In Search of The
Ideal Family: The Use of Television Family Portrayals during Early Adolescence
Janet
L. Schiff, Doctorate Candidate, and Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D. March
1995
University
of Minnesota Children, Youth and Family Consortium. Permission is granted
to create and distribute copies of this document for noncommercial purposes
provided that the author and CYFC receive acknowledgment and this notice
is included.
Poster
presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child
Development, March 30-April 2, 1995, Indianapolis, Indiana
INTRODUCTION
More
than a decade ago, scholars made an urgent plea for research on the
socializing effects of television on the self-esteem of working-class,
minority children (Dorr, 1982; Graves, 1982) and families (McLeod, Fitzpatrick,
Glynn, & Fallis 1982); however, over a decade later, little research
has been conducted in this area (Huston, et al., 1992). Considering
the amount of time minority adolescents watch television (Nielsen, 1993),
it is imperative that we revisit the earlier proposals suggesting that
idealistic portrayals of family functioning may influence how the minority
viewer feels about his or her actual family life.
Television
and Adolescent Self-Esteem
Adolescence
is a stage during which issues of identity are central and one's sense
of self-worth (or self-esteem) is established (Demo & Savin-Williams,
1992). The acquisition of formal operational thought as well as substantial
developmental changes in terms of social, cognitive, and physical growth
during early adolescence may result in increased disparity between perceptions
of one's actual self-image and one's ideal image (Anderson, 1992). Caught
between conflicting expectations of parents and peers, the early adolescent
may turn to alternative sources of family life to determine how families
ought to or ideally should behave.
Because
family comedies and drama are frequently viewed by adolescents, television
can be a source of information about family life. According to cognitive
social learning theory (Bandura, 1986), television provides adolescents
with an opportunity to observe other family dynamics. Such learning
may be integrated into their schemata of the prototypical family, which
then may be used as a 'guide' when making evaluations about one's self
and actual family life. Based on self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987),
a particular television family may be internalized as a guide of how
families actually, ideally, or ought to behave and when compared with
the viewer's actual family, any discrepancy may lead to feelings of
dissatisfaction, anxiety, or identity confusion (Higgins, 1991).
The
purpose of this exploratory study was to gain a better understanding
of the role of television family portrayals in the lives of urban minority
adolescents. We investigated the nature and direction of adolescents'
social comparisons between their actual and television families and
how these comparisons affected their thoughts and feelings about family
life. The particular aspects of family life we were most interested
in were: family functioning (e.g., cohesion, flexibility, and communication),
family income, and social issues such as community and teen concerns.
METHOD
Sample
Forty-three
(19 males & 24 females) inner-city junior high students were individually
interviewed about their perceptions of family life. The mean age of
the participants was 13. The racial/ethnic composition was, 47.6% latino;
19% white; 16.7% black; 14.3% bi-racial; and 2.4% eastern indian. Fifty-two
percent of the students came from intact homes living with both biological
parents; 48% came from families in which parents were either divorced
or separated or never married.
Measures
TV
viewing of Family Programs
Students read a list of television family programs and indicated on
a five-point Likert scale (ranging from almost never to almost always)
how often they watched each program
Perceptions
of Family Life.
To assess the nature and direction of social comparisons between one's
actual and television family, students were asked to pick their favorite
television family and then asked a series of questions regarding how
similar and different their family was compared to the TV family; and
the extent to which they wished their family was like the TV family.
Affective reactions to discrepancies were measured by asking participants
how the family life on a particular program made them feel about their
own family life.
Perceived
Realism
Using a four-point Likert scale, participants judged how similar the
family life on their favorite TV family program was to real-life family
life. The specific dimensions assessed were: expression of feelings,
behavior, discipline, rules, resolving conflicts, money and possessions,
and home environment.
Uses
& Gratifications of Viewing
Based on Rubin's (1983) 27-item uses and gratifications inventory, participants
reported the reasons why they watched their favorite TV family program.
Sources
of Information
To assess the overall role of television family portrayals in the selection
and possible internalization of family models, both television and alternative
sources of family life were elicited through a series of open and closed
item questions. Participants were asked: To what extent do they use
television, books, and peer's family as a source of information about
family life; and which programs are most informative and most realistic
portrayals of family life. Participants were also asked to name a family
(real or fiction) who they thought were the best role model of family
life; had ideal family characteristics; and acted as families ought
to behave.
RESULTS
Perception
of Reality
Overall,
television families are perceived as somewhat realistic. General trends
indicate that perception of reality is higher for those television families
that are minorities and/or working class. On a scale of 0 to 5, with
0 being not at all realistic and 5 very realistic, realism ratings ranged
from pretty much realistic (Roc x = 3.14, SD = .507, N = 3) to somewhat
realistic (South Central x = 2.238, N = 6; Roseanne x = 2.143, SD =
.143, N = 3; Fresh Prince x = 2.035, SD = .507, N = 6; Family Matters
x = 2.0, SD = .833, N = 6; Full House x = 1.943, SD =.733, N = 5; Beverly
Hills 90210 x = 1.619, SD = .775, N = 6) to a little bit realistic (Married
with Children x = 1.321, SD =.653, N =4; and, The Simpson's x =.964,
SD = .472, N = 4). Differences are nonsignificant due to small and unequal
sample sizes per television family program
Individual
aspects of television family life such as home, money & possessions,
rules, discipline, actions and behaviors, talk and expression, and problem
solving were also perceived as somewhat realistic. Overall, urban adolescents
perceive television families as realistic in terms of home, expression
of feelings, and rules; television famines are unrealistic in terms
of actions and behavior, handling and solving problems, and discipline.
Differences are nonsignificant with means ranging from 2.08 to 1.80.
Uses
& Gratifications
On
a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being almost never and 5 being almost always,
the most common motive for viewing is entertainment (x = 4.46, SD =
.66), followed by mood management/arousal (x = 3.6 1, SD = 1.03), social
interaction (x = 3.12, SD = 1.04), passing time/habit/companionship
(x = 3.12, SD =.96), escape (x = 3.07, SD = 1.05) and learning (x =
2.74, SD = 1.34).
Although
learning is the least used, it is the only factor significantly related
to viewing a particular television family (F(8,34) = 2.4; p <.05).
Further investigation using the ultraconservative Tukey HSD post-hoc
test indicates that adolescents watch Roc for a source of learning more
than they watch Married with Children and The Simpson's. No other significant
differences were found between programs.
Ought
Families
The
top 3 television families named as ought families were as follows :
#1 Family Matters, #2 The Cosby Show, and tied for #3 Beverly Hills
90210, Full House, Roc, Roseanne, South Central, and Thea. Cross tabulation
for ought family selection (real, fictional, or neither) indicate a
significant relationship (Chisquare (10) - 19.81; p < 0.5) between
the type of family identified and the participant's racial identity.
Data is missing for one participant.
No
Response.
Seventeen (40.5%)of the 42 respondents were either unable to identify
a real or fictional ought family or didn't believe such families exist.
White participants accounted for 41.2% of the no responses, followed
by latinos (23.5%), blacks (11.8%), biracial latino/other (11.8%), east
indian (5.9%), and biracial black/white participants (5.9%).
Real-Life
Families
Sixteen(38.1%) of the 42 respondents had identified at least one real-life
family as an ought family. Latino participants accounted for 62.5% of
this trend, followed by biracial black/white participants (18.8%), blacks
(12.5%) and whites (6.3%).
Television
Families.
Nine (21.4%) of the 42 respondents had identified at least one television
family who acts as families ought to behave. Latinos accounted for 66.7%
and blacks for 33.3% of this ought television family selection.
Ideal
Families
The
top 3 television families named as ideal were as follows: #1 Family
Matters, #2 The Cosby Show and tied for #3 Beverly Hills 90210, Fresh
Prince, and Full House. Chi Square analysis revealed no significant
relationships between the selection of the ideal family (i.e. no response,
real-life family, fictional family, or both real-life and fictional
family) and participant race, gender, grade, biological parents marital
status (together or not together) and head of household (single or dual).
Data is missing for one participant.
No
response
Fourteen (33.3%) of the 42 respondents were unable to name a real-life
or fictional family who fit their criteria of an ideal family.
Real-Life
Families
Seventeen participants(40.5%)named one or more real-life ideal families.
Television
Families
Nine participants (21.4%) named at least one television family as ideal.
Both
Real-Life & TV families
At least one television family and one real-life family was named by
4.8% of the participants.
Role
Models
The
top 3 television role models of family life were as follows: #1 Family
Matters, #2 The Cosby Show, and tied for third place were Beverly Hills
90210, Fresh Prince, Full House, Growing Pains, Roseanne, South Central,
and Step by Step. Chi square analysis indicated that there were no significant
relationships between the identification of a role model family (i.e.,
no response, real-life family, or fictional family) and participant
demographics. Data is missing on one participant.
No
Response
Thirteen (31%) of the 42 participants interviewed were unable to name
at least one family role model (real or fictional) or believed that
no such family exists.
Real-Life
Families
Fifteen participants (35.7%) identified at least one real-life family
as a role model of family life.
Television
Families.
Fourteen participants (33.3%) named one or more television families
as role models of family life.
SUMMARY
OF QUALITATIVE FINDINGS
Cohesion
Emotional
Bonding
Adolescent viewers want their families to be more supportive and understanding
like the families on Family Matters, Beverly Hills 90210, and Full House.
They want their parents to help them solve their problems; however,
adolescent viewers think TV families are unreal when they solve problems
too quickly.
Spending
time together
Adolescents desire to be like those TV families that spend time together.
Such family involvement may take the form of discussions about problems
and family activities (including picnics, trips to amusement parks).
TV families that spend time together include Family Matters and Beverly
Hills 90210.
Attention
Adolescent viewers do not want their parents to neglect them like the
families on Married with Children and The Simpson's; however, they are
somewhat envious of the laissez faire patenting styles portrayed on
television.
General
Trends
Those TV families perceived as cohesive, such as Family Matters, Beverly
Hills 90210, and Full House, were typically selected as ought families,
ideal families, and role models of family life. TV families with laissez
faire patenting styles (e.g., Married with Children, The Simpson's)
were not selected as ought famines, ideal families, nor role models
of family life.
Flexibility
Rules.
Adolescents believe that rules enforcing curfews and respecting authority
figures are reasonable. As such, Full House is perceived as realistic.
However, adolescents also acknowledge that rules vary with community.
Adolescents on Beverly Hills 90210 and Roseanne are able to do more
because their neighborhoods are safer. Parental concern is appreciated,
however, adolescents desire more freedom to stay out late, have unchaperoned
parties, and date.
Discipline
Adolescents want parents to set appropriate boundaries on their behavior.
However, rule violations are not always black and white. Parents need
to be flexible like the family on Family Matters. Moreover, unlike adolescents
in the suburbs (e.g., Fresh Prince), urban adolescents expect harsher
punishments because rule violations can be a matter of life and death.
TV families like Beverly Hills 90210 are perceived as unrealistic because
adolescents are never punished for their actions. Nonetheless, they
would like their parents to be less punitive, like Married with Children.
General
Trends.
Adolescents recognize that flexibility varies with community. In urban
environments, parents must be strict in order to protect their children.
Communication
Parent-Adolescent
Communication
Adolescents desire a warm and supportive communication environment.
They do not want family members to disrespect or disregard one another's
feelings or authority like they do on Roseanne and Full House. The parents
on Beverly Hills 90210 are considered role models of family life, ideal
families, and ought families because the kids can come to them with
personal problems knowing that their parents will not overreact
Arguing/Fighting
Adolescents identify with the arguing on such programs as Fresh Prince,
Married with Children, and South Central. This is not surprising given
that households often experience more conflict as adolescents attempt
to test the boundaries. Nevertheless, the adolescent viewers recognize
that voicing one's opinion is important to effective problem solving
and that the presence of fighting does not reflect the absence of love.
Joking
Adolescent viewers want their families to be 'more fun' like the families
on Fresh Prince and Full House. Joking amongst family members is seen
as a positive sign of family cohesion. Joking communication seems to
be constrained to TV families that are not living in urban minority
environments. This may account for the confusion as to whether or not
such joking is realistic or unrealistic.
General
Trends
Adolescents wish their parents would fight with them less and listen
to them more. They don't want their parents to make light of their problems
nor do they want them to overreact
Social
Issues
Teen
Issues
TV programs that focus on teen issues like peer- and romantic relationships,
educational experiences, and family problems are perceived as realistic.
Roseanne is realistic because it portrays the tumultuous relationship
between parents and children during the adolescence. Beverly Hills 90210
is realistic in terms of its portrayal of adolescent in both school
and social environments.
Community
TV programs like Roc and South Central are set in urban black environments
and perceived as realistic and informative because they focus on issues
as single patenting, drugs, guns, and death. Given that urban adolescents
are growing up in comparable social environments, this perception is
not surprising. There is also a recognition that black urban life is
a constant struggle. The perception that one's own family is better
off than the television family may lead to positive feelings of happiness
and pride. Identification with the struggles may result in feelings
of sadness or fear. Living in a safer neighborhood (e.g., Fresh Prince)
is often desirable. Social mobility can be attained individually or
collectively.
General
Trends
Although adolescents do not admit to watching television to learn about
themselves and what could happen to them, our data suggests otherwise.
Lifestyles
Money
Money is power and a means towards social mobility. It is achieved through
hard work and a good education. Financial success can buy the material
possessions and social life of The Fresh Prince. But adolescents will
settle for a little less than a life a luxury. Urban adolescents want
homes like those on Roseanne and Family Matters. These homes are not
fancy but they offer privacy and space.
General
Trends
Adolescents are very aware that certain occupations pay more and buy
more than others. 'Thus, it is realistic for a family like The Fresh
Prince to own a mansion; however, it is unrealistic for a poor family
like Married with Children to own a house. But why the fixation on houses?
Urban adolescents typically live in apartments; houses, regardless of
social status, afford more space and privacy.
DISCUSSION
OF RESULTS
The
purpose of this exploratory study was to identify the nature and direction
of urban adolescent social comparisons between real-life and television
families and their effects on adolescent perceptions of and satisfaction
with one's actual family. Particular attention was given to those family
variables known to affect adolescent self-esteem, namely family functioning
(cohesion, flexibility, communication) and family income (money, home,
and neighborhood).
The
desire to be more like one's favorite television family was unrelated
to both perceptions of similarity and realism. Despite the overall low
realism ratings of television families, adolescents are, still making
social comparisons that are priming discrepancies that affect the way
they feel about their actual families. Salient issues for adolescents
include the following:
Cohesion
Adolescents want their families to spend more time together, and help
them solve problems.. TV families like Family Matters, Beverly Hills
90210, and Full House are desired because they possess these affiliative
qualities.
Flexibility
TV families who lack consistent rules and discipline are perceived as
unrealistic. Yet, the laissez faire patenting portrayed on Married with
Children is often the source of jealousy amongst adolescents wanting
to stay out later.
Communication
Adolescents tend to identify with those TV families that argue a lot;
they desire a calm and supportive family communication environment.
Both families on Beverly Hills 90210 and Family Matters are desirable
in terms of their positive listener and speaker skills, self-disclosure,
and respect and regard.
Social
Issues
Urban adolescents perceive TV programs set in urban minority environments
(e.g., Roc, South Central) as more realistic and informative about family
and community life than those set in suburban or rural environments.
'They turn to programs like Roseanne and Beverly Hills 90210 for information
about teen issues.
Lifestyles
Education and money are means towards social mobility out of the inner-city.
They are also ways to improve one's social life. Even the working class
homes on Roseanne and Family Matters are as desirable as the mansion
on Fresh Prince for space and privacy.
Adolescent
viewers who perceived their favorite TV family as less functional than
their real-life family are more likely to report feeling good. The perception
of the favorite TV family as better off in terms of money or family
functioning lead to feelings of jealousy, anger, and sadness. Adolescent
viewers who perceived their favorite TV family as possessing positive
qualities similar to their actual family were more likely to experience
positive feelings about their family life than those who perceive negative
similarities.
REFERENCES
Anderson,
K. M. (1992). Self-complexity and self-esteem in middle childhood. In
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Bandura,
A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive
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Demo,
D. H., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (1992). Self-concept stability and
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State University of New York Press.
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A. (1982). Television and the socialization of the minority child. In
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of the minority child (Chapter 2, pp. 15- 33). New York: Academic Press.
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S. B. (1982). The impact of television on cognitive and affective development
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E. T. (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological
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- (1991).
Personal Communication.
Huston,
A. C., Donnerstein, E., Fairchild, H., Feshback, N. D., Katz, P. A.,
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(1992). Big world, small screen: The role of television in American
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McLeod,
J. M., Fitzpatrick, M. A., Glynn, C. J., & Fallis, S. F. (1982).
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EXCERPTS
OF PARTICIPANTS INTERVIEWS
Cohesion
Emotional
Bonding
Beverly
Hills 90210
"I wish my family was like the Walsh's because. . . they spend
time with their kids and teach them. They have an understanding of why
and what they did."
Family
Matters
"An Ideal Family has the qualities they have in Family Matters.
. . caring, funny, loving, and they are always there for you."
"It's not the best (role model of family life) but its okay because
they close and they really could talk to each other and that's good.
If someone has a problem than everybody helps."
Full
House
"We are different. . . Its the way they live. . . For everything
they have, they always fix the problems. . . It doesn't seem like real.
'They fixed it so fast, the problem so I don't think. . . And they forget
about it right away."
"Its different because. . . they show their affections. And when
their kids are in need of help, they're there for them. At times when
they can. . . It makes me feel sad. . . I would like it to be it. Even
though its not really true what they do, they get paid for it, ya know,
and its not their true affections, but the way they act, some things,
I wish we could be like that. . ."
Married
with Children
"They are Pretty much realistic in the way they share feelings
with one another. They talk with each other. They say things like, they
share their feelings. Most families don't do that, but a lot of them
do, the majority."
Spend
Time Together
Beverly
Hills 90210
"We're different because their family is so together and always
with each other. We always have space in my family. . . I feel slightly
jealous because the TV family always spend so much time together and
always do stuff together. . . I would like to do more things with my
family, but then again, there are times when I don't..."
Family
Matters
"I wish my own family was more like theirs because the TV family
have more things to do, it seem like, as a family..."
Attention
Married
with Children
"Sometimes it makes me feel happy that my family isn't as pathetic
as theirs. . . because Peg and Al sometimes don't care about their kids.
They don't listen to them and stuff. And my family does, sort of, if
they're home or whatever. Sometimes I wish we were more like them, though.
. . like they (The Bundy's) hardly pay attention to their kids so. .
. they can do whatever they want so sometimes I wish I could do that."
The
Simpson's
"I don't wish my family was like The Simpson's because in that
TV show, there's a lot of things going on. Like, their father, he doesn't
pay attention to his kids and he's not a family man."
Flexibility
Rules
Beverly
Hills 90210
"They appear to have a perfect life and can do whatever they want.
If I want to go somewhere I have to call home and they can do whatever
they want. . . we're different because ... they can kinda do whatever
they want. . . like my neighborhood isn't that safe."
Fresh
Prince
"Were somewhat similar because. . . Ashley on Fresh Prince is too
young to have a boyfriend and I'm too young to have a boyfriend. . .
I wish a little bit that my family was more like Fresh Prince's family
because now Ashley has a boyfriend, my sisters all have boyfriends and
I'm the only one without a boyfriend.
Full
House
"They are pretty much realistic because. . . their rules are reasonable.
They have curfews. And they can't disrespect parents and teachers."
Married
with Children
"I feel slightly good because there are times when I want to go
out really late and on Married with Children, they let the kids stay
out late -- but not my mom. . . I wish my mother would let me stay out
really late. . . the family on Married with Children are looser and
don't worry so much."
Roseanne
"I feel slightly mad at my family. . . and wish they were more
like the family on Roseanne because the Connor's let you do anything
you want to, go off where you want to go and return at a certain time.
. . to have parties. . . do all the things that excite you."
South
Central
"We're different because. . . my mother doesn't let us do certain
things, like go to parties where there are no adults around. . . like
they (the kids on South Central) go to parties when no one's around."
Discipline
Beverly
Hills 90210
"Its unrealistic because. . . if you watch it every Wednesday then.
. . they have like no punishments. They don't get in trouble for nothing.
Everything's like okay."
Family
Matters
"An ought family acts pretty much the way they act on Family Matters.
They are pretty much like right there. Like if you pass curfew, you
get grounded, if you behave bad you get grounded. They make you learn
from your mistakes. They forgive you for things you did wrong. They
help you solve your problems. They deal with the problems."
"Its realistic because Family Matters is kind of like the Cosby
Show where people get in trouble. Like in some TV shows, if the kids
do something wrong, they don't get in trouble (for what they do). And
sometimes they have serious things on, usually not though."
The
Cosby Show
"I don't really watch TV to get information about family life if
I had to, the Cosby Show would probably be the best. It's more realistic,
I guess, because they have discipline and morals and stuff. I think
its more realistic than the others." "The Cosby Show is informative
about family life because they are, they kind of, they're kind of strict
with their kids. How the kids should listen to their parents and if
they don't, they get in trouble."
Roseanne/The
Cosby Show
"They are ought families because families should behave more organized.
. . If they do something wrong, I believe they should be punished."
Roseanne/South
Central
"They are realistic because the way they handle problems is applicable
to my family. The way they discipline their kids and solve problems
is just like ours."
Married
with Children
"It makes me angry sort of, or a tad jealousy because in their
family, when you do something bad you're grounded. In my family you
clean. If it's really big you have to clean the whole house. . . I somewhat
wish that we were more like the Bundy's because I wish my parents were
easier on the punishments, somewhat."
Fresh
Prince
"It's somewhat realistic because. . . on the TV show, they don't
put much discipline because of where they live but here, they have to."
Communication
Parent-Adolescent
Communication
Beverly
Hills 90210
"Brenda's mother, Mrs. Walsh, is the best role model of family
life because she's sweet she knows how to talk to you, she knows what's
right. All mothers know, but she's calm when she talks to you. . . and
the Walsh's are also an ideal family because the father yells when he
needs to but not all the time. When he knows something is wrong, he'll
yell, but not for every little thing the kids do."
Family
Matters
"I feel sorta good because (on Family Matters) when one of the
kids has a problem. . . he or she can talk to their mother or father.
. . it reminds me of me."
Full
House
"...And I think it's not realistic because suppose the daughters.
. . , if they have a problem, they talk back to him in a kind of way
or run upstairs or something. That's not right to do that to your father
or mother, talk back to them."
Roseanne
"We are different because we always listen to my mother unlike
Roseanne's kids. We never talk back to her and my mom never talks like
that to us."
Arguing/Fighting
Fresh
Prince
"We're, similar in that sometimes they argue a lot and my family,
especially my mom, argues all the time. But, like, in the house, there
is always some problems. . . and that's the way it is in my house but
with my brother mostly ... but I don't wish my family was like theirs
because they argue and get into trouble sometimes and I don't like that.
In my house, they are always arguing and I always get blamed for stuff
and its not my fault.." "Were similar because we argue a lot
and we make fun of each other and we are there for each other. . . Fresh
Prince is realistic because they argue like other families and try to
find reasonable ways to solve problems."
Married
with Children
"It's similar to my own family because we fight a lot. . . and
watching the TV family just sorta just sorta numbs my feelings. . .
Its not really like I'm there but its not really like I'm here. . .
I don't wish to be more like them because they are worse off. . . they're
poorer, they're sadder, and angrier. . . They are realistic because
they're showing a drastic scale of how bad it can be. . . Married with
Children is just like that, everyone is mean to each other so, and that's
a good sense. A lot of people are mean to each other these days. In
today's families, there's not a lot of relations between them."
South
Central
"It's realistic because the family doesn't get along. . . like
some other families that don't get along ... It makes me feel good about
my own family. I feel kinda good that my family is not like their family.
. . they're always arguing but we get along." "My family is
somewhat similar to theirs because of the way the mom behaves. . . And
the kids on the show are sometimes mean to each other, the brothers
and sisters, but they really love each other and that's how I feel about
my sisters.'
Joking
Fresh
Prince
"We are similar in that even though my stepbrother doesn't live
with us, him and Fresh Prince like to joke around a lot. And my stepsister
is like Carlton -- a little bit. Sometimes we jump on her like they
jump on him, just to bother her. But we love each other. . . It's pretty
much realistic because of the way they act towards each other. Sometimes
they joke around and sometimes they are serious. . ."
"We are a little bit similar to Fresh Prince because sometimes
we joke around, have fun together, we talk and stuff. . . but they're
different. . . they're always joking around. . . It makes me wish, sometimes,
that my family was like that. . . sometimes it makes me happy that we
do that sometimes and it makes me sad because we're not always like
that. We're not always joking around. . . and I wish that my family
was more like them because they have fun but I don't wish my family
was like that because sometimes the TV family. . . put a lot of people
down to have fun, its not like to hurt their feelings."
Full
House
"I feel a little bit jealous because they have a lot of fun and
laughers. . . and I pretty much wish that my family was like them because
they would be having a lot of laughers in the house and jokes. . . but
its not realistic because most of the time, real families don't have
those jokes, at least not as much as they do on Full House."
Social
Issues
Beverly
Hills 90210
"I think its realistic because they sometimes deal with real problems
that teenagers go through. . . like how Kelly's mom had a drug addiction
and problems of other people. . . but it's not realistic because "they
always make up with each other. I don't think, sometimes they get into
fights and then they're just friends in five minutes again."
"It's realistic and informative because. . . its about teenagers,
its about college, school life and they have to get jobs and money.
. . and most family programs don't show about school, they just show
about family."
"90210 is informative because it shows you how to succeed and never
give up. . . how it will be when I go to college, if I go. . ."
Roseanne
"Roseanne is more informative. . . and realistic than other television
families because she kinda deals more with kids going into a state of
depression, running away, money problems and staff like that (unlike
programs like Blossom and 90210)." "It's a lot realistic because
teenagers are like that. . . they are still finding out who they are,
they are growing up, they are rebellious, they don't want to know anything
about their parents, they are like, 'leave us alone'. . . like Becky
said, "Mother, you are always getting into my life --- and that's
exactly it, they want their privacy. . . they think they should get
more privileges and that they have a lot to learn about the world but
they don't listen to their parents so they learn the hard way. . . In
some ways television is a good way to learn how not to make mistakes.
. ."
Community
Issues
Beverly
Hills 90210
"I don't wish my family was like theirs because I wouldn't want
to live where they live. . . I would like to live in a more city type.
. . a more diverse neighborhood."
Family
Matters
"It's informative because they are like the average family with
2 to 3 kids. They live in the same neighborhood, struggling to survive
and do the right thing."
Fresh
Prince
"I somewhat wish my family was like the family on Fresh Prince
because they have a better life, like a drug free neighborhood. . ."
Roc
"We are similar because. . . I live in the projects where there
is a lot of things so its similar to my family and my community. . .
It sometimes makes me feel angry because I feel that turning against
your own people is just not right and we should all care. And I feel
sad just to think. . . how can you kill someone else who had a whole
life ahead of them and you just took it way that quick with a boom of
a gun. . . Roc is realistic because they are going through the same
things that other people are going through in the middle of violence
and saving the world." "Roc is realistic because they show
kids getting killed and stuff like that. And drug relations are really
happening out there."
South
Central
"We're different because. . . my neighborhood isn't that bad; but
its not that good. But South Central Los Angeles is one of the worse
neighborhoods. The family on South Central go through harder times than
I do. They have a harder life. . . but it's realistic because in South
Central, that's the way most families are. Like. . . it's a bad neighborhood,
they have troubles. His brother died and stuff. A lot of people die.
They get lucky to live in their teens."
"South Central is realistic because "there is a lot of violence
and you have to make decisions and sometimes they are not the right
ones. And the way you have to struggle through life, you have to try
and succeed and do your best."
South
Central/Good Times/Thea
"They are realistic because they're about black communities trying
to come together, trying to do something with their lives and its basically
about reality."
Lifestyles
Money
Family
Matters
"I feel a little jealous because they have more money than my parents.
. . If my parents had that money. . . we could live in a better neighborhood
and where there is not so much violence. . . I pretty much wish we were
more alike because money is power. . ."
Beverly
Hills 90210
"We are different because my family doesn't live in Hollywood and
doesn't live in a house and we're not real rich like them. . . and its
unrealistic because most people on the show have a lot of money."
Roseanne
"Roseanne. . . lives in a nice house but it's not real big and
they have struggles with money and staff. And Dan is not a high executive
or lawyer, he works on cars. . . and they struggle with paying bills
and stuff. . . so it's realistic." "I don't really wish that
my family was like their, except for the house -- If I had a house like
that I would be very happy. But I only wish a little bit, just for the
house because they have more rooms and because I would have my room."
"I guess I feel happy because Becky didn't get to go to college.
. . and she got married. . . she wanted to. . . and she was going to
but they told her they have no money. . . we have more opportunities
not more money. . ."
South
Central
"We are a little bit similar my mother and my father struggle for
us to get a better education and life."
Fresh
Prince
"They are a role model of family life because they have a lot of
money. . . they are an ideal family because I just want to have money
-- money and love"
"I somewhat wish that my family was more like the family on Fresh
Prince for the money and the house and everything. I would like to have
what they have -- the house, the pool. And they go out to a lot of parties
and they always through parties. . . I don't go to a lot of parties,
I only go to some. . . And its pretty much realistic because. . . some
people are rich like them and live where they live."
We're different because. . . we live in a building and they live in
a mansion. . . their father is a lawyer and my father works I don't
where where. . . I wish we lived in a house with a pool and things like
that. . . I just wish a little bit because we'd get to live in a house
and have a better life."
Married
with Children
"We're different because the Bundy's make so little money and yet
they live in a big house."
"I think it's realistic. . . their income. Well, not their income
because they say he like two dollars an hour, that's not really true,
but they act like they have a little bit of money and that's realistic
because a lot of people don't have two working parents."
