The Andy Griffith Show first aired in October of 1960. While this show departed from more traditional depictions of the nuclear family, it still remained remarkably consistent in maintaining traditional gender roles for men and women within the family.
Main character Andy Griffith is a widowed sheriff living with his young son, Opie, and Aunt Bee in the small fictional town of Mayberry in North Carolina. Aunt Bee serves as the caretaker for Griffith and his young son Opie. Bee’s role reflects how women were still expected to care for the home and the children, although in this case it as an aunt that replaces the mother as the caregiver. Within this show traditional gender roles for men and women remained remarkably similar to those portrayed in television shows in the fifties. Aunt Bee has romantic misadventures and needs to be rescued by the noble, strong Griffith.
It is remarkable how through the sixties television producers largely didn’t depart from the traditional gender roles of men and women within the family. The Andy Griffith Show reflects how producers sought to deviate from the traditional nuclear family, but were still wary and reluctant of departing too much from traditional gender roles. Men still needed to work and make the money, and a woman still needed to remain at home caring for the home and the children.
Bewitched originally aired in September of 1964. The show follows Samantha a witch who falls in love and marries a mortal Darrin. Samantha is supposed to give up her powers to live with Darrin and become a typical suburban housewife. Although, Samantha does adopt a traditional stereotypical gender role as a suburban housewife, she in some ways empowers women and contests that role through her use of her magic.
In some ways this show rooted in fantasy finds a way to contest women’s traditional role as a housewife that is subservient and defers to her husband. By using her magic powers Samantha is empowered, and no longer reflects the submissive, subservient housewife at her husbands beck and call. This show is a great example of how traditional gender roles within the family slowly began to be contested. By creating a show rooted in fantasy, in which a witch marries a mortal, the producers of the show found a less threatening way of contesting traditional gender roles within the family, and in doing so in some ways arguably empowering women. The fact her family of witches was against the marriage also reflects how the producers are challenging society’s idea that women need to be relegated to a subservient role to their husbands. Samantha retains her femininity and traditional gender role as a housewife, and empowers herself and other women through her identity as a witch.
