ABSTRACT “Our Real Family, The One We Chose”: The Function of Comfort in the Sitcom Family Max Romanowski, M.A. Thesis Chairperson: James M. Kendrick, Ph.D. Throughout history, the situation comedy (or “sitcom”) has continually been used as a form of comfort for the viewer. The original sitcoms of the 1950s were filled with themes that reinforced the stability of the traditional family model after the cultural shifts during the world wars. While that style of sitcom and its family has changed, its function to viewers has largely remained the same. While it no longer is about reinforcing a traditional family structure, the sitcom does work to comfort the viewers that are watching. This study works to examine how and why the sitcom family has evolved, what the new sitcom family looks like today, and what that means for societal values. The sitcoms Friends (1994), The Office (2005), Parks and Recreation (2009), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013), and Community (2009) will be used as case studies to understand the new dominant type of sitcom family: The constructed family. iv "Our Real Family, The One We Chose": The Function of Comfort in the Sitcom Family by Max Romanowski, B.A. A Thesis Approved by the Department of Communication David W. Schlueter, Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee James M. Kendrick, Ph.D., Chairperson Mark T. Morman, Ph.D. Robert F. Darden, M.A. Accepted by the Graduate School May 2018 J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School. Copyright © 2018 by Max Romanowski All rights reserved iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................... i CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. 1 The Fluid Definition of Family Throughout History ...................................................... 5 Forces of Change in the Sitcom Family .......................................................................... 7 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................. 14 The Fracturing Nuclear Family – 1960s ...................................................................... 17 Norman Lear and Workplace Sitcoms – 1970s ............................................................. 20 Returning to the Domestic Sphere – 1980s ................................................................... 25 Breaking the Mold – 1990s ........................................................................................... 27 Evolving the Sitcom Form – 2000s ............................................................................... 30 CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................... 33 Merging the Old and New Sitcom ................................................................................. 34 Familial Themes in the Characters of Friends ............................................................. 36 Chandler .................................................................................................................... 37 Rachel ....................................................................................................................... 41 Monica ...................................................................................................................... 43 Joey ........................................................................................................................... 45 Phoebe ....................................................................................................................... 47 Ross ........................................................................................................................... 49 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................. 53 Michael Scott as the Head of the Family in The Office ............................................... 56 Cultivation of a Community in Parks and Recreation ................................................... 63 Furthering the Family with Brooklyn Nine-Nine ......................................................... 69 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 74 CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................. 76 Community and Postmodernism ................................................................................... 78 iv iv A Sitcom about The Sitcom ........................................................................................... 81 The Community of Community ..................................................................................... 86 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 95 CHAPTER SIX ................................................................................................................. 97 APPENDIX A ................................................................................................................. 102 Figure 1 ....................................................................................................................... 102 Figure 2 ....................................................................................................................... 104 Figure 3 ....................................................................................................................... 104 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 105 ivv LIST OF TABLES Figure 1. Timeline of TV Shows………………………………………………………102 Figure 2. Timeline of TV Shows………………………………………………………103 Figure 3. Timeline of TV Shows………………………………………………………104 ivvi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I will not even pretend to suggest that I alone am responsible for this document in its final form. A work of this size is the result of the support of countless people, too many to adequately list here. Firstly, I must thank my thesis committee, Dr. Mark Morman, Professor Robert Darden and especially Dr. James Kendrick, who graciously guided me through this process and never let me settle for anything other than the very best I could offer. Although not as traditional as many of my other thanks, I still must express gratitude to The Killers, Switchfoot, The Lumineers, Lord Huron, and Simon & Garfunkel, who provided me the soundtrack for writing this work. Their profound words and poetic music is a continual inspiration for me. For cultivating my love and appreciation of cinema, I thank creators Christopher Nolan and Dan Harmon, but also lifelong friends Austin Yoder and Jared Brandon, the former two showed me the unlimited potential of narrative storytelling and the latter two showed me the bonds that the magic of cinema can create. Jacob Kyle Robinson consistently provided feedback and helped parse through my musing with such insight that I often thought he should be the one writing this paper. Zack Sheldon specifically poured over countless rough drafts of this thesis and sifted through my often-incoherent ramblings. I am as proud of this paper as I am because of your invaluable feedback. ivvii The Sheldon family—Zack, Kathleen, and their wonderful dog Scout—offered me untold support and an unprecedented amount of free food at their house. They were my parents while I wrote this thesis and absolute lifesavers. While it may go without saying, I would not be where I am today without my family. My parents, Michael and Janet, always loved me and supported me and my passions, even when it seemed like all I wanted to do was just watch movies. They also are responsible for my deep love for sitcoms, introducing me to old reruns of Leave it to Beaver, Taxi, Wings, and King of Queens when I was a child. My siblings, Claire, Spencer, Molly, and my brother-in-law Cam, have also been a wonderful support toward me, caring for me and loving me during this whirlwind of an experience. Writing a thesis is an intellectually draining and emotionally exhausting experience. If it were not for the emotional support of my personal constructed family— Charles Richert, Austin Munn, Austin Yoder, Zack Sheldon, Sam Watson, Aya Farhat, Christine Rogers, Blythe Todd, Keith Bauson, Katherine Smith, Juan Sam, Parker and Nicole O’Leary, Kevin Diller, The Grateful Eight, and so many others—I would not be here at the end of this in one piece. To each and every one of you, I love you all dearly and will forever be grateful for your Christ-like kindness. Last, but certainly not least: my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All that I am and I that I live for are owed to the redemptive power of His saving grace. May my life always be a song for You. Soli Deo Gloria. viiiv i To everyone who turns