Is Divorce Real? From the Fifties to The Future: How Television Influenced Modern Family Life with Julie Lokun
In this fun episode of Broken to Boldness, host Deborah Griffiths joins forces with media strategist and visionary Julie Lokun, JD, to unpack how television has defined, distorted, and ultimately diversified the American family.
From the black-and-white idealism of the 1950s nuclear family to today’s kaleidoscope of blended, single, and chosen families, Deborah and Julie trace how media both mirrored social change and molded our collective identity. They reveal how each decade’s programming—from Leave It to Beaver to Modern Family—captured the cultural tension between appearance and authenticity, and how storylines about marriage, motherhood, and divorce evolved alongside America’s laws and values.
Through a lens of media analysis and human truth, Deborah and Julie explore what happens when the picture-perfect family portrait begins to crack—and real stories of resilience emerge. This is not just a conversation about entertainment; it’s a deep reflection on how our screens have shaped the way we see ourselves, our relationships, and what it means to belong.
Key Themes:
- 1950s: The rise of the nuclear ideal—prosperity, conformity, and moral storytelling.
- 1960s–70s: Feminism, no-fault divorce, and the first signs of liberation on TV.
- 1980s–90s: The “family values” façade versus the reality of working parents and blended homes.
- 2000s–2020s: The new media family—diverse, inclusive, and emotionally complex.
- How television became both a mirror and a molder of family evolution.
Modern Takeaway:
The image of the “perfect family” was a production. What emerged in its place is a more authentic, multifaceted portrait of love, survival, and connection. Deborah and Julie invite listeners to consider how the stories we consume continue to redefine what it means to be family in a changing world.
Listen to this episode and reexamine the stories that shaped your own.
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