Its been 25 years since the finale of the seminal sitcomMarried… With Children.
Peggy, his lazy and equally vulgar wife, is played byKatey Sagal.
Kelly and Bud, their two bickering children, are played byChristina ApplegateandDavid Faustino, respectively.
Image via Fox
And Marcy, their well-mannered and intellectual neighbor, is played byAmanda Bearse.
The key to how it does this really does lie in its vulgarity.
In theory, it sounds like what were looking at is meant to be the average true-American ideal family.
Image via Embassy Television/Sony
He has a beautiful wife, two kids, and is friendly with his neighbors and coworkers.
So why is it so vulgar?
Why do they talk like they do?
Image via Embassy Television/Sony
The easy, obvious, and certainly true answer is for comedic effect.
Take Peggy for example.
Yet in 1987 Peggy Bundy was on primetime television openly and explicitly talking about how shes sexually unsatisfied.
Usually, it’s Peggy complaining that shes just not getting enough.
The fact that this was aprimetime family sitcomis vital in unpacking why it was so striking.
reflect back at American society what it believes the average person looks like.
The show didnt just subvert expectations for women on screen though.
It would be a crime to talk about the show’s relationship to women without discussing Amanda Bearse.
The show reflected back at American culture, warts and all, its true values.
They simply reflected it back for comedy.
