As a kid, I grew up watching Roseanne. I didn’t know at the time that it was a ground breaking show. I didn’t know that it was one that I would rewatch the series over and over again. They were funny sitcoms we watched with my family and I could easily relate to both Becky and Darlene and laughed at things they were going through. While Roseanne may have been a loud mouth, outspoken and often rude – little did I know that it was the type of woman that I would turn out to be (with hopefully a lot less yelling).
Roseanne was ground breaking, it didn’t put on the frills. It had shows that highlighted sexuality, domestic abuse, depression and topics people weren’t discussing at the time. It showed a middle class family scraping by, relationships that we didn’t usually see and if you look at it now, ones that we can relate to in our every day lives and even our homes. It showed that life wasn’t always pretty, the house isn’t always clean, but family stands up and with you through it all.
Fast forward to 2018, the show is coming back. The original cast is resuming their roles as the characters we love. We’re still excited to see how they’re going to explain Dan’s death in the last season, and the two Becky’s. But watching the old shows brings up some lessons we can all relate to, as well as a bit of nostalgia for the 80’s and 90’s we grew up in. Over the holidays, I found that if you have Amazon Prime the first 9 seasons are available now for streaming and while watching the old episodes there are a few lessons we can take away from the old episodes.
Money Isn’t Everything
This is something we should all know, but the Conner family is struggling paycheck to paycheck. But despite their struggles, they’re there for each other through thick and thin. They may splurge occasionally on things that aren’t in their budgets, but it’s something we can all relate to. We’ve all been there, strapped for cash and making ends meet. But when you look around, you already have everything you need and sometimes that bill can wait a few more days.
Family is Always There For You
Sure, they may annoy you – but family is family. Dan isn’t a fan of Jackie, but when she needs it most he comes through for her. They may fight like siblings, but blood and bonds are thicker than the occasional annoyance. The kids may fight, but that’s normal sibling squabbles and when it comes down to important issues, they take care of each other and keep each other’s secrets. If you have a brother or sister, you can relate to these relationships.
Don’t Be Afraid To Be Yourself
Darlene is the epitome of the weird middle child. She’s artistic, she’s moody, she’s pretty much the most relate-able character for teenage girls out there. In a couple of episodes they try to get her to be the girly girl, but her true colors shine through and they let her be herself. They accept her for the sporty girl who grows up to be a bit artsy and emo and stop trying to make her into her older sister.
Fighting Can Be Good for Your Relationship
The Conners do a lot of fighting through the show – this is probably another reason the show is ground breaking – it’s not sugar coating everything. Relationships are hard, you disagree a lot and if you can’t agree sometimes things get heated. But that doesn’t mean the relationship is over – it’s a bit of give and take and a balance. Conflict can help you build a stronger relationship and help you find a middle ground. And after all of the fights, they make up and end up finding the right balance.
Gender Roles Don’t Limit You
From a mother who is the bread maker and starts in a factory and ends up owning her own business and an author, a self-employed dad and an aunt that is a truck driver and a cop. They aren’t the traditional roles we see men and women in on television. The difference in jobs were the first time a lot of younger viewers saw parents in different positions, which helps normalize them. Being a woman didn’t stop Jackie from driving a truck or becoming a cop. The jobs didn’t stop them from being active parts of their family and raising their kids, it was just what they did to get by as they chased their passions.
Need to catch up on the old episodes before the revival hits screens in March? You can stream Roseanne seasons 1-9 on Amazon Prime right now!
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About Roseanne:
Roseanne is an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997 with a revival season set to premiere on March 27, 2018. Lauded for its realistic portrayal of the average American family, the series stars Roseanne Barr, and revolves around the Conners, an Illinois working-class family.