The Sitcom as Social History

One of the many interesting aspects of the comedies of yesteryear are the little glimpses of contemporary life as it was then. Little references that will bypass the more modern audience but jolt an older viewer into a nostalgic trip. Sometimes you come across references that you just don’t get and wonder why the audience are laughing.

I’m currently making my way through the complete George & Mildred - which I am enjoying immensely – but more of that anon. In the latest episode the Roper’s bed has collapsed (and not from marital overuse, much to Mildred’s chagrin) and so they set off to buy a new one. Later, when Mildred mentions that she has got rid of the broken bed George complains as he reckons he could have got a good price for it. Mildred then delivers the punch-line that she "only got a goldfish for it", cue audience laughter. Not, I initially thought, the funniest line ever; I simply didn’t get understand what was funny about it. Then suddenly the opening scene of the 1971 film ‘Melody’ (an absolute charmer of a film by the way, which is coming out soon on DVD) where the titular Melody is wanting a goldfish so badly that she pinches some of her mother’s clothes and gives them to the Rag and Bone man, who then gives her a goldfish sprung to mind. And then the penny dropped and the joke seemed to make made sense, if it was a common practice. Sure enough, a quick Google brought up the fact that the rag and bone men did indeed give away goldfish. Quite why I haven’t ascertained, obviously as an incentive, but giving them to kids is more like an incentive to pinch from their folks! Anyway it was interesting piece of information that I would still be ignorant of if it hadn’t been for George & Mildred.

After G&M I am planning to move onto Steptoe & Son and I shall be keeping a keen eye open for any goldfish that may be about!