The Child like Perception of Women in the 50's

In the Lucy Does a Commercial episode of I Love Lucy, Ricky is looking for a "girl" to do the commercial for the new product Vitameatavegamin and Lucy wants the part. When Ricky says no, Lucy devises a plan to get the role. In this particular clip Lucy listens in on Ricky telling Fred the details of the commercial, after Fred has agreed to relay the message to the "girl" they hired. After Ricky leaves Lucy proceeds to deceive Fred so she can cancel the girl they hired and steal the role. This sequence showcases the image of Lucy as a child and plays into the larger problem of the era, how women rank in comparison to men.

The first time we see Lucy in this sequence she is sneaking around the corner listening to Ricky talk to Fred. From the way she is placed (only half shown and hugging the wall) to the wide eyed facial expressions, Lucy imitates a child sneaking up on their parents after having just been in trouble. To Lucy this is the only option she has to get her way, much like a child would think, playing into the notion of the era that women needed to do as they are told and not act on their own free will.

The only laughter we hear throughout this sequence is when Lucy has made a goofy face or said something funny, like when she mistakenly repeats the message before supposedly hearing it. However smart they attempt to make Lucy it is immediately followed by a joke (or more commonly a slip up on her part) and a growing laughter from the audience. Using the foolish facial expressions or verbal mistakes followed by a higher pitch of her voice Lucy is made less mature. Again this refers back to the idea that men are more mature and adult like than women.

Another important factor in relaying the image of Lucy as a child, are the camera angles used in filming most of this scene. Once Lucy has entered the room, and tricked Fred, all her camera angles are from above looking down on her. Fred is then filmed physically talking down to Lucy while she looks up at him with a childlike innocence. This allows the viewer to feel the superiority of Fred as well as feel they themselves are above Lucy.

The theme of immaturity in women is carried over into wardrobe. While the men are in suits, Lucy spends the entire scene in her nightgown and slippers. A woman of this era would be perceived as inappropriate if seen walking around in her bedroom wear by anyone other than her husband. However, a child wondering around in a nightgown in front of guests would not have had this problem. The impact of Lucy's wardrobe is made stronger by the innocent yet sneaky roll she is attempting to play.

All the subtleties of this scene set the tone for the how Lucy's actions play out further in the episode. The viewer is set up to not be surprised that Lucy is unsuccessful in delivering the commercial and proceeds to interrupt and embarrass Ricky. These actions send the message to the viewer that Lucy should have