Sitcoms

Like most Americans I enjoy a good sitcom. Being an older American I have seen the subject matter of sitcoms change with the times. The earliest I remember watching because I wanted too and not my parents were The Andy Griffith Show,Gomer Pyle USMC,Hogans Heroes,That Girl and Leave it to Beaver.
All those shows were very tame compared to todays' situations. That Girl was a single woman living alone in the big city and was risque  in a minamilist sort of way. After all she did wear tight sweaters and go go boots ! One of the reasons I watched. There was always a moral to the story. Andy teaching Opie about honesty,Gomer always doing the right thing irregardless.Hogan making the Germans look like fools and The Beav always learning a valuable life lesson.
I have watched as the shows subject matter changed over the years to suit what was happening. Archie Bunker to show us all our prejudicies and how they are wrong. The Jeffersons, moving on up. Chico and the Man a show ahead of its' time given todays' social atmosphere. Lately we have sitcoms involving Gays,single parents,overweight people and interacial relationships. Jeffersons did that too.
I think that sitcoms are a way for us to adjust as a society to changes. It gives us a chance to adjust to what is becoming the new normal. They try to teach us tolerance through laughter. As a medium I think they have done a fairly good job at that too. The really good ones did it without upsetting too many people. They showed us what we all knew but never spoke of. Think Archie Bunker. Even Archie didn't believe the rheortic he spouted.
I don't watch nearly as much television as I used too. It is limited to mostly the history channel and the news.
A few game shows occasionaly. As far as sitcoms; reruns of Seinfeld,Two and a Half men and Everybody Loves Raymond are about it. Seinfeld because it was just silly,Two and a Half Men just because and Raymond is hilarious. Not sure what it is those shows are trying to teach me. I'm thinking the underlying message is,Let's all just get along and don't take life too seriously.