What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

When was the last time you saw a sitcom where the wife was portrayed as a loving, caring type?

Likewise every husband is some bumbling, dullard who's constantly goofing around/messing up.

Every single sitcom I can remember for that last decade has followed this pretty tired format.

How has this evolved to be what people want to watch? Most married couples I know are nothing like this... believe it or not the husband is the logical/steady one and the wife doesn't constantly bitch at him.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

What do you want, they're sitcoms, they're designed to suck.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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believe it or not the husband is the logical/steady one and the wife doesn't constantly bitch at him.

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Half of this sentance seems right.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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believe it or not the husband is the logical/steady one and the wife doesn't constantly bitch at him.

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Half of this sentance seems right.

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So does half of the word "sentance".

OP, this is correct. Same tired formula, I don't know if the networks are afraid to take risks or if a cautious exec said "whoa, this worked for Everybody Loves Raymond [how is a mystery, that show sucked ass] let's just repeat that indefinitely until our shows don't get renewed".

I have no idea who the target demographic is here. My best bet is that it's meant to make each gender feel better about themselves. Men because they don't suck as bad as Ray Romano et al, women because it shows they can assert control in a relationship.

Sprinkle in worn-out jokes, rinse, repeat, and you have your answer.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

Because white males and Nazis are the only groups you're allowed to portray as stupid/evil in PC Hollywood. Al Qaida gets better treatment.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

Not for nothing, but Katey Sagal in 8 Simple Rules was a pretty normal/cool loving wife.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

The success of Roseanne got the bitchy-wife ball rolling, and now it's out of control.

I despised Home Improvement on its own, but I wanted to choke out the toolman's wife (Jill?) - she was the bitch supreme.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

Yeah I think this has alot to do with it. I think we've seen the last of the Kelly Bundy's of the world. The "stupid" character is always a white male now a days. They know we're the only group that doesn't pitch a big fit like a baby.

I can't remember het last time a female or ethnic character played the comic stooge foil.

I think one of the biggest things in sitcoms is "don't take any chances"

Dramas are the genre people take chances in (occasionally)

Oh and yes it was a rerun of Home Improvement I had on in the background last night that prompted this thread. They showed two episodes back to back and they both were the same, Tim creates some minor mistake, Jill bitches him out terribly, he thinks it over and admits how terribly wrong he is and she graciously accepts his apology.

And then I realized that this pretty much was every family sitcom I had seen for the past decade.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

Short answer, its the pusification of America.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

The only sitcom I've been able to watch since the end of Seinfeld has been Arrested Development, and of course that got canned.

I have zero interest in ever watching an episode of: Raymond, King of Queens, Yes Dear, etc. etc.

Here's a recap of last week's episodes of those shows if you missed them-

Wife: "Husband, you are stupid. I refuse to pleasure you sexually now."
Husband: "I apologize for being so hopelessly retarded, even though the whole mess was a misunderstanding on your part."
Wife: "Well, I guess I'll put up with your dumb ass then. You're extremely lucky that you have me for a wife because I am so much better than you."

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

Mike North?

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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When was the last time you saw a sitcom where the wife was portrayed as a loving, caring type?


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simpsons, Family guy

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Likewise every husband is some bumbling, dullard who's constantly goofing around/messing up.


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This was tough, and I had to go back to Dan Conner in Roseanne for an answer.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

Simpsons and Family Guy are not sitcoms, they are cartoons.

I knew someone would mention them and almost specifically excluded them.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

people like shows like raymond because it reminds them of their own lives. shmuck husband, controlling wive, idiot brother-in-law, senile in-laws, bratty kids, etc. you get to laugh at how miserable your life is, except it's happening to other people.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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When was the last time you saw a sitcom where the wife was portrayed as a loving, caring type?


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simpsons, Family guy

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Wow, I had a scathing reply all ready to go. Then I saw it was you, diebitter, who made the post. Now I'm confused and a little sad.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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When was the last time you saw a sitcom where the wife was portrayed as a loving, caring type?


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simpsons, Family guy

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Wow, I had a scathing reply all ready to go. Then I saw it was you, diebitter, who made the post. Now I'm confused and a little sad.

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Huh? Don't you see Marge and Lois and loving, caring types?

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

Marge is the most understanding, accepting wife that has ever existed in the history of humanity, but I was refering specifically to live person sitcoms, rather than adult themed cartoons.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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Marge is the most understanding, accepting wife that has ever existed in the history of humanity, but I was refering specifically to live person sitcoms, rather than adult themed cartoons.

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Yeah, fair enough to that. It's your thread, if they're excluded, I'm cool with that.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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Because white males and Nazis are the only groups you're allowed to portray as stupid/evil in PC Hollywood. Al Qaida gets better treatment.

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*yawn*

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

diebitter,

In no way should those be considered sitcoms, both in a general sense and from the context of the OP.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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diebitter,

In no way should those be considered sitcoms, both in a general sense and from the context of the OP.

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Awww, don't be sad about it. And given this, I can't think of a single sitcom wife that doesn't conform to it. And I'm still trying to think of another husband apart from Dan Conner...

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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Because white males and Nazis are the only groups you're allowed to portray as stupid/evil in PC Hollywood. Al Qaida gets better treatment.

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False.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

ALF is the last family-type sitcom I can think of where the wife isn't a bitch AND the husband isn't an idiot.

Edit: Well, does Dharma & Greg count? They kind of had it the other way around.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

I think the more general, "Why do so many sit-coms today completely suck?" is worth addressing as well.

And the whole bit about just doing the same type of family dynamic over and over again is part of that answer.


2 semi-recent sit-coms that I've started to actually enjoy via re-runs and syndication:

Malcolm in the Middle
Becker


I never thought Becker was worthwhile at all. But I caught it on TBS at 12p (eastern) and I actually like it now.
It's mostly straight-forward and not exactly mind-blowing with creativity. But it feels more like some of the more 'traditional' sit-coms of the 70's and 80's.
There's something about the formula that works.


Malcolm is obviously clever in it's own mostly-original way.


Shows that I was never able to stomach AT ALL include Everybody Loves Raymond (they're always just freaking mean to each other...and it's really just not that funny), Home Improvement, Friends.

King of Queens and that other one with Daniel Legue (sp?? is that his name??) are borderline tolerable. But they add nothing and really aren't that funny. And they annoy me for that whole, "whiny wife with lazy hubby" aspect that gets really freaking boring to watch over and over and over again.


Please please please. Can the networks try to stop sucking?

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

I thought of one!

The Brady Bunch!

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

Gotta agree with MircroBob about Malcom in the Middle, that show was exceptionally entertaining, especially in it's first few seasons. It was simultaneously wackier than your own life (mine anyway) and relatable to your upbringing as an adolescent. Though the Mom tried to be controlling and the Dad was generally clueless, the show's emphasis on the children as the main protagonists allowed them to ellude the pitfuls of other sitcoms.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

simpsons and family guy absolutely fit into sitcom - situational episodic comedy with little to zero character advancement from episode to episode.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

OP stole this from Bill Maher.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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Short answer, its the pusification of America.

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I agree with this. Seems like an attempt to belittle and destroy the traditional family unit.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

OP: What do you expect? If the public keeps watching it, why would they try something new? They can either take on a big risk which will likely, at best, have a small, niche audience, OR they can just do what is working and sure enough to get ratings.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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OP: What do you expect? If the public keeps watching it, why would they try something new? They can either take on a big risk which will likely, at best, have a small, niche audience, OR they can just do what is working and sure enough to get ratings.

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I tend to agree... whatever brings in the best/biggest audience with relatively little risk will keep getting made.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

The Onion

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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Because white males and Nazis are the only groups you're allowed to portray as stupid/evil in PC Hollywood. Al Qaida gets better treatment.

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You forgot southerners ... although according to hollywood they are pretty much all the same as Nazis.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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diebitter,

In no way should those be considered sitcoms, both in a general sense and from the context of the OP.

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Awww, don't be sad about it. And given this, I can't think of a single sitcom wife that doesn't conform to it. And I'm still trying to think of another husband apart from Dan Conner...

[/ QUOTE ]

Where does "Arrested Developement" fit in?

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

What about Mad About You?

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

how about 7th heaven? does that qualify for sitcom or is that dramady?

does it have to be a half hour show?

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

I don't generally watch it but I get the impression that this is not the case on That 70's Show.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

So your dream sitcom is a loving/caring wife married to a strong and logical husband? I don't watch sitcoms (unless arrested development counts), but they sure sound funnier than what you are describing. Sitcoms are meant to be funny, using stereotypes to tell the same recipe made joke with slighly different ingredients isn't going to change anytime soon.

Judging by your previous posts concerning sexuality and gender roles, I'd say you are really using the fact that most sitcoms are bad to stay up on your soapbox crying foul about the loss of family values in the US and the liberal conspiracy to take over media makers and outlets, thus brainwashing middle america. However, for me so called family values seem more and more like outright bigotry.

-SmileyEH

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

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The Onion
LOS ANGELES—Michael Weithorn, co-creator and executive producer of the hit CBS sitcom King Of Queens, said Monday that he is "tired of people stealing [his] idea." "I'm not going to name names, but there sure seem to be a lot of sitcoms featuring pudgy, working-class goofs with unbelievably hot wives and meddlesome in-laws," Weithorn said. "I'm sorry, but that's KOQ territory. These other shows are the work of shameless copycats with no ideas."

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Dear FullMetal,
You're an idiot.

Re: What\'s with all the bitchy sitcom wives / idiot husbands?
 

The Onion is a SATIRICAL online newspaper.