Gender issues in an old Rosanne episode from the early 90s.
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 3:09 pm
Recently I purchased a box set of all the Roseanne episodes (the original series). Last night I watched a Halloween episode where the young boy D.J. wanted to be a witch for Halloween, complete with broom stick and all.
As the story goes Dan (the father) is embarrassed and won't let the child around Dan's friends, even going to far as to scold Roseanne for encouraging the practice.
"Roseanne, isn't two daughters enough?"
To which Roseanne responds,
"Well Dan, Darlene was a pirate for three years and you didn't have a problem with that." (Paraphrased)
Darlene is a tomboy of the show, at least in the early years.
The story continues on, along with the usual sitcom antics one would expect. The end of the show has Dan finally accepting that fact that his only son wants to be a witch for Halloween and goes so far as the buy him another broom.
Pretty mild by today's standards, but certainly ahead of its time in the early 90s
It provides further evidence that gender questioning isn't "a new thing" whipped up by todays "confused kids". Extra points for Roseanne calling out the double standard with regards to Darlenes tomboyish behavior.
I suppose an alternative answer to Dan's question about "two daughters being enough", she could have grinned and said,
"Yeah, Becky and D.J." Thus leaving Darlene out of the equation.
As the story goes Dan (the father) is embarrassed and won't let the child around Dan's friends, even going to far as to scold Roseanne for encouraging the practice.
"Roseanne, isn't two daughters enough?"
To which Roseanne responds,
"Well Dan, Darlene was a pirate for three years and you didn't have a problem with that." (Paraphrased)
Darlene is a tomboy of the show, at least in the early years.
The story continues on, along with the usual sitcom antics one would expect. The end of the show has Dan finally accepting that fact that his only son wants to be a witch for Halloween and goes so far as the buy him another broom.
Pretty mild by today's standards, but certainly ahead of its time in the early 90s
It provides further evidence that gender questioning isn't "a new thing" whipped up by todays "confused kids". Extra points for Roseanne calling out the double standard with regards to Darlenes tomboyish behavior.
I suppose an alternative answer to Dan's question about "two daughters being enough", she could have grinned and said,
"Yeah, Becky and D.J." Thus leaving Darlene out of the equation.