The Roseanne Revival Offers The Greatest Depiction of Politics and Family in The Trump Era
Hollywood has made great strides in recent years in terms of representation and inclusion. There’s been a giant boost of diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. There hasn’t, however, been much diversity in ideology. But perhaps the tide may be turning with the Roseanne revival.
The Emmy-winning sitcom ran for a whopping nine seasons and was off the air for over 20 years. It followed the Conners, a working-class Midwestern family that despite the troubles they faced throughout the years, they always persevered. They were made up of Roseanne (Roseanne Barr), the opinionated matriarch, Dan (John Goodman), the easygoing patriarch, daughters Becky (Lecy Goranson, Sarah Chalke) and Darlene (Sara Gilbert), son D.J. (Michael Fishman), and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), Roseanne’s neurotic sister. What’s amazing is that entire cast returned for the revival, even both Beckys, but what sparked massive intrigue was the revelation that Roseanne Conner was going to be a Trump supporter.
The revival tackled politics head-on. The set-up was that Roseanne and Jackie hadn’t spoken in a year because the 2016 election drove them apart — and Darlene made an attempt for them to patch things up.
The premise is sadly a familiar one, since many households across the country have had similar conflicts due to the bitterly polarized state of politics. Roseanne isn’t the first sitcom to address politics and it won’t be the last, but it has set the bar high as to how TV shows should handle the current presidency.
Before we get into what Roseanne got right, let’s talk about what other shows got wrong.
Conservatives were widely upset when Last Man Standing was cancelled last year and some speculated that ABC pulled it due to the show’s politics, which leaned right. The Tim Allen sitcom got very political during the 2012 election but significantly dialed back during the 2016 election. The lead character, Mike Baxter, was an outspoken conservative who openly mocked Democrats and would often clash with his progressive son-in-law, sort of like an Archie Bunker, or Michael “Meathead” Stivic-type relationship. And while it was a breath of fresh air for those whose politics don’t align with Liberal Hollywood’s, the show was essentially a one-sided fight that always ended with Tim Allen’s character as the victor.
The Will & Grace revival had the opposite problem. The show was never really political during its original run, but after their election special went viral, NBC ordered a full season to air the following year. When it returned to television last fall, the first episode also tackled politics, but not only was it one-sided, it was also mean-spirited at the expense of not just President Donald Trump but of Republicans as a whole, which only further alienates half the country.
What Roseanne did perfectly was strike a balanced tone between the #MAGA and the #Resistance crowds. Roseanne mocked the pussyhat-wearing “snowflake” Jackie while Jackie returned sharp jabs at her “deplorable” sister. Neither walk away as a winner based on how they voted. The episode doesn’t alienate any of its viewers. In fact, the political humor was actually funny! Whether you supported Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, everyone was welcomed back into the Conner household.
It is unclear if future episodes of Roseanne will be as political. The second episode — which also premiered Tuesday night — did focus on how Darlene’s son dresses in a feminine manner for school and how concerned Roseanne and Dan as grandparents were, so the show will likely address other hot-button issues just as the original series did.
Should politics remain prevalent in the Roseanne revival, then they already have a winning strategy. The Conners are just like any of us. They’re down-to-earth, relatable, and lovable. We may not have voted the way Roseanne or Jackie did, but the show gave an honest depiction of how family members with conflicting political views interact without taking either of their sides. Roseanne is the one of the rare recycled classics that has found a new purpose. This show gives both Trump supporters and Trump opposers a voice — something that’s been missing from Hollywood since Trump announced his candidacy, at the detriment of accurately representing the country.
Perhaps politicians, the media, and the rest of Hollywood should start to take seriously the nonpartisan and inclusive approach taken by the show as a successful way to bridge divides in the country. It’s a provably popular approach: the show’s premier notched a staggering 18 million viewers.
[image via screengrab]
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
