I Love Lucy Analysis

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In the years following World War II, the “American Dream” had evolved into getting married, buying a house, having children, etc. Out of the evolution of the “American Dream”, came the evolution of the sitcom into a sub-genre that was referred to as the “domestic comedy.” The front runner of this sub-genre, created by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, was called I Love Lucy and it was a game changer. Not only did it change the genre of sitcom as a whole, but also aesthetically and directionally set the bar for generations and generations of shows to come. I Love Lucy has made its mark in television history and in the hearts of all Americans. After watching many episodes of the record breaking sitcom, I can see why.
I Love Lucy is a show about Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) and her singing husband (Ricky Ricardo) and their life in New York City. The show centered around Lucille Ball’s character and all the different ways she would find her way into trouble. It premiered on October 15, 1951 on CBS and was the most watched television show on the air for four of its six seasons, and is still watched by many people today. The show, created by Lucille Ball, came out of the radio series, My Favorite Husband, which was a huge success. When television became a huge hit in the late 40s and early 50s, Lucille and her husband, Desi Arnaz, wanted to translate that show to television by help of CBS. As a result, I Love Lucy was born. However, it wasn’t so easy to make the show the true success it turned out to be. Many problems came up before the show got its start.
The first problem that arose was that Lucille Ball wanted her real life husband, Desi, to play her fake husband, Ricky, on the show. At first, the show’s sponsors didn't think that he w...

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... today because of the underlying feminist themes. For the entire series, Lucy is trying to defy what society has said she’s supposed to be. Feminism has always been a major topic for discussion in popular culture. Personally, I have seen the feminist theme throughout the series. Every episode features Lucy going above and beyond the limitations set on her by her society. From wanting to get a job to wanting a role in an Italian movie, Lucy tries her hand at things that she’s been told she can not do. Is the show necessarily pro-feminism? I’m not exactly sure because Lucy always ends up back to where she started. However, the themes are there.
Personally, I love I Love Lucy. I almost love everything about it. Lucille Ball, the jokes, the plot, the cinematography, editing, even the fact that it’s in black and white. I think that everything I Love Lucy did was gold.

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