Sitcommentary: Television Comedies That Changed America

From I Love Lucy to Black-ish, sitcoms have often paved the way for social change.

Television comedy has long been on the frontline in how America evolves on social issues. There is something about comedy that makes difficult issues more palatable?with humor an effective device for presenting ideas that lead to social change. From I Love Lucy which introduced the first television pregnancy to Will & Grace, which normalized gay characters, the situation comedy has challenged the public to revisit social mores and reshape how we think about the world in which we live.

In Sitcommentary: Television Comedies That Changed America, Mark A. Robinson looks at more than three dozen programs that have tackled social issues, from the 1940s to the present. The author examines shows that frequently addressed hot-button topics throughout their runs?such as All in the Family, Maude, and Black-ish?as well as programs with special episodes that grappled with a societal concern like ageism, class, gender, race, or sexual