How, why and in what ways does the show you`ve selected subvert or reaffirm the stereotypical, 1950s family

What was once the ideal is a nostalgic joke in terms of popular television 's depiction of the American family . We tread over no new ground when asserting that television has played a significant role in reshaping the traditional ' definition of family as exemplified by the Cleavers in television 's Leave it to Beaver . We know this because references to the show and to its characters appear in an ever-widening ripple-wave across our cultural waters . Indeed , Ward and June are held up as the ideal parents - caring , involved , intelligent , patient supportive but

not coddling , and ultimately effective . This conceptual television-family ' is one that represents , at best , a dying reality and more likely one that has really never fully existed . But the myth of the nuclear family as being the ideal has persevered in our collective consciousness and on our television screens even as divorces , mixed families , multi-ethnic families , adoptions and the like have made that ideal ' a relic and a minority . There is always an audience with an appetite for the Cleaver ideal . Perhaps the most iconic television family since the Cleavers , The Cosby Show 's Huxtables adhere to the 1950 's Cleaver / Nelson (Ozzie and Harriet ) sitcom template with a few minor updates nearly 30 years after said predecessors . Again ironically , few people have ever asserted that the Huxtables represent a common reality , what with both parents in high-pressure , high-pro careers who still find themselves capable of an immaculate house decently behaved children , home-cooked meals eaten together and plenty of time for nurturing their marriage , and all with no outside help or service people . So , what does it say about our culture and our societal desires that Leave It To Beaver and The Cosby Show loom so large in our definition of success

Ultimately , it can be asserted that the sociology of American family life as depicted by Leave it to Beaver and thus defined for popular consumption is one that applies only to suburban white America , but that does the impact and power of the Beaver-ian family model a disservice Truthfully , even in the world of Beaver , his parents are the only completely healthy , wonderful , and together parents in the community Thus , even within the microcosm of their show , the Cleavers were an impossibility of gentility , love , intelligence , patience , and acceptance - even when they weren 't being any of those things . But , there isn 't a show , person , or variation on this theme that doesn 't either directly reference , purposely depart from or challenge Leave it to Beaver Modern television programs , however , have been forced to take a less idealistic view of family - and when they do work the Beaver framework they present something absolutely unbelievable . The Cosby Show however , while presenting an unreal ' view of family , presented one that rang true to many people in terms of what they would want for their own family dynamic (Inniss Feagin , 1995 . The truth is , that the concept of family ' cannot be adequately encapsulated within the confines of a...