new wave of cultural belief about divorce. This all, I believe, ties into the civil rights movement, in which many people valued individualism. The divorced people were still people, independent people at that, but still people, which took away some of controversy behind divorce and separation. The free love movement also allowed women to not be looked upon as ‘used’ after they had been married. This was important because many women were then allowed to have some say in when a relationship has passed its due date without receiving cultural backlash after divorcing by being alienated. The fear behind being considered ‘dirty’ after a separation was eliminated, which allowed many women a great freedom when it came to their individual rights. aardvark123
Love american style was a TV show in the sixties that really represented the time. The sexism, deviance, patriarchy and the free love movement were obvious throughout the episode we watched. Women were commonly put down and meant to be lesser than their husbands. In the first couple, they were arguing about whether or not they should get a divorce because the husband was flirting with other women all the time and they were unhappy. The wife was quite obviously angry with her husband and verbalized this to him. They argued about his drinking and flirting before coming to the realization that they should not be together. They decide to get separated because “divorce” was such a harsh transition. They live together while being separated and decide in the end that they should just be together after all. This differs from today’s society a lot. Sexism and patriarchal ways are less than they were then. Also, divorce is very common among marriages today. The next part, an African American man and a white man were trying to figure out who should get to date a different girl. The sexism is prevalent in this one as well. The men were deciding where they would take the girl, etc. but never put in the thought of her having the ability to say no. Once again, women have no say in anything. This is different from 2017 because women have more rights and choices than they did in the sixties. The last video was a man waking up in a hotel room and he sees women’s clothing. He thinks that he must have cheated on his wife and not remember it. He is very worried about it but in the end it was his wife all along. This is kind of different today because cheating has become more common and romanticized on the media. Shows are constantly showing people cheating on each other. Overall, the sixties were very different than our current time and sociological ideas were present in this show. SAS123
I like how you mentioned how common divorce is today compared to in the sixties, I did not catch that difference. Back when the video was produced they tried everything they could before deciding to get a divorce. People today seem to jump right into divorce without even a second thought. I also agree with you that gender inequality has definitely gotten better since the sixties and we still are slowly working towards more equality. In the clips the men all seemed to be in power over the women, and the women’s opinions were not taken seriously as rational thoughts. -Chameleon123
“Love American Style” was a very popular television show in the 1960’s and 1970’s. In the three segments that were shown here, there are some comparisons and similarities to present day. For example, one of the most classic examples of patriarchy was when Darian and Louise were arguing on what Darian did to make their marriage work. He yelled, “I have provided!” it was the man that worked and provided financially for the home. Another interesting example on gender stratification took an interesting turn. When Darian listed the things that Louise tried doing, he mentioned acting and sculpting; which are jobs. Typically, during this time the ideal culture was that wives were encouraged and told that they didn’t need to work that they needed to stay at home and do housework and just be a wife. Darian however didn’t strike me as a complete domineering man because he let his wife try new things other than being at home. In fact, I found that behavior slightly deviant because again, women were meant to be housewives, and even in Hollywood at that that time women were rarely the main character; yet Darian was more accepting. In the beginning of the second video one can see examples of social class, norm violations, and acceptance of people of a different race. The first scene of this video was nice, because one can see that Dr. Selby’s secretary was a black woman. Again, this is the 1960’s and 1970’s, where racism and segregation were rampant, so it was great to see this example of acceptance. The main point of this video revolved around a young black man named Harley Davis, who stormed into Dr. Selby’s office with the sole intention of impressing Miss Noelle Smith. She had already met this Harley but didn’t think anything of him because he had spilled gravy on her the first time they met. Through arguing, she realized that they both had more in common than she thought and accepted to go to the movies with him. There was a good example of power from the man because when Harley and Noelle were discussing on where they were going to go, he had told dictated to her what he wanted her to wear. Noelle didn’t have a say in the matter, and I found that sexist in way because he was forcing her exactly what to wear. She is her own person, if she agreed to go on the date, that is her choice on what to wear. Gender-Stratification was seen throughout this second video. The last segment was something that I didn’t find all too different. In this video, it was about a man who found himself in a hotel and realizing that he had married a woman in Vegas while drunk. Hilariously enough, he was already married. Finally, after a long time of calling his friends, and panicking over what happened he finally figured out that he had married his wife again. The differences I saw in these videos was that there was more excessive drinking, more sexism, and racism. All of these could have happened today, especially getting drunk and married in Vegas. These videos were hilarious, insightful, and full of sociological examples. panda123
Although I am a stranger to “Love American Style” I am no stranger to the television productions of the mid 1900s. Primarily the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Believe it or not I actually grew up watching shows like “Little House on the Prairie”, “The Andy Griffith Show”, “WKRP in Cincinnati”, and many, many more. However, what I found so intriguing about “Love American Style”, especially the two episodes we watched as part of this blog assignment, were the stark contrasts between romance in the 1960s, and modern romance today. You see, it is quite evident from watching the two episodes that there is no apparent use of technology, except for the spare uses of a rotary telephone for average conversation. What I mean be all this however, is that there were no dating apps like “Tinder” or “Black People Meet” in the 1960s where you could easily go to cheat on your spouse or significant other by means of a smartphone app. Instead, there were parties where all the couples would drop their keys in a bowl and end up living with somebody else’s spouse at the end of the night for either sex or whatever other shenanigans ensued. In fact, in regards to gender roles, the 1960s were a much more difficult time for a man to get a woman’s attention as he simply could not post a picture of himself in his new romper on instagram, but rather had to go to the bar down the street and mingle with the ladies of the night to get a little affection. Perhaps I’m rambling on a bit too much, or perhaps the 1960s were just a far more interesting time for romance and the pursuit of sexual desires. The 1960s especially when “Love American Style” became a big deal, was when the sexual revolution started and furthermore become a nationwide movement. In these two episodes especially of “Love American Style” it is quite evident that there was no ring around the rosie when it came to both the discussion and actions behind sexual activities.-MrG123
I never thought to compare the show to "The Andy Griffith Show". I remember that show. There was no technology being used within the film. During that time technology was no were near as advance today. Today technology is everything. I got from the show that people valued marriage. The first couple tried to separate from each other, but it only lasted a day. The second scene showed how the militant was willing to do anything (blow up the University) to get Ms. Smith attention. Yes, I must agree they were very open with other on the discussions and actions of sexual activities. The first couple was very flirtatious with other people. Rendezvous123
"Love American Style" is a television show in the 1960's that showed many different love relationships. There were three scenes within the show. In the first scene, there a couple named Louise and Darrien. They were a married couple that was having marital issues. They always argued over one little descent after the other. They both feel that neither one cares about what one another does. Louise wants her own identity, she's tired of being a full-time house wife. They made a legal agreement to be separated, but still live together. I don't know how they thought that was going to work. The separation didn't even last a day. They reconnected their love by trying to date other people. Both of their dates felt that they were sick with the way they went about things. At the end of the scene they realized that they no longer wanted to be separated nor wanted a divorce. The second scene consist of an unregistered militant who threaten Dr. M.B. Shelby the University President for a date with Ms. Smith. Harley Davis wanted to impress Ms. Smith by threatening the blow up the University. The threat got her attention. Dr. M.B. Shelby offered for Ms. Smith to go on date with Mr. Davis for him to not blow up the University. Mr. Davis agreed with the agreement and was a happy man. The last scene was about a couple with the man being a drunk. Fred Sherman gets so drunk to the point he blocks out and doesn't remember much. He woke up in a hotel located in Las Vegas, Nevada to find out he has been married. Fred thinks that he is a married man who got married again to a stranger. Fred wife Estelle shows up at the hotel. Fred is confused on why she is there and explains to her that he would no longer drink again due to what had happened last night. Come to find out his wife was the women he had married. He was never a married man who got married again. He was a married man who renewed his vowels. Rendezvous123
In this show "Love American Style" from the 60's, there are many norms shown from that time's culture. The fashion is an obvious difference from today's society. Their wife is wearing a mid length dress which was the trend for women then and the man was wearing a suit. When they are both preparing for their dates, they change into outfits that were more of fads at the time. The woman wore a sleeker dress with long jewelery and the man in the high turtle neck and big sunglasses. The way the husband and wife treat each other shows the gender roles. The women are considered to belong to the house and not have a job. This is clear when the husband makes her pour his coffee and takes her work for granted. Today, that wouldn't work out so well unless the wife felt like being that kind. Also, when they were talking about one of them having to leave the house, the wife would not leave even though she wasn't necessarily paying for the home. The man understood this which is different from today because nowadays when people get divorced, the person who is paying for the house keeps it. Whoever isn't paying for it, no matter the gender, usually leaves. In the second clip, the two african american people are arguing about their appearance and what each one needs to change. The society of the 1960’s influences their style and how they present themselves going out on a date. The white man doesn’t seem to understand too much of what they are saying because they are different ethnicities and clearly all have different styles of clothing. Today, I think there is still a difference in certain culture’s clothing styles, but only to an extremely ethnic group. I think that many ethnicities have blended together enough to experiment with all styles. I think that the third video shows how times have changed because of the way the man reacted to him potentially cheating on his wife. He was very frantic. I think that today, a lot of people find themselves in this situation of someone cheating on them, but there is not as much worry about it. I think the value of relationships has lessened because of how easy it is to separate. -Kiwi123
I like that you picked up on the differences in fashion from today! I think that because I am a guy I did not really notice that aspect too much. You are dead on right about how the husband and wife treat each other shows their gender roles. It is crazy to think about how much our society has changed in a mere sixty years. Patriarchy is now looked down upon extremely heavily and any show today that would non-ironically place a male figure as the dominant head of a household would be highly criticized by the liberal left. -ThreeTwo123
“Love American Style” represents a certain choice of lifestyles which were popular at that time period. The first story, Love and the Legal Agreement was the one which resonated with me the most. In this segment of the show, a husband and wife have an argument over breakfast; the wife was accusing the husband of flirting and possibly cheating on her after he became too intoxicated at a party the previous night. However, as it turns out, the husband begins to remember his wife being rather flirtatious that night as well and cheated on him. The argument brings out just how patriarchal their marriage is: the man is the only provider in terms of income while the wife had failed at numerous attempted careers. When the wife does mention say that “It’s over” the husband merely scoffs at her, disregarding her petty emotions and lack of logic. In the sixties, divorce was just beginning to stop being taboo, and although most families were homogeneous, miscegenation was beginning to become more prevalent. This wife in the first portion is not as tolerant as some other women would have been of their husbands in that society: she was more empowered, if not a little bit astray in her claims considering that she herself cheated as well. The second unit of the show presents a good comparison of culture in the sixties against culture today. An African American women works as a secretary for the president of a college and an African American man, who was apparently involved in some group likened to the Black Panthers, was looked down upon by the school administrator when he came in, saying he did not have the time to deal with such silly problems. Another interesting point in this bit was Haley’s idea of a “natural woman” which included such things as having an “uptight natural, down pair of kicks, and get rid of them high style threads and drape your threads in a thin hip dashiki.” This shows the cultural shift to today’s standards of a beautiful woman. -ThreeTwo123
“Love American Style” was produced in the 1960’s and portrays various cultural differences than the way we live now. In the first clip, the man and women are going through marriage challenges and decide to split up while living in the same house. In this clip I noticed that gender roles were different than they are now. More inequality between men and women was present. When the man woke up, his wife had made him breakfast and you could tell he was used to being catered to. The first thing he said to his wife was “Where’s my coffee?” Another very sexist incident was during the argument about whether they care about each other's work. The man said that the woman does not care about the work he does everyday, but when told he does not care about the woman’s work he said that she does not do anything. Women were also expected to have their hair and makeup done all the time. In all of the clips, all of the women have their makeup and hair perfect no matter what time of day it is. We still live in a patriarchal society today, however there was more gender stratification present in the sixties. Another change since the sixties has been our technological advances. In all of the clips they are using phones with cords where we now have wireless phones. The second clip showed a man waiting to get into a telephone booth which is unheard of today in our society as most of us have personal cell phones. Another minor difference I noticed in all of the clips was the amount and type of alcohol drank. It seemed as though all of the men drank hard liquor a lot, more than the women, and today it seems like men drink beer more and usually not in the morning before work. -Chameleon123
ReplyDeleteIt really does show the inequality and sexism of that era. Women were to be seen not heard and in this scene, she spoke her mind about all of the issues she had with him not only verbally but through her body language as well. I also agree with you in regard to technology its dramatically changed our world some say for the better. In the first and last shows it does depict how maybe people of the upper class reverted to drinking because both of the white males were drunk the previous night for whatever reason whereas the black male had what seemed to be water instead of having liquor which could be due to his social standing in society. Benoodles123
DeleteThe sixties scene opens with a couple kissing under a tree, allegedly having an affair just by the words they are using. Another couple pops up, who seem to have a toxic relationship. The woman gives her husband a dirty look and the the man just asks for coffee, not really looking to excited. The husband complains about his hot coffee so the wife tosses an ice cube into it, splattering coffee everywhere, so it's pretty evident that the couple is not the happiest of couple. Then the arguing starts, it sounds like an affair just like at the beginning. It sounds like he flirts with women when he gets drunk. Now the tables are turning on the wife. She was accused of flirting with another man at a party. The husband caught them. Its starting to seem like this isn't the first argument that this couple has had. Maybe it happens every other week. The “it's not you it's me” card getting pulled out. The relationship seems to only provide money and nice things, and the couple is lacking communication and love which is why they are drifting apart. Now they’re being honest, the man is accusing his wife of things she wanted to do in life that she was terrible at. The wife is obviously done with this marriage. They start to be one-hundred percent honest and then that's when things start to calm down between the two of them, and they separate. rosethorns123
ReplyDeleteI agree that when the couple was fighting it seemed like the only positive things being produced in this relationship were money and nice things. When they were fighting about what they contribute to the marriage, the only thing the husband could think of was the financial support and stability he provides. The husband did not acknowledge the wife for doing anything other than using his money. It seemed like the relationship was very unhealthy. The idea of getting a divorce was so taboo that they just decided to separate as you said. This separation was good for them though, as it led to the rekindling of their love. -M&M123
DeleteThis situation of fighting may play into Marx's belief of social conflict theory. The only way to change a relationship in this perspective is through conflict, which is exactly what the couple was doing. They finally resolved their argument when the fighting got very strong and other people began to get involved. The driving force behind their resolution was when they banded together to fight a common enemy, the man the wife was about to go on a date with. They fought together to defend themselves because the man thought their separation together was an insane concept. They finally realized that they still loved each other, and it was all over. aardvark123
DeleteI also agree that the only positive things they were gaining from the marriage were money and tangible things. It seemed that the husband was kinda shallow and superficial. He thought that he contributed more to the marriage because he gave her things and that she did nothing. In fact, he told her that she does nothing. I also found it interesting when they bonded together to fight against Mike. It was like what Doc said earlier today about America banding together in the time of crisis. SAS123
DeleteIn the first story, Love and the Legal Agreement, it depicts what appears to be an endogamous couple who are having marital issues. In the 60’s it was normal to see homogeneous couples whereas today it’s quite the opposite. Today we see miscegenation couples, homosexual couples, as well as the “normal couples”. Louise seemed very upset in the beginning of the scene slamming things down and speaking about the relationship and how it’s not what she wants anymore, she even explained how when Darrien drinks, he likes all of the guest. In the older days, some women were more tolerant of their husbands mischievous ways. The couple then went on say they would live separately in the same home and that each other would be able to date ect without interference from the other. In the end we saw that that was unable to happen because after seeing what other people were like they realized that they were not worth it and that their marriage was more important. In our society today, people don’t hold marriage to the same standard that was held earlier in time. People would rather “shack up” than to fully commit to a person and work through the hard times with that one person so that at anytime when they feel they want someone different or are unhappy they can just leave without the hassles of divorce, alimony ect. It was interesting that this couple did not have any children which isn’t unorthodox but the fact that they are having issues within the marriage was compelling to me because today, usually when couples have children is when the issues begin.
ReplyDeleteThe second story shows how much our culture has evolved. It shows an African American woman working in a secretarial position for the president of a school. It also shows how the Doctor down played the African American male when he came into his office saying that there are 1100 legitimate militants in the school. We see how the woman was defending the Doctor but also trying to save the young man’s life telling him that he’d be a common prisoner. We also see how the doctor was willing to pawn the young lady in return for Harley Davis to keep his “bomb” from dropping. As Harley was giving his list of improvements he described a “natural women” having an uptight natural, a down pair of kicks, get rid of high style threads and drape her shape in a hip dashiki. This is a point of interest simply because now a day’s males like a woman with long straight hair, red bottom heels, and barely any clothes.
In the final story paints a picture of infidelity and shows how the male had a spirit of veracity only after seeing his wife. In today’s times, women and males cheat on one another and keep it a secret instead of severing the relationship. He obviously felt as if he was with a prostitute or someone untrustworthy because he felt the need to check his wallet for his money. He thought that he had a married another woman and was willing to correct his wrong whereas today people in different cults are ok with marrying multiple women even having wives within the family. It also shows how sexuality is different in the things they wore and how they took on different personas as evidenced by the wig and clothes that were found around the room. Today sex is so publicized and it’s not as personal for everyone anymore as it used to be earlier in time.
In all of the stories it shows the extent that people will go when they’re lusting after someone. It opens our eyes to the varying degree of differences and similarities from the 60’s to now. Change is inevitable, our society will continuously change with each new generation and the new technology being created. Benoodles123
You brought up some really good points in your post. This guy likes this woman, but when she starts showing her interest in him he lists off all of these things that she needs to change. But I liked the fact that she stood up to him and confronted him, "I thought you liked me the way I am." There was a very strong division of labor in the 60's, women had their pink collar jobs and the men took on blue collar and white collar jobs. The woman were also expected to serve and care for the men, which included having things ready for him when he woke up to when he came home. You are completely right in saying that change in society is inevitable, but I wonder if TV is a reflection of change or a catalyst of change.
Deletesunflower123
Love American Style was a popular romantic comedy television show that aired in the late 60’s and early 70’s. It show cased mini clips and skits on relationships, often taking the comedic route. The first clip was about a couple who was struggling with their marriage, but instead of getting divorced they decided to separate while still living in the same house. In today’s age, divorce would have been the first solution to anyone’s marital problems. But in the 60’s and 70’s it was uncommon to get divorced, and it held more meaning than what it does today. The second clip was about a minority man who was trying to get a woman’s attention by threatening everyone’s lives, including his own. I thought it was interesting that while he barged into a college campus, not as a student, and threatened violence we just assumed that he was an uneducated black man. But when he was talking to the woman about authors he liked they both realized that they had academic books in common and bonded over that. This was not the normal stereotype back then or even now for blacks. Also, in todays world he wouldn’t have talked to her face to face because of the technology and social media that we have now. The last clip was strange. There was a man who woke up in a hotel room with no memory of the night before and found woman’s clothing and a pamphlet saying that he got married. He was worried the entire clip because he already had a wife at home, but at the end of the clip it turns out that the mystery woman he married the night before was his wife. There are movies and shows about that stuff today, however there is a different tone to it. Most of the time they do not previously know the person that they married, and they usually threaten to get a divorce immediately after realizing what they had done. Throughout all the clips there was patriarchy undertones, but it was also normal for women to stay at home and tend the house, which is why the man in the first clip said to his wife, “you don’t do anything”. Whereas today, usually both couples in the household work full time and a husband would never tell his wife that she didn’t do anything unless he planned on sleeping on the couch that night, or get served with divorce papers since it seems to be such an acceptable thing to do now.
ReplyDeletesunflower123
I liked how you talked about how the audience would assume that the black man was uneducated in the second clip. Because he was trying to inflict a crime, one may assume that he was not a student. However, as this episode proceeded, we realize that the man is actually intelligent and likes similar authors like the woman, like you said. I think in todays time, it is not uncommon to see black people in college. I also agree when you say that in todays world, the man or woman would most likely talk to each other over social media. In this case, the man would have no need to even confront the woman because he could easily speak to her over instant messaging or tinder. Check123
DeleteThere was many differences between the 1960s day and age and today. In the first clip the couple was grappling with whether or not to get a divorce and their date thought that they were immoral. In today’s society divorce is a relatively normal part of society. We have a more open idea of marriage and love. There are many couples that live together and will never get married. In the second clip they were talking about black militancy groups. There are not as many of those types of groups around today. There is still rioting and protesting but today the social movements utilize the internet to change the world. For example after that athlete from Stanford raped a girl and was sentenced to a very short sentence stories about rape culture on college campuses went viral and many schools took measures to prevent rape on campus. Groups like Black Lives Matter and the LGBT community are concerned with going viral on the internet because that is what inspires in change in 2017. In many of these clips the women are in stereotypical positions and the gender conflict is evident. The wife is an inspiring actress and then just becomes a housewife She is expected to serve the man his breakfast and he becomes disgruntled when his coffee is hot. The women just wants to be understood and listened to but the man isn’t concerned with her mid life crisis. In another clip the women is the secretary and her boss is trading a date with her for his potential safety. Also all of the women have full faces of makeup and are wearing dresses or skirts this shows how fashion and fads change and how that reflects the ideas of the society. The fashion of today reflects our gender fluidity; there are many articles of clothing, like skinny jeans and flannels, that both girls and boys would wear. -Glass123
ReplyDeleteI think it is really sad how relevant divorce is now in our society. Out of all of my friends from high school I know I am one of the only kids whose parents stayed together. I feel like people are getting married so young and so many things are changing for divorce to be more common. Women are sticking up for themselves more they aren't as accepting of when their husbands cheat and they are more self dependent. In the 60's women needed men to support them financially, but today it is a whole different story. Now it could be the woman supporting the man. I think you made a lot of good points in your post though. LItv123
DeleteThe whole concept of divorce was the most noticeable difference I noticed. In today's society, over half of marriages in the United States end in divorce. Personally, that is crazy to think about. In the 1960s, it was a taboo to get a divorce. You were frowned upon by society because it was going against the cultural norms of that society. I like how you pointed out the fashion differences between today and the 1960s. I did not pay too much attention to that and I should have. You were able to look in depth at smaller details and I like all of the points you made. -softball_savvy123
DeleteEach of these videos took place in the 60’s and shows their different lifestyle compared to 2016 lifestyle. There are so many differences in their everyday life from their clothing, overall style, and the way they interact and talk with one another. In the first half of the video you watch two married people and their issues in their marriage. Darrian and Louise clearly have problems in their marriage. What they are doing to each other is very ethically wrong and is seen as deviant behavior. They decide they need to separate and that it is in their best interest as they do not have romantic love for one another anymore. However as soon as the clip starts you see the demeanor of the male being dominant in the household. The house has a very patriarchy mood to it. You see the sexism in the 60’s is very prevalent and the man supports the women and the women stays home. As the video goes on I believe that role conflict becomes a problem between the characters as they take on different role sets. They each want to begin dating so instead of being a wife and a husband they have to be each other’s friend. Which clearly does not work for them and that causes role strain between the two characters. The entire events play out in a disaster and they end up back with one another.
ReplyDeleteIn the second video the story is about an African American man coming into a white man’s office to get the attention of a woman. One thing that I really noticed about this second clip was the way the African American character was talking. He was using such different language than what we use today. Especially when he was talking to the girl his words were really amusing and funny to listen to. It was really cool to watch how different everyone talked in a different time period. I also think this showed stereotyping at the end of the scene when he was addressing the women. He was telling her that she basically needed to dress in more vulgar clothes and not so “white” clothing. Another thing that was present in the video was gender inequality. The two men were negotiating a date with the woman when she had no say what so ever. They were deciding where they would go and what they would do without asking her if that would be okay. It was a very sexist scene to watch in my opinion, but the vocabulary that was used was very amusing to listen too.
In the third video the man wakes up in a hotel and doesn’t realize where he is. He then comes to notice all the different women’s clothing in his room and begins to think he has cheated on his wife. It gets worse when he sees a marriage certificate and believes he got married to someone else as well. In the end it ended up being his wife the whole time and there was a mix up because he couldn’t remember. Overall everything back in the 60’s was very different from today. From the language, the phones that were used, to the clothing. Litv123
I like how you made the point of Harley Davis's words and language used in the second clip. I thought it was also amusing to watch, and I had a difficult time following what he was saying. In today's society, especially in younger generations, so many funny slang words are used. If someone from the 60s heard a young man from 2017 speak, they would probably be amused just like we were watching this clip. Our generation is so quick to judge other cultures and generations, when we have some of the most eccentric culture to date. Our generation mixes trends from various ethnicities and generations make up what society today perceives as social norms and deviant behavior. daisy123
Delete"Love American Style" is a great representation of folkways, norms, mores, and more of the era that are very different than the cultures of our time. In the episode, it all started in the household with Darrien and Louise. Darrien comes out of the bedroom and expects his coffee and breakfast to be in front of him. Louise is upset but this does not really trouble Darrien because he is the head of the household. In the current era, most men cannot get out of bed and expect their wife to make them breakfast and have their coffee ready every morning. Louise also didn't work which was a norm at the time but isn't always the case in our day. She was the caretaker of the home and Darrien was responsible for the financials of the home. This was a common couple at the time. Another example of a change that I saw was the reaction of Louise when Darrien asked if she wanted a divorce. It sounded like to me that was not even an option. Today, when people want to separate the first thing they do is get a divorce. It is much more accepted now than it was then. They were going to "separate" first and see how that went, which didn't even last a day, especially when neither of them would leave the house. In the second episode the thing that stood out to me was towards the end when the African American man described the perfect woman. Males saw woman as beautiful differently than men see them now. He described a natural woman as someone with an uptight natural, a down pair of kicks, and drape her shape in a hip down dashiki. This would not be attractive to most men of the current era. Most men see woman as attractive as those with less clothes. Scuba123
ReplyDeleteI think it's crazy how if anyone went back in time, most people wouldn't come off as attractive as they would today because of things as simple as clothes or hairstyle. As cultures change over time, so do our values and beliefs. What people find attractive is personalities and interests and those things are all cause by what we grow up around and what influences us. It's also crazy how easy it is to get a divorce now and it makes me wonder how many couples were unhappy back in the 60s because they couldn't get a divorce without spending a lot of money that they didn't have. -Kiwi123
DeleteThe traditional norms of families were very present in this episode of “Love American Style.” By traditional norms, I mean the idea that a marriage is more of a patriarchy. The wife stays home while the husband makes the money. It’s a very stereotypical set up of how a wife and husband should be. But, like any marriage, Louise and Darian have some issues. Louise is tired of Darian drinking and flirting with women, so she begins to display deviant behavior. She throws ice in his cup and has a very deviant attitude toward him throughout breakfast. Finally she tells him that she is through with him. She does not want to divorce because it is such a taboo, so they settle with a separation. However, the conflict over which one of them should leave becomes so difficult that they both stay. The idea of seeing one another with someone else becomes too much to bare, that they both begin acting out. After trying to make each other jealous by finding other people to date, they are called crazy for living together while separated. The two of them come to their senses and are reminded of why they are in love. This episode made me wonder if the same thing would have happened today. There are plenty of couples who separate but live together still for many reasons. No one today would call them crazy for it to their faces. It has become a norm to separate, and even divorce. It seems like the cultural norms played a role in Louise’s decision to not get divorced. If she had wanted to leave Darian in today’s society, it would be much easier to do. No one would judge her for it because divorce is such a big part of our culture today. -M&M123
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! I too found it interesting in how she reacted when her husband suggested a divorce. I mean, she didn't want to be with him anymore because of his constant flirting with other woman and his non-caring attitude in what she did. Being separated, and living in the same house isn't unheard of today. However, in those days it was considered crazy and they were called sick. Now, even if some people disagreed with that choice, I don't think they would say that to the couples faces. In the end, they came to their senses and left to have a good time at their favorite restaurant. The 60's and 70's were filled with deviance behavior in all aspects of life.
DeletePanda123
"Love American Style" was a common television series in the 1960s. Watching two episodes of this television series, allowed me to see the cultural norms of their society. The norms of the 1960s are much different than our social norms today. In today's society, marriage is more often and not viewed that the wife and husband are viewed as equal (or husband and husband or wife and wife). In the 1960s; however, marriage was viewed more as a patriarchy, meaning the husband was the head of the house and that he worked in the work field while the wife would stay at home and do housework and watch the children. It was a stereotypical patriarchal relationship for the most part. However, their marriage did have issues just like any other marriage. Within that period, she was acting very deviant. In today's society, divorce is not a big deal. In fact, more than half of marriages today in the United States end in divorce. In the 1960s, divorce was considered a taboo. They eventually decided to get separated, but it did not last very long. In my opinion, though it was not stated in the episode, I believe that because of the cultural norms in the 1960s, they did not stay separated. While I do believe they are still in love with each other, but I think the cultural norms did effect them without them even realizing it. It was weird to me that the husband in the show expected his wife to make him breakfast and pour him his coffee every morning. That is a clear sign of patriarchy as well. Honestly, that scene bothered me a little bit. His wife seemed a tad upset that he became so pushy about it. In today's society, that is almost unheard of unless it is Valentine's Day or a special occasion. It is not an everyday event, because even though it sometimes does not feel like it, women are held in a higher standard than the 1960s. -softball_savvy123
ReplyDeleteVery well stated. I agree that there was a huge inequality in the husband and wife relationship. It also did seem patriarchal. I also found the way the woman went out of her way to serve her husband weird too. I think that there was still love between them. I think that they need to try and work things out. A marriage isn’t always easy. It does take work from both sides. The good thing is at the end of the skit they did reminisce about some of the things they use to do when they first fell in love. Sometimes little reminders like that are very important. Diver123
DeleteThe show "Love American Style" was a popular TV series in the 1960s. I think it's ironic how the show's name is "Love American Style", because American Style is constantly changing, and the 60s culture in the show is a lot different from the culture we have in present day America. In today's society, divorce is not unheard of, in fact it is widely accepted. In the first episode, the couple would rather be "separated" than divorced. When it came to discuss terms of their separation, neither wanted to move out so they decided to live together. A couple of the other characters noted this behavior as "sick" because it was a culture shock to hear of people doing such a thing in the 60s. Today, people may remained married but separated for various reasons, including financial or family reasons. Other people may also remain living together after a divorce as well. During class, Dr. White had told us about a couple he knew back in the Caribbean that built a huge house together, but are now separated and live separate lives. Because they spent so much money on this palace, they decided to live in the same home. Society is evolving, not just in the United States, and people are becoming more accepting of divorce and separations. In the second episode, A younger man named Harley storms into Dr. Selby's office complaining at a rapid pace about an unclear issue. He seems to be threatening Dr.Selby and his assistant with some kind of vile of explosives. After ranting for while, it becomes clear that he is trying to get the attention of the assistant because he has feelings for her. Nowadays, an approach to getting a woman's attention would never happen like this, and if it did it is likely that he would get rejected. The assistant says that she never knew he felt that way, and it seems like he just assumed that she did. I think this is actually funny because it seems that the norm today is girls trying to get boys' attention in very unclear ways. It seems most men don't know how to tell if a girl is into them instead of the other way around. As the assistant and Harley start to get along, Dr. Selby suggest that they go out on a date together. The two men treat this as a negotiation, and Harley starts to list off his demands for the assistant. His list consists of things like getting an uptight natural hair-do, getting a down pair of kicks, and to wear something chic and not so uptight. This shows that society in the 60s was very patriarchal and puts standards on women and how they are to be seen in public. When she tries to interject, the doctor says, "Hold on, we're negotiating." This is another example of how women are not seen as valuable as men. She is seen as an object of negotiation rather than a woman he would be lucky enough to take out on a date. Gender stratification was worse in the 1960s, as many different scenes in this TV series show. In today's society, there is still some gender inequality, however women's rights have increased drastically in America. Culture and social norms have changed along with society as time goes on, and "Love American Style" is a great example, showing some of the differences from just over 50 years ago. Daisy123
ReplyDelete“Love American Style” was a television series that aired in the late sixties to the early seventies. The show was about relationships at the time, but had a comedic spin to it. We watched a series of three short takes and tried to see the differences of the society norms of the sixties and seventies and present day. The first short take was about a man and a woman having marital problems and decided to get a separation instead of divorce. The scene starts with a lady going out of her way to serve her husband. The way she is treated isn’t seen in today's life. First the wife is ringing a bell to let her husband know that breakfast is ready. When the husband sits down he is expecting his wife to already have his coffee poured and waiting for him. In today's society it is more like every man for himself. Most families in America serve themselves their own breakfast. Breakfast as a sit down meal doesn't happen much anymore. Now after some arguing the couple decide that they want to get seperated and not divorced. This seems like an easy out. It’s like walking away from the problem and trying to work things out. What is better about the separation of then as compared to now. Now instead of a separation a lot of families just go for the divorce. It seems like people think that marriage has little importance and divorce is an easy out. The second short take is about a college student trying to get attention of another student by forcing her to have a sit in with him. Nowadays this would not even come close to happening. Our society takes acts of terror very seriously now. All that aside the two students found out that they had a lot in common. The lady had no idea that she had several similar interest as the male student. The third short take deals with a man waking up News Years Day in a hotel room in Nevada. After a wild night of partying he finds out that he got married to somebody he does not know. To top things off he is already married. After some funny dialog his wife appears in the hotel room knocking on his door to be let in. Come to find out he and his wife drove to Las Vegas and got remarried. Of course the man was so intoxicated he didn’t remember the next morning anything that happened the night before. Now in Las Vegas there are too many checks and balances to make sure that this could not of happened. The show being shot in the sixties and seventies is well obvious. The way the people dress and carry themselves is a lot different than the way it looks like now. Another thing that was big is open drinking of hard liquor. It was common for people to offer guests a social drink, that isn’t seen as much anymore today. Diver123
ReplyDeleteI agree thoroughly with your point about the way people dress and carry themselves being a lot different in the 1960s than it is now. In fact, in the pursuit of romance especially, one's swagger and fashion had all to do with who you'd end up going home with at the end of the night. If you wanted to wow the lady at the end of the bar you had to do it with persuasion, and not with how many followers you have on Twitter. That's why when you look at pop culture in the 1960s or 70s you always see ladies in big fur coats and means with bright orange suits. I mean, what else is a shawty mac to do when dating apps haven't been invented yet?-MrG123
DeleteThere were many differences between the culture displayed in the television show and what is seen in today. In the first episode, the wife is showing deviant behavior towards her husband. She gave him a little attitude for being fed up with his flirting behaviors. Back then, wives had specific roles that were expected of them. The wife was to stay home, keep the house clean, care for children, look pretty, and cook meals. Today, women are not seen as deviant when they do not follow the traditional roles that was seen by society. In addition, men who cheated on their wives were not seen as being as bad as a woman cheating with another man. The 1960s was a very patriarchal society and men were always at an advantage. Women were minorities that were not treated as equally. Another difference between societies that I saw was the separation of the couple. The wife wanted to separate from the man. The two did not want to get a divorce because it was not a societal norm like today. Couples that divorced were very uncommon and those that did were frowned upon by the rest of society. The couple decided to still stay together, but live separate lives while living together. Once again, one would not see this from happening in today’s society. With almost half of married couples getting a divorce today, it is very uncommon to see couples continuing to be together when they no longe loved one another.
ReplyDeleteContinuing on to the second episode, the writers joked about blowing up the university office. It was a folkway then and a more now. In today's television, it is risky to joke about terrorist like attacks, especially with the many terror groups that inflict real harm on many people. Besides that, this episode also displays what a man will do to show a woman that he is interested in her. In today's society, it is very easy for a man or a woman to show that they are interested with another through dating sites. It is completely normal for one to look up a profile and swipe right to show interest.
In the last episode, a man believes that he has cheated on his wife and married another woman after a crazy night out. In my opinion, I don’t think this type of situation is unheard of today. Many people go down to Vegas to get married and may even be doing so while they are already married to someone else. However, this episode had a different tone. If a mistake like this was made today, divorce would be an easy option to clear things up. But in the 1960s, divorce was not norm. An act like this back then could be seen as social suicide. Check123
Love American Style was a television show that characterized the society of the sixties in America quite well. The sixties was an era of free love and sexual revolution, and the mass media broadcasted that ideology through the show, Love American Style. The first episode started out with the husband and wife confronting each other about their quick affairs with people at a dinner party the night prior. This shows the surgence of free love in American culture. The show also demonstrates patriarchy. The man earns the money, and the woman stays a homemaker. The wife said that her job was to be a wife, giving into the patriarchy that her culture had instilled within her by growing up in a patriarchal society, which is also shown in the following episode when the man is negotiating with the woman and telling her what she shall look like. Furthermore, the married couple in the first episode were fighting about their affairs and how they should not even be together because their marriage is falling apart. The previous generation would have looked at the situation and not even considered a separation because the divorce was such a taboo subject. If they were to get a divorce twenty years ago, society would ostracize them and alienate them from society for deviating from the social norm, but in this new generation, as demonstrated in the television show, a new wave of cultural belief about divorce. This all, I believe, ties into the civil rights movement, in which many people valued individualism. The divorced people were still people, independent people at that, but still people, which took away some of controversy behind divorce and separation. The free love movement also allowed women to not be looked upon as ‘used’ after they had been married. This was important because many women were then allowed to have some say in when a relationship has passed its due date without receiving cultural backlash after divorcing by being alienated. The fear behind being considered ‘dirty’ after a separation was eliminated, which allowed many women a great freedom when it came to their individual rights. aardvark123
ReplyDeleteLove american style was a TV show in the sixties that really represented the time. The sexism, deviance, patriarchy and the free love movement were obvious throughout the episode we watched. Women were commonly put down and meant to be lesser than their husbands. In the first couple, they were arguing about whether or not they should get a divorce because the husband was flirting with other women all the time and they were unhappy. The wife was quite obviously angry with her husband and verbalized this to him. They argued about his drinking and flirting before coming to the realization that they should not be together. They decide to get separated because “divorce” was such a harsh transition. They live together while being separated and decide in the end that they should just be together after all. This differs from today’s society a lot. Sexism and patriarchal ways are less than they were then. Also, divorce is very common among marriages today. The next part, an African American man and a white man were trying to figure out who should get to date a different girl. The sexism is prevalent in this one as well. The men were deciding where they would take the girl, etc. but never put in the thought of her having the ability to say no. Once again, women have no say in anything. This is different from 2017 because women have more rights and choices than they did in the sixties. The last video was a man waking up in a hotel room and he sees women’s clothing. He thinks that he must have cheated on his wife and not remember it. He is very worried about it but in the end it was his wife all along. This is kind of different today because cheating has become more common and romanticized on the media. Shows are constantly showing people cheating on each other. Overall, the sixties were very different than our current time and sociological ideas were present in this show. SAS123
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned how common divorce is today compared to in the sixties, I did not catch that difference. Back when the video was produced they tried everything they could before deciding to get a divorce. People today seem to jump right into divorce without even a second thought. I also agree with you that gender inequality has definitely gotten better since the sixties and we still are slowly working towards more equality. In the clips the men all seemed to be in power over the women, and the women’s opinions were not taken seriously as rational thoughts. -Chameleon123
Delete“Love American Style” was a very popular television show in the 1960’s and 1970’s. In the three segments that were shown here, there are some comparisons and similarities to present day. For example, one of the most classic examples of patriarchy was when Darian and Louise were arguing on what Darian did to make their marriage work. He yelled, “I have provided!” it was the man that worked and provided financially for the home. Another interesting example on gender stratification took an interesting turn. When Darian listed the things that Louise tried doing, he mentioned acting and sculpting; which are jobs. Typically, during this time the ideal culture was that wives were encouraged and told that they didn’t need to work that they needed to stay at home and do housework and just be a wife. Darian however didn’t strike me as a complete domineering man because he let his wife try new things other than being at home. In fact, I found that behavior slightly deviant because again, women were meant to be housewives, and even in Hollywood at that that time women were rarely the main character; yet Darian was more accepting.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the second video one can see examples of social class, norm violations, and acceptance of people of a different race. The first scene of this video was nice, because one can see that Dr. Selby’s secretary was a black woman. Again, this is the 1960’s and 1970’s, where racism and segregation were rampant, so it was great to see this example of acceptance. The main point of this video revolved around a young black man named Harley Davis, who stormed into Dr. Selby’s office with the sole intention of impressing Miss Noelle Smith. She had already met this Harley but didn’t think anything of him because he had spilled gravy on her the first time they met. Through arguing, she realized that they both had more in common than she thought and accepted to go to the movies with him. There was a good example of power from the man because when Harley and Noelle were discussing on where they were going to go, he had told dictated to her what he wanted her to wear. Noelle didn’t have a say in the matter, and I found that sexist in way because he was forcing her exactly what to wear. She is her own person, if she agreed to go on the date, that is her choice on what to wear. Gender-Stratification was seen throughout this second video.
The last segment was something that I didn’t find all too different. In this video, it was about a man who found himself in a hotel and realizing that he had married a woman in Vegas while drunk. Hilariously enough, he was already married. Finally, after a long time of calling his friends, and panicking over what happened he finally figured out that he had married his wife again. The differences I saw in these videos was that there was more excessive drinking, more sexism, and racism. All of these could have happened today, especially getting drunk and married in Vegas. These videos were hilarious, insightful, and full of sociological examples.
panda123
Although I am a stranger to “Love American Style” I am no stranger to the television productions of the mid 1900s. Primarily the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Believe it or not I actually grew up watching shows like “Little House on the Prairie”, “The Andy Griffith Show”, “WKRP in Cincinnati”, and many, many more. However, what I found so intriguing about “Love American Style”, especially the two episodes we watched as part of this blog assignment, were the stark contrasts between romance in the 1960s, and modern romance today. You see, it is quite evident from watching the two episodes that there is no apparent use of technology, except for the spare uses of a rotary telephone for average conversation. What I mean be all this however, is that there were no dating apps like “Tinder” or “Black People Meet” in the 1960s where you could easily go to cheat on your spouse or significant other by means of a smartphone app. Instead, there were parties where all the couples would drop their keys in a bowl and end up living with somebody else’s spouse at the end of the night for either sex or whatever other shenanigans ensued. In fact, in regards to gender roles, the 1960s were a much more difficult time for a man to get a woman’s attention as he simply could not post a picture of himself in his new romper on instagram, but rather had to go to the bar down the street and mingle with the ladies of the night to get a little affection. Perhaps I’m rambling on a bit too much, or perhaps the 1960s were just a far more interesting time for romance and the pursuit of sexual desires. The 1960s especially when “Love American Style” became a big deal, was when the sexual revolution started and furthermore become a nationwide movement. In these two episodes especially of “Love American Style” it is quite evident that there was no ring around the rosie when it came to both the discussion and actions behind sexual activities.-MrG123
ReplyDeleteI never thought to compare the show to "The Andy Griffith Show". I remember that show. There was no technology being used within the film. During that time technology was no were near as advance today. Today technology is everything. I got from the show that people valued marriage. The first couple tried to separate from each other, but it only lasted a day. The second scene showed how the militant was willing to do anything (blow up the University) to get Ms. Smith attention. Yes, I must agree they were very open with other on the discussions and actions of sexual activities. The first couple was very flirtatious with other people. Rendezvous123
Delete"Love American Style" is a television show in the 1960's that showed many different love relationships. There were three scenes within the show. In the first scene, there a couple named Louise and Darrien. They were a married couple that was having marital issues. They always argued over one little descent after the other. They both feel that neither one cares about what one another does. Louise wants her own identity, she's tired of being a full-time house wife. They made a legal agreement to be separated, but still live together. I don't know how they thought that was going to work. The separation didn't even last a day. They reconnected their love by trying to date other people. Both of their dates felt that they were sick with the way they went about things. At the end of the scene they realized that they no longer wanted to be separated nor wanted a divorce. The second scene consist of an unregistered militant who threaten Dr. M.B. Shelby the University President for a date with Ms. Smith. Harley Davis wanted to impress Ms. Smith by threatening the blow up the University. The threat got her attention. Dr. M.B. Shelby offered for Ms. Smith to go on date with Mr. Davis for him to not blow up the University. Mr. Davis agreed with the agreement and was a happy man. The last scene was about a couple with the man being a drunk. Fred Sherman gets so drunk to the point he blocks out and doesn't remember much. He woke up in a hotel located in Las Vegas, Nevada to find out he has been married. Fred thinks that he is a married man who got married again to a stranger. Fred wife Estelle shows up at the hotel. Fred is confused on why she is there and explains to her that he would no longer drink again due to what had happened last night. Come to find out his wife was the women he had married. He was never a married man who got married again. He was a married man who renewed his vowels. Rendezvous123
ReplyDeleteIn this show "Love American Style" from the 60's, there are many norms shown from that time's culture. The fashion is an obvious difference from today's society. Their wife is wearing a mid length dress which was the trend for women then and the man was wearing a suit. When they are both preparing for their dates, they change into outfits that were more of fads at the time. The woman wore a sleeker dress with long jewelery and the man in the high turtle neck and big sunglasses. The way the husband and wife treat each other shows the gender roles. The women are considered to belong to the house and not have a job. This is clear when the husband makes her pour his coffee and takes her work for granted. Today, that wouldn't work out so well unless the wife felt like being that kind. Also, when they were talking about one of them having to leave the house, the wife would not leave even though she wasn't necessarily paying for the home. The man understood this which is different from today because nowadays when people get divorced, the person who is paying for the house keeps it. Whoever isn't paying for it, no matter the gender, usually leaves. In the second clip, the two african american people are arguing about their appearance and what each one needs to change. The society of the 1960’s influences their style and how they present themselves going out on a date. The white man doesn’t seem to understand too much of what they are saying because they are different ethnicities and clearly all have different styles of clothing. Today, I think there is still a difference in certain culture’s clothing styles, but only to an extremely ethnic group. I think that many ethnicities have blended together enough to experiment with all styles. I think that the third video shows how times have changed because of the way the man reacted to him potentially cheating on his wife. He was very frantic. I think that today, a lot of people find themselves in this situation of someone cheating on them, but there is not as much worry about it. I think the value of relationships has lessened because of how easy it is to separate. -Kiwi123
ReplyDeleteI like that you picked up on the differences in fashion from today! I think that because I am a guy I did not really notice that aspect too much. You are dead on right about how the husband and wife treat each other shows their gender roles. It is crazy to think about how much our society has changed in a mere sixty years. Patriarchy is now looked down upon extremely heavily and any show today that would non-ironically place a male figure as the dominant head of a household would be highly criticized by the liberal left.
Delete-ThreeTwo123
“Love American Style” represents a certain choice of lifestyles which were popular at that time period. The first story, Love and the Legal Agreement was the one which resonated with me the most. In this segment of the show, a husband and wife have an argument over breakfast; the wife was accusing the husband of flirting and possibly cheating on her after he became too intoxicated at a party the previous night. However, as it turns out, the husband begins to remember his wife being rather flirtatious that night as well and cheated on him. The argument brings out just how patriarchal their marriage is: the man is the only provider in terms of income while the wife had failed at numerous attempted careers. When the wife does mention say that “It’s over” the husband merely scoffs at her, disregarding her petty emotions and lack of logic. In the sixties, divorce was just beginning to stop being taboo, and although most families were homogeneous, miscegenation was beginning to become more prevalent. This wife in the first portion is not as tolerant as some other women would have been of their husbands in that society: she was more empowered, if not a little bit astray in her claims considering that she herself cheated as well.
ReplyDeleteThe second unit of the show presents a good comparison of culture in the sixties against culture today. An African American women works as a secretary for the president of a college and an African American man, who was apparently involved in some group likened to the Black Panthers, was looked down upon by the school administrator when he came in, saying he did not have the time to deal with such silly problems. Another interesting point in this bit was Haley’s idea of a “natural woman” which included such things as having an “uptight natural, down pair of kicks, and get rid of them high style threads and drape your threads in a thin hip dashiki.” This shows the cultural shift to today’s standards of a beautiful woman.
-ThreeTwo123