Introduction

Television has become popular culture’s primary story teller and definer of patterns through its providing of information and entertainment for an enormous and heterogeneous mass public.[1] Yet at the same time, television depends on society to determine what is justified to be put on air. The conventions that influence societal norms also dictate to us what is funny and what is acceptable.

Situation-comedies (or sitcoms) are popular due to the exaggerated portrayal of societal idiosyncrasies. The humour in the sitcoms arises when characters find themselves in pathetic situations which are funny only because the audience develops a sudden sense of superiority in seeing someone else squandering – there a very Hobessian assessment which sees sitcoms are a reflection of society, and the things that make us laugh as determining our level of sophistication.

When premiered in 1994, Singapore’s first English sitcom, Under One Roof recorded a 21% share of the primetime audiences, which was more than double the next top rated shows in English.[2] Its popularity continued all the way up to its ‘limited edition’ final season, which was produced to commemorate Mediacorp’s 40th anniversary in 2002. Unfortunately, subsequent sitcom productions have failed to achieve such ratings, with at least two being canceled just weeks into airing (Now Boarding got cancelled after 5 episodes, in 2001).[3]

The focus of this project, however, is not so much why local sitcoms fail to deliver. We do not wish to compare one sitcom with another to determine why one succeeds where another flops. We believe that regardless of the quality or success of the productions, the final end product will always be borne out of popular culture and remain a mirror reflecting social undercurrents. Instead, we choose to comment on the phenomenon of the situation comedy, as a means of reifying popular concepts such as family, race relations and gender.

One argument has always been that Mediacorp is merely pandering to the lowest common denominator of Singapore society with the slapstick humour. Surely most Singaporeans cannot be that crass or wanting intellectually![4] In our project, we discuss Channel 5 sitcoms in terms of their broader themes, and show how they portray society’s values and beliefs. These productions are a reflection of how society has progressed within the short span of 15 years.

This paper compares television family sitcoms of the past to the family sitcoms of the present and suggests that their changing nature is an indication that television is a reflecting the changes in society. We also argue that these poor quality productions, often lambasted for being unoriginal or suffering from bad acting surprisingly serve to increase the political engagement of an often parochial Singaporean citizenry by providing a non-political agenda, through which resentment breeds discourse, which develops a unique form of civic linkage among the masses that the government sees no need to censor … yet.

[1] Mary M. Dalton and Laura R. Linder, The sitcom reader : America viewed and skewed (Albany : State University of New York Press, 2005), p. 28
[2] Andrea Teo, TV entertainment in Singapore (NTU, 1998) p.4
[3] “TV and Radio Entertainment” in Get form me Singapore http://www.getformesingapore.com/tvradio_news.htm
[4] “Getting an overdose of Reality TV” in The Onlie Citizen

Under One Roof

Source:http://www.corporate.mediacorp.sg/progsales/progsales.asp?id=148&version=english&type=studios

Under One Roof is a true-to-life sitcom about the Tan family, who live in a 5-room HDB flat. The Tan family five comprises of Tan Ah Teck, played by Mosses Lim, the lovably archetype authoritative father figure, stereotype of an average Chinese family. He is conservative in his views on family and tries to maintain the Chineseness in his increasingly non-Chinese children. [1]

Teck’s wife, Dolly (played by Koh Chieng Man), is a gullible, mah-jong loving, superstitious housewife.[2] Her character emphasises the role of women in Singaporean society – supportive of her breadwinner husband; her sphere of influence nestled within the confines of her home.

The couple has three children: Paul, Denise and Ronnie each with unique characters highlighting different stereotypes. Paul is the Anglicized ‘clean-freak’ accountant who is hen-pecked by his more domineering wife and family. Ronnie is a pretentious business student at the National University of Singapore with an inflated ego.[3] Denise is the sensible young one in the. She is often portrayed as a cynic towards Ronnie’s get-rich-quick schemes, and her character development is reflective of the changing tastes of the more educated women within society (especially in her decision to date a Caucasian).

Under One Roof is a highly politicized sitcom, espousing government ideologies from the opening sequence right trough to the end credits. It fortifies the notions of the traditional ‘Asian’ family, demarcating gender roles, as well as notions such as filial piety and even racial harmony. The family tries hard to reconcile with the changing times, and its inability to do so is reflected in the plot changes over the seasons.

[1] Kenneth Paul Tan, Cinema and television in Singapore: resistance in one dimension (Leiden;Boston: Brill, 2008), p.127
[2] Ibid., p.127
[3] Ibid., p.128

A video of the various characters in Under One Roof!

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMxZgQvvrB4

Parental Guidance

source: http://tvbsidsation.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html

Parental Guidance marks a change in the traditional notion of the family. Premiering in 2007, it comes more than a decade after Under One Roof and when compared, presents a more realistic reflection of Singaporean society. It is a light-hearted story about two self-obsessed individuals, James and Ling, who find themselves appointed as guardians to three children when their biological parents passed away.[1]

James Seto is a 30-something lawyer and playboy who never had the thought of ‘settling down’.[2] Ling, also a 30-something lawyer, finds herself having to fulfil her promise to her cousin’s children. Ling had a difficult childhood that coloured her perspective of marriage and she swore never to marry someone different from her. [3] Once a single woman with no duties and responsibilities to others, she tries to reconcile with this new role, sometimes wishing she were single once again.

Both James and Ling have to restructure their lives, and the problems they face highlights why in today’s society, certain individuals opt not to marry or procreate. The story nonetheless carries its own morals, emphasizing the importance of family and the intangible benefits that marriage and children bring.

[1] “Jessica Hsuan in New Series “Parental Guidance”

http://tingting.silentcross.net/2007/02/27/jessica-hsuan-in-new-series-parental-guidance/
[2] “Jessica Hsuan in New Series “Parental Guidance”

http://tingting.silentcross.net/2007/02/27/jessica-hsuan-in-new-series-parental-guidance/
[3] “Jessica Hsuan in New Series “Parental Guidance”

http://tingting.silentcross.net/2007/02/27/jessica-hsuan-in-new-series-parental-guidance/

This is a video teaser of the commercial advertisements for Parental Guidance

source: http://tvbsidsation.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html

Family and Gender

At the heart of Singaporean sitcom lies the family, nuclear, extended, blended, and created.[1]

The family evokes a sense of familiarity and the use of home offers many insights into Singapore society. It tells us more than just the characters, but quite often about class, race, and contemporary societies.[2] The 5-room HDB home in Under One Roof offers the audience a sense of belonging, and a familiarity to which they can relate the experiences of the family with.

The program demonstrates the workability of Singaporean multiculturalism in the context of a large apartment block.[3] The family represents an idealistic concept of family. There is the embodiment of security, stability and togetherness with clear articulation of roles and responsibilities and the subtle lines of authority that flow from the wise father and understanding mother to obedient children.[4]

Sitcoms like Under One Roof portray a playful attitude towards the patriarchal father figures. In doing so, Moses Lim’s avuncular Tan Ah Teck position as the head and leader of the household is satirized. In the newer television families, such as Parental Guidance, dad remains the leader, but is no longer the boss. Within the span of 15 years, we see the development of a more democratic form of family, from a previously authoritarian one.[5] The new ideal rests on complimentary gender roles in marriage, and an overall more liberal society.

In the past women were confined to the domestic sphere. A prominent stereotype of women was that they are more emotional than men. Women were believed to be easily flustered, and were seen as sensitive, often fearful and anxious. [6] In Under One Roof, Dolly is portrayed as having to succeed her own ambitions in place of her husband and children’s. Confined to her role within the household (especially in the episode ‘Burn Old Flame, Burn’) she laments that she could have otherwise been successful had she not decided to take care of the family and clean the house.[7]

As a departure from traditional gender norms, Ling in Parental Guidance is an empowered lawyer who is capable of fending for herself. Women today are portrayed as being equally competent as men. However, certain aspects of the fairer sex still remain. We see in Parental Guidance how Ling enteres the marriage with James on an equal basis. Care for the children was partaken equally by both Ling and James.

Reflecting reality, the modern husband is more involved in family life, helping out by occasionally drying the dishes, playing with his children and modelling appropriate gender roles for his son. Dad’s centrality to the family was slipping away as mom entered the workforce to help boost the family income. It is no coincidence that these new gender roles are reflective of the government’s idolization of the ‘Supermoms’ as being the next archetype of the female. In the Singaporean context, a Supermom is a lady who is able to fulfil her role of mother and wife while at the same time, maintaining a successful career.

Singaporean sitcom families also adhere closely to social rules as set out by the government. There are no references to homosexuality, and defiance towards parental figures is often resolved before the end of the episode.


[1] Dalton andLinder, The sitcom reader : America viewed and skewed,p. 49
[2] “At Home in Singaporean Sitcoms” from A journal of Media and Culture
[3] “At Home in Singaporean Sitcoms” from A journal of Media and Culture
[4] Dalton and Linder, The sitcom reader : America viewed and skewed,p. 51
[5] Ibid., p.51
[6] Barrie Gunter, Television and sex role stereotyping (London : J. Libbey : IBA , 1986), p.9
[7] Tan, Cinema and television in Singapore: resistance in one dimension, p.131

Ethnicity

Sitcoms can connect with Singaporeans because they reflect the norms of society and the average Singaporean’s life. However, in trying to be as realistic as possible to social realities, some sitcoms have come out appearing artificial. In this section, we argue how Under One Roof, in trying to appeal to popular culture stereotypes can be seen as artificial in terms of its depiction of Singapore’s multiracial/multicultural society. On the other hand, Parental Guidance comes across as more realistic, despite its all Chinese cast, and is equally accepted by the population.

In many sitcoms, the racial make-up of the characters is influenced by the social messages that the producers try to convey to the audiences. The fantasy of racial homogeneity, manifested in Singapore through multiracialism is mimicked in the sitcoms with the inclusion of minority characters whose addition into the storyline does little to change the course of actions, and therefore completely sideline apart from being a token representation to Singapore’s multiracial society.

In Under One Roof, the reality of heartland life is portrayed through minority representation as the Tan’s neighbours: a Malay couple Yusof and Rosnah and a pair of Indian and unmarried siblings Daisy and Michael.[1] This racial diversity reflects the reality of the race quota introduced by the Housing Development Board (HDB) that prevents an ethnic enclave from forming within a block of flats.

Analyzing the roles played by these characters, one realizes that the main plot of the sitcom would run real well without their presence. Phua Chu Kang which had an all-Chinese (save for Gurmit Singh) cast up until it’s fifth season proves the point. Jennifer Tan justifies this by explaining that:

“the characters are so funny and their human traits are so identifiable that they become universal. However the absence of minority races wasn’t a conscious decision. Still the first priority of this production has always been the concentration of Phua Chu Kang’s life and the people around him.”[2]


To be truly representative of society, we believe that characters should be picked by random, and the script should not be bent backwards to adhere to any unwritten racial representation quotas. Singaporean viewers do not need sitcoms to reinforce the idea of racial harmony. To be natural, there should be no deliberate attempts to add minorities into sitcoms instead portrayal of minorities should be when the story plot calls for where they would be relevant instead of just playing minor roles to build up on the emphasis of multiracial society. Hence it could be seen that in the process of instilling the sense of multiculturalism, it has actually lead to a backlash as the idealistic sitcoms now become unrealistic


[1]Tan, Cinema and television in Singapore: resistance in one dimension, p.128
[2]Ibid., p.136

...and on a side note, we feel that Singapore, for all its talk about multiracialism, has got a long way to go before it can match up to Malaysia! We feel that the unity in diveresity concept, along with other soft-handed approaches (not overt, but whose effects are still apparent) serve to remind Singaporeans about their distinctive ethnicities, instead of inculcating a common sense of Singaporeaness.

Below are two clips, part of the campaign to commemorate Malaysia's 50th year of Independence. The message is very apparent. Think about it...

Singlish

source: www.aussiepete.com/2008/05/singlish-language-...

The liberal use of Singlish (Singapore Colloquial English) is the definitive aspect of most local English sitcoms. It is the usage of words like lah, leh, meh and grammatically wrong sentences that afford Singaporeans a sense of familiarity and identification with the characters. However, this usage of Singlish has got the attention of leaders such as Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew who fear that the popularity of Singlish may one day retard Singaporean’s ability to communicate with a global population effectively.

Their concerns have led to the legislation of “Speak Good English” campaigns in the hope that Singaporeans would be able to discern between standard English and this corrupted version. The success of this is reflected in the almost perfect grammar in Parental Guidance. It is a huge advancement considering that hitherto, English sitcoms derived their funny from jokes that only someone familiar with Singlish could understand.

The popularity of sitcoms like Under One Roof and Phua Chu Kang subtly highlights the extent to which Singlish is enshrined within the average Singaporean psyche. As novelist Hwee Hwee Tan notes:

“Singlish is crude precisely because it’s rooted in Singapore’s unglamorous past. This is a nation built from the sweat of uncultured immigrants who arrived 100 years ago to boost their assets in the boisterous port. Our language grew out of the hardships of these ancestors.” [1]

Singlish is nationalistic; and an outcry against adopting the language of our colonial masters. It is the exotic lingua franca nurtured from English by way of Chinese, Malay and various Indian sub-continental accretions. [2] It is the bridge between the westernized younger generation and the pre-Independence generation, whose command of English is borne out of informal interaction with a multiracial society, hence the rojak grammar that only we understand.

Singlish is part of our identity and we believe that there would be no problems as long as people are able to code-switch to standard English when the situation calls for it.

Many are still able to discern when a situation calls for the use of proper English. This is especially evident when one interacts with a foreigner. In this scenario, Singaporeans suddenly adopt a fake accent, in an attempt to make them sound more sophisticated.

Ultimately, we feel there is no need pass down draconian laws to restrict the usage of Singlish in sitcoms. After all, it is the Singlish (when used tastefully) that makes the sitcoms uniquely Singapore.

source:http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320336363681&indexURL=



[1] “At Home in Singaporean Sitcoms” from A journal of Media and Culture
[2] Cultural homicide, ayoh! Ziauddin Sardar arrives in Singapore to find it's been occupied by Ziauddin Sardar from Bnet
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Politicization of the audience

In the introduction, we outlined an argument that the discourse that buzzes around each failed channel 5 sitcom gives birth to a form of civic linkage, which motivates the citizenry to join their fellowmen in discussing the pathetic state of local television. We feel that this is political engagement by itself, because through discussing such topics, the citizenry is able to share and reevaluate their views and believes. Following, people realize that they are not alone in their presumption and this consequently makes democracy possible.

One could see that the discussion of popular cultural themes in the context of Singapore is made even more important because of the limitations imposed by the authorities on the freedom of speech and expression on the population. Because popular culture is a representation of the aggregated interests of society, the acceptance of the themes are guided by the same laws that make democracy work.

Fraternity, in Singapore primarily occurs online through internet forums. Fancy a search on any search engine and one will be presented a list of online forums discussing aspects of local sitcoms to exhaustion. While some netizens seem to have views opposing the majority, this should be seen as a good sign because opposing views breed discussion

Popular culture is important for the success of a democracy, as it develops discussion and to build linkages to develop ties between the citizenry on the premise of a commonality. Political thinkers such as Alexis de Tocqueville who states that while democracy requires the aggregation of interests to rule, the equality and liberty granted to an individual predisposes him to act for his own benefit, herein disregarding the welfare and liberty of others around themselves.

Unknowingly, the apathetic Singaporean population has been politicized all along!

Rule under a PAP government has resulted in an almost parochial society, where most Singaporeans have become apathetic to politics. Hence by associating and discovering others who share an opinion, individuals acquired a greater confidence in their own judgements and they realize the value of their vote. Participation in civil societies reinforced association through recurring discourse, sharing ideas and beliefs. It creates commonalities between the people and even aids in reducing the effects that an indifference or ignorance towards minorities has on these minorities.

Sitcoms can therefore help further racial harmony through its portrayal of a multiracial and multicultural cast. The presence of a symbiotic relationship would inculcate within the psyche of the population the naturalness of such a phenomenon. As discussed, the acceptance of poor sitcoms as the norm in Singapore has become part of popular culture. The continued discourse into this phenomenon has brought together people from different walks of life, and also it is an aspect of our society that many foreign Singaporeans will remember.

Conclusion

Sitcoms inherently carry social messages which often change slower than reality. The attempt to reflect Singaporean national identity through featuring a multiethnic casts, or the concept of an ‘Asian’ family sometimes comes out as fake, much like in the case of Under One Roof, where the family remains the same for almost the entire length of the production, only to give in to societal undercurrents during its limited edition season to commemorate MediaCorp’s fourtieth anniversary when Denise introduces her Caucasian boyfriend.

The use of HDB as the setting for Under One Roof highlights the notion of communal living portray living life together with multiracial neighbours, emphasising the need for respect and tolerance towards one another to maintain peace and harmony. While the Tans sometimes come to conflict with their neighbours, ultimately, cordial ties are always maintained at the end of every episode.

One would also notice that while producers try hard to portray the idealistic Singapore society in sitcoms by having minority races as sideliners it has actually lead to an artificial portrayal. Singaporeans do not need sitcoms to instill in them the importance of racial harmony. Futhermore, we have also seen how an all-Chinese cast sitcom like Phua Chu Kang can still connect with minority races.

There is also an idealistic belief of the inherent necessity of the family, enshrined in the Shared Values as being the building blocks of the republic. The family unit is a sphere where one could always turn to for comfort and security. In Parental Guidance, Ling and James stick to their marriage vows so that the children would not be subjected to adoption. They lived together despite their vast differences because they know the importance of having a proper family for the children.

Finally, sitcoms as a topic of discourse have served to politicize an otherwise apathetic population. The reiterated social messages, as well as the developing a sense of identity is questioned by various aspects of the population to different degrees, and it is the coming together of such varied ideas that bond the peoples closer together, and create a more democratic society.