The Addams Family and The Munsters, which aired from 1964 to 1966, were more than unconventional. Their characters and premises existed well outside the realm of society’s normal expectations and hierarchy. This was oddly similar to the underlying philosophy of feminism and the women’s liberation movement, which was questioning the demands and results of the traditional power structure at that same time.
Counterculture
Everyone knows that the characters on The Munsters and The Addams Family were “quirky, kooky, mysterious, and spooky”, as The Addams Family theme song told us (snap, snap). In addition, though, their bold, non-traditional actions revealed a hint of feminism in the briefly lived monster family sitcoms.
Amid the visual gags and amusing antics was a subtle, fun social commentary. Who really is different? What is a “normal” family, or a “normal” person? Isn’t there a value in nonconformity? Why should traditional roles be the most important thing?
No Submissive Housewives
Morticia Addams was arguably more in control of her altogether ooky family than her husband, Gomez was, and Lily Munster did the exact opposite of traditional housework. Also, she was often found either mediating her husband’s problems or pushing back against his traditional rule. Morticia Addams and Lily Munster were both innovative, strong women – even if they weren’t humans we would traditionally recognize.
New Models of Family Dynamics
There was true partnership between the spouses on Cemetery Lane and Mockingbird Lane. Neither sitcom lasted long, and they might have lasted longer if they hadn’t been competing with each other. However, by stripping away many of society’s conventions, these sitcoms were able to look at individual characters as individuals, rather than just as “someone’s wife” or some other traditional societal role. In that way, there was a little feminism in The Addams Family and The Munsters. They were proto-feminist harbingers of the social change to come over the next decade.