Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Adopt-a-sitcom

Why was 80s pop culture so obsessed with adoption?

I suppose Annie was based on a story that had existed for decades, but what about Diff'rent Strokes, Webster, Jem? She's truly truly truly outrageous ... and raises money for Jerrika's Home for Wayward Rock Stars. Let's not forget Punky Brewster and Rags to Riches.

TV shows like ALF, Mr. Belvedere, Small Wonder, Silver Spoons, Gimmie A Break!, Charles in Charge and Perfect Strangers also riffed on the stranger-becomes-part-of-the-family theme.

It's as if the only place TV writers in the 80s could create and examine socioeconomic tension was in a family setting.

1 comment:

Laura said...

hm. i read your fb status, which led me to think there was something new to read here, and to my disappointment there is not. but now come to think of it, perhaps you were talking about your OTHER blog. you are hard to keep up with!