Genre evolution:

From Molly:

Leave it to Beaver vs Malcolm in the Middle

In chapter 9, Silverblatt talks about how genre’s have evolved over time. I think that a great example of this is how sitcoms have changed over the years.
Think about the major differences between the sitcom Leave it to Beaver. The situations that were raised in that sitcom were completely different from what happened in Malcolm in the Middle.
Leave it to Beaver was the cliché perfect family. June always had the house clean, and dinner was always ready by the time her family came home. And she did this all while in her dress and pearls.
Fast forward to the 2000’s… Malcolm in the Middle was introduced to us. This was complete opposite of what the Cleavers life was like. The house was a mess. The dinner was rarely made, and was definitely not ever made on time. The boys were always fighting and dirty. Oh just imagine what June would do if she saw how dysfunctional Malcolm’s family.

It is very interesting how time changed over time. It is also interesting to see how society not only accepted this new version of a classic but also completely loved it. This is the newer version life and society. People could really relate to Malcolm’s world, and because of that, the show gained huge popularity.