All the Family Vs. Hannah Montana

The differences and similarities between “All in the Family” and “Hannah Montana” clearly show an evolution (or perhaps devolution) in Media through TV. These two shows are both family-based situational comedies made within decades of each other, but even that small difference in time period produced drastically different products. First off the family structure is different. The 60’s family is the traditional nuclear family with a mother, father, daughter, and son, whereas Hannah Montana has a broken family (without a mom). Another prime difference is the subject matter. “All in the family” deals with controversial subject matter that would have been brought up in normal families during the sixties. On the other hand, “Hannah Montana” deals with extraordinary circumstances that none of the normal population has to deal with, like the daughter being a pop star who goes to school undercover as a non-famous person. The entire attitude of the two shows is different. “Hannah Montana” is showing that famous people are just like normal people, where “All in the Family” shows the meaningfulness of a regular life.

Even though these two shows are drastically different they have many similarities. They both have fathers who mean well and want to protect their children from the perceived evils of society. Most of their scenes are also set in the home around the TV or eating area. The families are both close and actively involved in each others lives. Often the father figure will make a decision designed to help his children when it actually hurts them. They also use situations that the audience can relate to in order to increase the humor. Even though our lives do not mirror any of the characters, the familiarity of dilemmas they face do give us a connection with their experiences. For example, we may not be a pop star, but we have all been in an awkward situation on a date.

The issues presented in Hannah Montana are much less controversial than those presented in “All in the Family.” For example, “All in the Family” brought hot button issues on camera like the acceptance of homosexuality in society whereas Hannah Montana might deal with problems encountered while throwing a party. The issues encountered in “Hannah Montana do not provoke thought, whereas the ones in “All in the Family” were designed to make the audience think about their life. This presence of serious issues in “All in the Family” versus trivial issues in Hannah Montana shows a different goal of the producers of these two shows.