December 28, 2002
The Repression of Lucy Ricardo
by Deepa and Preethi Govindaraj
Lucille Ball’s struggle with female independence on screen was a subtle off-screen struggle as well. The years that she played Lucy Ricardo in the I Love Lucy series represented the struggle women across America (and the world) faced in the 1950’s. The scriptwriters, according to Michael McClay (author of I Love Lucy: The Complete Picture History) wanted to represent Lucy as the typical American housewife with whom every American woman could identify. We doubt the average American woman in the 1950’s was as clumsy, peculiar, and eccentric as Lucy.
Every time Lucy wanted to be on the show with Ricky, wanted to act in a film, or start a business, Ricky denied her the opportunity. Lucy went behind his back most of the time and pursued the audition, act, or business anyway. She assumed her maiden name when she pursued an independent venture. Ricky’s stern denial, compounded by his constant reiteration of Lucy’s role as a housewife and mother, made Lucy more determined to gain her role independence as the series continued. When she got in the spotlight however, she invariably goofed. The writers of the show repeatedly made their point that 1950’s women were expected to stay at home and take care of the Little Rickys.
In the episode “Lucy Does A TV Commercial” Lucy wanted to act in the Vitameatavegamin commercial, but Ricky didn’t let her. We, the audience, first sympathized with Lucy in her pursuit of the commercial to gain some independence, but then in the end we laughed and sympathized with Ricky when a drunk Lucy ruined his television appearance by making a fool of herself. In the episode “Lucy Gets in Pictures,” Lucy tried to persuade Ricky to let her act in a Hollywood film. Ricky finally relented. When Lucy had the opportunity to act in the film however, the writers of the show yet again took advantage of Lucy’s comical ability, and rendered her a terrible, clumsy actress who could not balance a headpiece and walk down the stairs without being disruptive. We saw chocolate cover Lucy’s face in the episode “Job Switching” signifying her inability to work properly in a factory. When Lucy wanted to start a salad dressing business in the episode “The Million-Dollar Idea,” the writers portrayed her as a woman incapable of calculating an accounting profit. Ricky emerged as the hero-husband who pointed out that she was producing every bottle of dressing at a loss of 3 cents per bottle.
Throughout the entire six-year series, we saw Lucy incapable of singing in key: every song number she did ended with the audience (us) laughing at Lucy’s inability to sing well. When the Ricardos were in England in the episode “Lucy Meets the Queen,” we laughed at Lucy’s inability to curtsy to the Queen. We roared when Lucy got stuck on the bar when she was trying to learn ballet in the episode “The Ballet.” We saw Lucy get cornered and defeated by a gigantic loaf of bread in her kitchen when she tried to prove that she could live without modern technology in the episode “Pioneer Women.” We watched in amusement when Lucy was out of synch with the other dancers in Ricky’s number at the Tropicana in “The French Revue.” We agreed with Ethel that someone as untalented and destructive as Lucy was unfit to play the part of the Gypsy Queen in the episode “The Operetta,” and we felt we made the right decision when we heard Lucy sing the part off key. We were even more reassured of our decision when the prop company came on stage during the performance to confiscate the scenery and costumes because Lucy had failed to pay them.
The American public was manipulated into thinking that every time Lucy did something, she would only cause disaster and trouble for everyone. The scriptwriters represented her in a manner that validated Ricky’s firm belief that Lucy was not meant to hold a career. She was best at household affairs and motherhood.
In the episode “Lucy’s Italian Movie,” the Ricardos and the Mertzs’ were in Italy and Lucy received the chance to appear in an Italian film. The title of the film was Grappulo Pungente, or Bitter Grapes. Lucy saw the word “grapes” and assumed the film was about stomping grapes at the vineyards. Without telling Ricky, she left the confines of the hotel to “soak up” the local culture. However, her attempt to learn more about the culture she was surrounded by was futile, just like anything else she tried to do professionally. Her face was stained and her clothes were stained, and the picture had nothing to do with grapes. The producer of the film, Vittorio Phillipe, took one look at her grape-stained face, straggly hair and ripped clothing and told her she couldn’t be in his film the next day. It turned out the title of the film held a symbolic meaning and Lucy was to represent an American tourist. As the audience, we were manipulated into laughing at her foolish appearance and presumptuous nature. Ricky’s perpetual claim that Lucy’s place was at home with their son and not in the working world was validated.
We saw her try and we saw her fail. The worst part about it was that Lucille Ball’s television character wasn’t even given the chance to act or demonstrate whatever talent she felt she possessed; rather, her desire to act was squashed even before she started. The comical nature of the episode masked what was really happening: Lucy was reprimanded by her husband, by the producer, and by “fate”, for trying to work hard and learn about a career and the lives of Italians in vineyards, and was discouraged in her endeavors even before she began.
The gender roles were so deeply ingrained that Lucy couldn’t separate herself from her dual role as a wife and mother even when the opportunity rose. When Lucy and Ricky were in Hollywood, Lucy went behind Ricky’s back (again) and performed a dance number with a dummy that resembled Ricky, which Lucy created in “Lucy and the Dummy.” Once again, her pursuit ended in disaster when the dummy fell apart on stage during the number. MGM loved the “comedy” routine however, and offered Lucy a job. When Ricky found out, he used reverse psychology to persuade Lucy that a career would disrupt her family life, and would deprive her of motherhood if she accepted the job. Lucy couldn’t bear to be separated from Little Ricky since she was so used to playing Mother that she turned down the job offer. Ricky played mind games with Lucy and made her think she would lose out by receiving professional recognition.
The writers captured Lucille Ball’s comical ability marvelously. In doing so however, the opportunity cost was the fair representation of women. Using a comical, clumsy, unusual housewife that the writers made sure to portray as “scatterbrained” endorsed the 1950’s ideal of the female role, as seen in other television personalities and sitcoms such as June Cleaver in Leave it to Beaver. The attempt to gain professional, sexual, and economic independence apparently resulted in disaster and defeat, and Lucille Ball’s facial expressions and gestures emphasized this significantly. Husbands like Ricky could be sure that they were correct in telling their wives to stay home: look what happened to Lucy every time she delved into a new venture.
We laugh at Lucy Ricardo’s attempts at breaking into the business and side with Ricky when Lucy ruins his shows or creates a spectacle. However, while Lucy Ricardo is a source of amusement, Lucille Ball deserves our respect and admiration. Not only was she instrumental in the production of I Love Lucy, she also went on to do other television shows and films. While Lucy Ricardo stayed at home like a good girl and raised Little Ricky and took care of the house, Lucille Ball went to work, created the Desilu Studios with Desi Arnaz and raised two children. While Lucy Ricardo desired to break free of the stereotypical ideal of the 1950’s woman and failed at it, Lucille Ball succeeded. Too bad they couldn’t have found a way to share the success.
Deepa Govindaraj is a freshman at the University of Buffalo Honors Program, pursuing a degree in the Liberal Arts. Preethi Govindaraj, a recent graduate from the University at Buffalo Honors Program, is a first year MBA student at UB.
copyright 2002 by Buffalo Report, Inc.