Psychology

In looking at television shows that aired in the 60s as compared to those that aired in the 90s, there are marked differences in the way society viewed moral decency.  The thirty year time span resulted in a monumental decrease in restrictions that were imposed on family viewing values.  Society had become much more accepting of things once considered taboo.  What stands out and is most noticeable is nudity and language.  Violence has also increased in pitch and volume in television shows and research has been conducted to show that it is responsible for the increased aggression in children.  Research has also shown that the viewing of sex and nudity has lead to sex being performed by teenagers barely coming of age.  This paper will provide examples of the similarities of television shows from two entirely different time spans that though similar may as well be worlds apart.  There is one very resounding connotation of these shows that is timeless, and it is that they both share equally in the pursuit of love.

Comparing Television Shows from the 60s and 90s
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to show that society has changed its views over the last thirty years which is greatly seen in television viewing.  By evaluating two television shows, one from the 60s and one from the 90s, will show the similarity of these two shows and how society has broadened their acceptance of things once considered immoral, and indecent.

The first show aired September 18, 1965.  I dream of Jeannie is about an Astronaut by the name of Tony Nelson who returning to earth in his space capsule, lands on a deserted island.  On this island he finds a bottle.  Upon opening the bottle in a stream of vapor appears Jeannie.  She is a genie that has been placed in the bottle by an evil Jinn whom she refused to marry.

Jeannie has been in the bottle for 2000 years and is so grateful to Captain Nelson that even after he told her she was free she vowed to serve and take care of him.  As time transpires Jeannie falls in love with him, and the show is filled with the comedic antics of Jeannie as she attempts to get Captain Nelson to fall in love with her.

The second show aired October 07, 1998.  Charmed is about 3 sisters who find out that they have descended from a line of witches.  Each sister is endowed with a special gift.  One has the power to move objects, one has the power to stop time, and the third has the power to see the future.  Their powers combined translate to the effect of the power of three which makes them a very powerful force to be reckoned with.

They are plagued by creatures of the underworld and do battle with warlocks, demons, and other denizens of evil.  They goal of the evil ones is to get the sisters heirloom, the magical spell book, thus weakening their power and enabling them to overpower and defeat the power of three.

Target Audience
I dream of Jeannie was a comedy show that targeted all ages.  It was innocent enough to catch the attention of adolescents, yet mature enough to keep the attention of adults.  The jokes were presented in a terminology that was readily understood by old and young alike.  Jeannie was easy to relate to by the younger audience because she was always doing something that would land her in trouble.
She would first attempt to creatively get out of trouble without taking responsibility for her actions.

When all of her efforts failed, she would realize that the right thing to do would be to face her problems head on.  In todays world in light of her creativity in trying to make things right, Jeannie may well have been viewed as a Creative Artist in bringing creative solutions to fruition (Rabideau, 2010).

When she did this things would always turn out right.  The show delivered a lesson that was valuable for any age to learn.  It also gave advice to women that when you love someone, dont give up on them, stay strong and attentive and you just may win his heart after all.

Charmed was a drama show that targeted teen viewers.  It was a draw to teens as it represented the fashions and fervor that was real and tangible to them (Hollingsworth, 2009).

Remarkably it also held their attention with its magical calling, something that teens yearned for.  The possibility to have magical powers to make your life the way you want it to be.  The target was geared toward teenagers, although the show itself with its mysticism spilled over into adult viewing.  This may have been due to the adult themes that may have been a bit mature for most teenagers.

The three sisters are living life like normal girls their age, with the exception of having to defend their home front from evil.  The story line focuses on their wants and desires in life as they embark on adulthood in facing society and the world.  The message the show delivers is that bad things happen to good people and in knowing this, try to remember to keep your guard up while still not missing out on what life has to offer in finding the path to happiness.  It also speaks strongly of family ties and going that extra mile to keep your loved ones safe from harm.

Television Show Content
The reality of sex was evident in both television shows.  The display of its relevance as a reality of life is what helped to make the shows believable and easy to relate to in taking in the morals of each show.

In I dream of Jeannie, it was pushing the envelope a bit in the allowance of Jeannie wearing a midriff and baring part of her midsection.  The allowance stopped right above the belly button, as displaying her belly button would be considered as going too far and would be viewed as an immoral display.  Therefore Jeannies bottoms were made to ensure that they covered her belly button appropriately as well as being wide and not tight fitting.

The touching that was acceptable was displayed often by Jeannie who would throw her arms around Captain Nelsons neck bringing her face close to his as she pleaded for his affections.  She would be rewarded at times in receiving a kiss, and during one episode Jeannie turns the innocent kiss into a passionate one in which Captain Nelson at first surprised, responds to the kiss in turn.

In Charmed, sex was kept low key, in honoring the tradition of seeking true love.  It was depicted according to the times of free sexual expression.  Once one felt that they had found their true love it was acceptable of the times to have sex with them before marriage.  The reality of this expression was that more times than not the happy couple fails to marry, and ultimately breaks apart.
This can be looked at in two ways which provides clarity for two views.  Those who believe that marriage should occur before sex, would be satisfied to say that why buy the cow if the mild is free, meaning that the man hasnt any motivation now to proceed in doing the right thing in respecting her virtue thus opts to not commit.  While others may say sex before marriage is important and should be one of the deciding factors before getting married.

General Content
The underlying theme of these two television shows that was apparent is the main characters were seeking to be loved and understood for who they were.  The concept of love is timeless.  It is unchanging from societys views of television from the 60s to the 90s and actually beyond.
The search for true love is evidenced in I Dream of Jeannie as Jeannie strives to make Captain Nelson see her for who she really is, and to see the love that she feels for him.  All that she really wants is for him to understand her and to love her in return.  She tries all manner of things for this to happen, even using her magic when her patience runs out.  In the end she realizes that if someone does not love you of their own accord, then the love is empty and unfulfilling.  She also sees the difference when at long last Captain Nelson realizes that he truly does love Jeannie.  Not only does he return her love, he also asks her for her hand in marriage.

I Dream of Jeannie is a comedy.  It is a love story that is subtle and cloaked in good hearted nature.  The comedy keeps the problems that Jeannie faces from seeming as serious as they are, while still allowing for her frustrations to be easily recognized.

The search for true love is evidenced in Charm by both Piper and Phoebe.  Both points of view are demonstrated.  Piper in her budding romance with Leo displays a romance that is virtuous built on a friendship of respect.  Despite many setbacks it leads to mutual love and ultimately to marriage (much like Jeannie).

Phoebe on the other hand lacks endurance in her quest for true love.  She dresses provocatively, is easily distracted, hops into bed pretty fast, and is quick to call it quits.  Her heart is held at bay and beats for only one true love, but unfortunately he is a demon, and cannot be trusted.  This predicament lends understanding to Phoebes looking for love in all the wrong places with no commitment in sight.

Positive and Negative Effects
The content of these two television shows can give mixed messages to viewers.  In light of the times for each, both the positive and negative effects were surprisingly similar.

A negative aspect contributed to both shows is that they had an all white cast which could imply to minorities that whites thought only of themselves as having magic, and therefore of being the most powerful.  It could send the wrong message to minority children, and adversely affect their self esteem which could have repercussions into adulthood.  This is especially true of the 60s as racial tensions were prevalent throughout the nation.  The tendency to create a perception of being an outsider could affect both adolescents and adults (Robinson, 2008).

A positive aspect for I Dream of Jeannie is that she is portrayed as an individual that is good and although she makes mistakes from time to time, she knows what is right and what is wrong.  She always does the right thing in the end.  This lends support to the fact that we are all human and we make mistakes.  However going further to show that in going back and making things right, we will have done what is right, thereby learning from our mistakes.

A positive aspect for Charm is that the sisters, who are witches, are portrayed as good witches.  They practice Wicca, a form of witchcraft that is a very peaceful, harmonious and balanced way of thinking and life which promotes oneness with the divine and all which exists (Herne, 2010).  In this way they are measured as super heros, working to save the world and its inhabitants without needing to be called upon.  It is their mission in life to keep the world safe and their magic provides insight as to dangers that need to be addressed.  The message received is awareness of the importance of taking care of the world and each other.