714 Delaware St. is a podcast about the television sitcom Roseanne, its reboot and its second reboot, The Conners. Hosts Maura and Katherine are longtime fans of the original series who met in graduate school, where they both studied literature, film and television studies. Roseanne was a groundbreaking series, depicting a working-class family led by strong female characters who broke the mold for women in family sitcoms. It was also a formative cultural text for the two of us, who grew up glued to every episode and feeling like, in some sense, it got us.
This podcast is not in any way intended to excuse or defend the recent racist and offensive statements of Roseanne Barr herself, whose involvement with the show was rightly terminated following a racist tweet about President Obama’s former advisor Valerie Jarrett. Instead, we hope to revisit significant episodes of the original series with a critical eye, celebrating our personal connections to the show and its trailblazing, charming, and moving qualities while also acknowledging its shortcomings and biases. We discuss these episodes side-by-side with new episodes of The Conners, exploring what the series looks like without Roseanne herself and whether the universe of Lanford, though markedly changed since 1988, can still provide the setting for stories and characters that resonate and offer an honest depiction of life for a working class that remains underrepresented on television.
So grab your favorite afghan, pull up a stool at the Lobo or slide into your favorite booth at Rodbell’s, and join us!
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714 Delaware St. is a podcast about the television sitcom Roseanne, its reboot and its second reboot, The Conners. Hosts Maura and Katherine are longtime fans of the original series who met in graduate school, where they both studied literature, film and television studies. Roseanne was a groundbreaking series, depicting a working-class family led by strong female characters who broke the mold for women in family sitcoms. It was also a formative cultural text for the two of us, who grew up glued to every episode and feeling like, in some sense, it got us.
This podcast is not in any way intended to excuse or defend the recent racist and offensive statements of Roseanne Barr herself, whose involvement with the show was rightly terminated following a racist tweet about President Obama’s former advisor Valerie Jarrett. Instead, we hope to revisit significant episodes of the original series with a critical eye, celebrating our personal connections to the show and its trailblazing, charming, and moving qualities while also acknowledging its shortcomings and biases. We discuss these episodes side-by-side with new episodes of The Conners, exploring what the series looks like without Roseanne herself and whether the universe of Lanford, though markedly changed since 1988, can still provide the setting for stories and characters that resonate and offer an honest depiction of life for a working class that remains underrepresented on television.
So grab your favorite afghan, pull up a stool at the Lobo or slide into your favorite booth at Rodbell’s, and join us!
S5 E8: Designated Basket Case: Family Trauma in Roseanne
television – 714 Delaware St. Podcast
2 years ago
S5 E8: Designated Basket Case: Family Trauma in Roseanne
In our latest episode, we take a look back at two classic Roseannes that focus on Roseanne and Jackie’s father Al Harris: “This Old House” and “Wait ‘Til Your Father Gets Home.” These are two of the series’ most memorable episodes, as they reveal the physical abuse Roseanne and Jackie suffered as children and chronicle their efforts to heal — a process still ongoing for Jackie and Bev in The Conners. We consider the way trauma from the past seemed to shape Roseanne and Jackie’s lives, as well as how recent revelations on The Conners shape our own understanding of these episodes and all that remains unspoken about the Harris family.
We also discuss Roseanne Barr’s own public revelation, in 1991, that she was sexually abused by her parents — an accusation she partially retracted in the 2010s — and how she seemed to be wrestling with her own past during the years these episodes aired. We also talk about Roseanne’s then-partner Tom Arnold, who was seen at the time as riding Roseanne’s coattails but whose own childhood pain inspired a key part of “Wait ‘Til Your Father Gets Home.”
While this conversation can get a bit heavy, we have our comedic diversions as always, including string cheese, Barbra Streisand’s basement mall, MTV Beach House memories and more. Listen and subscribe on Apple podcasts!
television – 714 Delaware St. Podcast
714 Delaware St. is a podcast about the television sitcom Roseanne, its reboot and its second reboot, The Conners. Hosts Maura and Katherine are longtime fans of the original series who met in graduate school, where they both studied literature, film and television studies. Roseanne was a groundbreaking series, depicting a working-class family led by strong female characters who broke the mold for women in family sitcoms. It was also a formative cultural text for the two of us, who grew up glued to every episode and feeling like, in some sense, it got us.
This podcast is not in any way intended to excuse or defend the recent racist and offensive statements of Roseanne Barr herself, whose involvement with the show was rightly terminated following a racist tweet about President Obama’s former advisor Valerie Jarrett. Instead, we hope to revisit significant episodes of the original series with a critical eye, celebrating our personal connections to the show and its trailblazing, charming, and moving qualities while also acknowledging its shortcomings and biases. We discuss these episodes side-by-side with new episodes of The Conners, exploring what the series looks like without Roseanne herself and whether the universe of Lanford, though markedly changed since 1988, can still provide the setting for stories and characters that resonate and offer an honest depiction of life for a working class that remains underrepresented on television.
So grab your favorite afghan, pull up a stool at the Lobo or slide into your favorite booth at Rodbell’s, and join us!
