Four shows will be utilized to analyse the values and roles of the sample group: The Simpsons, Married with Children, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Malcolm in the Middle. The survey will then ask which of these shows are most popular among teenagers. After doing this, it will be clear whether or not the values of these teenagers match the values of the television show. .
There is a clear relationship between the roles of the candidates parents to the ones portrayed in the television shows. Nearly 60% of the candidates go to their mother for guidance and 75% of them go to their mother for comfort. This is reflected in family television programs such as Malcolm in the Middle and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where the mother's role is to nurture and teach their children how to conform to society. Of the candidates who go to their mother for guidance and comfort, 67% felt that their mother most resembled Vivian Banks (mother in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). Vivian is a hard worker who constantly sympathizes with her children, teaches them new things and reinforces the ideas of her hard working husband. It is evident that candidates relate to Vivian as she acts out the role of a mother who nurtures and guides her children. Interestingly, the shows selected for the field study have all started after 1990. In 50% of the shows, the mother character works outside the home and also raises the children. These shows are different from the shows during the 60's and 70's for they depict families as dual income providers and they often portray fathers as less knowledgeable than mothers. Currently, the traditional family is mocked in fictional television formats. Fathers are seen as immature people without authority. This is exemplified in Malcolm in the Middle, where the father is very nervous and needs constant support and guidance from his wife. The wife in this show raises and disciplines the children while holding a job.
