Different Genres have diverse forms but the same ones share a similar, or even homogeneous structure. Sitcom, as a form, tends towards the reassertion of conservative values of the home and family (in terms of both setting and theme), and the stereotyping of racial, class, sexual and regional differences. It generally centre on the middle class home and tends to be set in clearly defined settings, with a limited range of characters, in addition to a fair degree of emphasis on characters-as-stereotypes. In the stories, the characters transgress against, then restore the relationship and learn the value of or reaffirming the stability and importance of, closely-bound ties, the family or the social group. The background of the Be Home for Dinner is a middle-class family in contemporary Hong Kong. It basically has two settings: work and home, but actually four different spaces: Chungs’ family, a publishing house, a cooking learning-center and a online trading shop. The settings are very up to date and closely reflecting the reality of current Hong Kong people. For example, the heated occupation-online store and the re-marriage phenomenon. Although Be Home for Dinner contains complicated stories among those areas and in different aspects, small pieces of puzzles together as a whole, which is emphasizing on repetition and forestalling of closure in terms of the series as a whole.
Be Home for Dinner comprises characters-as-stereotypes. In Chungs’ family, it is not difficult to find that Chung Kwok Chui acted by Elliot Ngok is the vital person and get the most power within the family.
He likes to control his family members by challenging his son’s career choice, often rejecting his younger brother’s ideas and requesting obedience from the female characters, his daughter, wife and colleague as well. Apart from that, Chui always make effort to prove himself right. For instance, there was an episode which he and his brother Tung arguing whether Tung fell into water by himself or being pushed by Chui twenty years ago. Chui on the purpose of proofing Tung fell by himself, he went to the location and collect some evidences. On the contrary, Chui’s wife, acted by Helen Ma, is a little woman who is week, low education and totally listens to Chui. In one of the episodes telling that she did not even know how to use a can-opener and was always being cheated by others. In the story, only the male characters in the family can deviate or against him such as his son and brother. Chui is authoritarian but authentic, it also shows he is considerable by letting his son to learn cooking though he does not want. This drama, in certain extent, reinforces the characteristics of a patriarchal society as men hold the greatest power
“The Chinese name of the drama《誰家灶頭無煙火》is more explicit which has two double meaning,” told by the director. The first one is a literally meaning : asking whose home do not have cooking stove and not with fuel? A deeper meaning is every family would have sparks whenever there is disagreement and people insist their own thoughts. It thus on one hand encouraging busying Hong Kong people to go home to have dinner with their families after work, on the other hand urging people to face this reality and be patient. However, some of the audience will neglect the encoded message and retotalize it within some alternative framework of reference. For instance, in episodic 16, Chui said people who insist of doing one thing (food) have to be respected even he was only a man selling eggette (雞蛋仔). Then somebody may think the drama is somehow mocking the society.
Situation Comedy is in a high popularity that the audience can catch up with the story if they have missed or start at the middle of the episodic. Series which reflecting or referring to the world is undoubtedly appealing to many audiences since they are easily get resonant.
Wong Lo Ying, Vinice (10384184)
You have identified some distinctive features of situation comedy and illustrated them with some concrete examples cited from the selected TV drama. The discussion on the main protagonists and stereotypical gender relations (e.g., an authoritarian male breadwinner vs an obedient female care-giver) is quite well formulated.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the characters, I think you may wish to analyze Kristal Tin, who represents the category of modern career woman (as a sharp contrast to Helen Man). She is smart, determined, capable, confident, and also a typical perfectionist. These contrasting characters mark the different across generations, and also points to the changing status of women.
As we all know, sitcom always needs to integrate current issues into its plot, which can make the story more timely and realistic. In the case of “man selling eggette”, I guess the audiences are engaged in the “intended” (instead of alternative) framework set up by the scriptwriters. They actually expected the audiences to decode the message as a kind of mockery to the government policy.