In 1938, American cartoonist Charles Addams created a series of stand-alone comic strips called The Addams Family. A family from old money who enjoy living a dark and eccentric lifestyle, and they are also unaware of any outsiders who may have a disdain for their personal choices. Originally unnamed in the comics, the Addams family consists of seven main family members. Gomez and Morticia are a couple who are constantly seen near one another, including their children, Wednesday and Pugsley. Along with Gomez’s brother, Fester, their butler Lurch, and Morticia’s mother, who they call Grandmama. As the comics progressed, new characters were added to explore the narratives of the Addams family further. 

As the comic strips became more popular, the Addams family began to grow as a franchise. During the comics run, a live-action television series premiered on ABC in 1964, lasting around two seasons. The series was one of the first of its kind, as the show portrayed the Addams family as the opposite of the stereotypical ‘nuclear family’ model. The show received a bit of backlash from both fans and critics alike, as the critics thought that the show was too devilish and scary, whereas the fans considered the series to be a softer version of the comics. Charles Addams himself proclaimed that the series showed the characters only being ‘half-evil’ compared to their cartoon counterparts. They were seen to be a happier family, where the parents accepted the kid's lifestyle choices. Gomez had a positive relationship with his mother-in-law, and they treated their butler more familial rather than just a servant. One feature that the show highlighted was Gomez’s relationship with his wife.

 When the show first aired back in the 1960s, there were specific norms that couples were expected to follow. Married couples were not allowed to be seen as overly romantic. Referencing a couple's sex life was extremely taboo, especially in television appearance. Despite the unspoken rules of the decades of relationship culture, Gomez and Morticia Addams were not shown to hide their love for one another, they embraced their partner instead. The couple was seen treating one another with affection, no matter the setting of the situation. This made The Addams Family the black sheep of early 1960s television programs as it made the relationship of the couple more equal. Morticia and Gomez’s relationship reflected a positive marriage where both parties were seen as people, not just extensions of the other person. Reflecting on the more progressive and counterculture ideals of the 1960s as the show progressed.

The video shown is a series of clips of multiple episodes from the program, all clips showing Gomez and Mortica’s both physical and emotional relationship. This was a major difference the show had compared to other programs airing around the same time, as the couple were seen as exaggerated with their love. The two also continue to mention their bedroom life in a way that is not deemed at either persons expense. Kristen Cello, an assistant professor of history at Queens College, City University of New York, wrote a book titled  Making Marriage Work: A History of Marriage and Divorce in the Twentieth-Century United States in which she explained the social norms of a married couple of the 1950s, Psych Central explaining “In reality, according to Celello, many husbands did value their relationships and were willing to work on them. But the advice of the 1950s overwhelmingly put the responsibility of a relationship’s success on the wife.” Yet, Morticia and Gomez are doing almost the opposite, both partners making sure their marriage succeeds by giving verbal affection, engaging in one anothers interest, and show public displays of affection, such as Gomez kissing up Morticia’s arm every time she speaks French.

During the series release, the post WWII era began to form. Many younger individuals began to participate in ‘counterculture’. As explained below, counterculture happened when individuals rejected the idea of a nuclear family and began to pursue more individual goals instead of focusing on a family. While the movement was present in the late 1950s, its impact on American culture still lasted into the 1960s when the show was made. The Addams Family does not entirely disregard the idea of a perfect American family, but instead was influenced by the movement. With Gomez and Morticia once again only bending the rules, but still leaning into more progressive ideals. Shunning away from the constricting limits of relationships and embracing more public displays. 

“Best of Morticia & Gomez Addams | MGM Studios.” n.d. Www.youtube.com. Accessed May 9, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_0nWZ4xXUk.

FoundationINTERVIEWS. 2018. “John Astin on Gomez and Morticia’s Relationship on ‘the Addams Family.’” YouTube. February 8, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRrZnFCNeRQ&list=PLJP_M59vk2FpZh4tJSXRjv2qq2rKAc1LE&index=1.

Hayes, Amy. 2022. “The Counterculture Hippie Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.” The Collector. September 15, 2022. https://www.thecollector.com/hippie-counterculture-movement-1960s-1970s/.

Morowitz, Laura. 2007. “The Monster Within: The Munsters, the Addams Family and the American Family in the 1960s.” Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies 2 (1): 35–56. https://doi.org/10.7227/cst.2.1.5.

Nostalgiaworld. 2023. “THE ADAMS FAMILY [1964].” Nostalgiaworld.co.uk. Nostalgiaworld. July 20, 2023. https://nostalgiaworld.co.uk/the-addams-family-1964/2023/television/.

Tartakovsky, Margarita. 2012. “A Glimpse into Marriage Advice from the 1950s.” Psych Central. February 27, 2012. https://psychcentral.com/blog/a-glimpse-into-marriage-advice-from-the-1950s#7.

“The Culture of the 1950s < Postwar America < History 1994 < American History from Revolution to Reconstruction and Beyond.” 2012. Let.rug.nl. 2012. https://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/postwar-america/the-culture-of-the-1950s.php.