You are here:

So You Want a Television Set

Name: So You Want a Television Set
Director: Richard L. Bare
Released: 1953
Duration: 10 min

No Poster Available

Representation Score

0.4/10

Minimal

1953

Approved

Director

Richard L. Bare

Runtime

10 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

This mid-century comedy is a quintessential product of its time, prioritizing traditional social, racial, and gender hierarchies. The plot focuses on the comedic disruption caused by a new television set within a suburban household. The film does not intentionally aim for multi-layered representation. Instead, it offers a highly conventional depiction of 1950s American life, emphasizing the nuclear family and established communal norms. Ultimately, the narrative serves as a period-specific satire of technological obsession rather than a critique of broader social structures.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does So You Want a Television Set have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows strict 1950s social norms and does not include any non-straight gender identities or stories that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight.

How does So You Want a Television Set portray gender?

Limited

The characters follow traditional marriage roles and mid-century domestic clichés. The story emphasizes the stability of the nuclear family without challenging gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is So You Want a Television Set?

Minimal

The production reflects the demographic uniformity of 1950s suburban comedies. There is no indication of non-white or non-Anglo-Saxon casting in this middle-class setting.

How does So You Want a Television Set represent religion and culture?

Limited

The comedy centers on consumerism and the novelty of new technology. It reinforces traditional Western social structures and the sanctity of the private home.

Does So You Want a Television Set include disability representation?

Minimal

The cast portrays a typical able-bodied middle-class population. There is no focus on neurodivergence or physical disability within the narrative.

Present on Screen

Offers a clear, authentic look at mid-century American domestic life and social norms.

Limited or Absent

Lacks any meaningful representation of LGBTQ+ identities, diverse racial backgrounds, or characters with disabilities.
Relies heavily on traditional gender hierarchies and homogeneous demographic portrayals.

Official Synopsis

Joe and Alice buy a television set and, due to some excuse, or another, the neighbors begin to drop in, stay to watch television, and raid their refrigerator.

How are these scores produced? →