Keeping up Appearances...or at Least Trying to

The sitcom Keeping up Appearances, has been very successful and can still be seen regularly airing on PBS. The series is claimed to be “one of the finest British sitcoms of the last decade or so. It is a smartly-written satire of snobbery that was a huge hit in Britain, and proved equally popular in North America when it popped up on PBS several years later” (Corupe). The plot focuses on the exploits of Hyacinth Bucket, who insists her surname is pronounced Bouquet. Her goal in life is to impress neighbors, friends and ‘important people’ in an attempt to come across as a member of ‘high class society.’ However, her plans to impress others always backfire. Members of her family and occurrences of daily life are usually the cause of her plans going awry. “Social class humor has never really found a home in American sitcoms, but it's at the very heart of British farce, which has always featured self-important protagonists that are invariably taken down a few pegs over the course of an episode” (Corupe). People can laugh at Hyacinth’s blunders simply because she comes across as an extravagant woman who goes to great lengths to come across as an ‘important person’ in ways that are often ridiculous. In one instance, she attempts to buy a Mercedes so that she can appear rich, even though there is no way her husband Richard’s salary can afford the car. Through the sitcom, a very realistic message is conveyed to the audience.

One realistic message of Keeping up Appearances is that status is not everything. Three distinctive socioeconomic classes are shown in the series. Hyacinth belongs to the middle class along with Richard. They live in an average home, drive an average car, and have ordinary possessions. However, Hyacinth tries to make it appear as though she is a member of the upper class. For example, she tries to convince others that her china set is one of a kind and is hand painted. Similarly, she constantly refers to her phone as a ‘pearl white slim line with last number redial telephone.’ She clearly tries to make her life appear more extravagant than it really is. This reflects her inherent boredom as a housewife. With little to do during the day, she focuses much of her attention on her home. She wants people “to walk into her home and stagger back in admiration” (Keeping up Appearances). Hyacinth yearns to be the center of attention. One of Hyacinth’s three sisters, Violet, is part of the aristocracy. Violet’s husband has a high paying job and they live in a mansion. Hyacinth often brags to others about having a wealthy sister, but people get tired of hearing from Hyacinth say: “You remember Violet, she’s the one with the mansion, her own Mercedes, and room for a pony” (Keeping up Appearances)! Hyacinth’s sister’s position seems meaningless after a while. Hyacinth’s two other sisters, Daisy and Rose, as well as Daisy’s husband Onslow live together in a derelict home. Their home is always shown to be in a state of clutter. There is a broken down car that sits in front of the house, the kitchen is covered in grime, and the living room is filled with junk. Hyacinth, to say the least, is embarrassed by her sisters’ lifestyles. She often tries to hide the fact that she is even related to them. In once instance, Hyacinth and Richard end up visiting an estate at the same time as her sisters, and Hyacinth and Richard proceed to hide behind bushes and in ditches just to avoid being seen by them. Hyacinth tries to distance herself from her two ‘poor’ sisters while she tries to act close to her ‘wealthy’ sister.

Ironically, members of the lower class of society actually enjoy life more than those in the upper class. The use of satire shows that the upper class of society may have money, but life for them is anything but pleasant. Violet’s husband is sometimes suspected of cheating on her, and he is suspected of cross dressing. Often, heated arguments erupt between the couple and a talk of getting a divorce is not unusual. Hyacinth tries to ignore these shortcomings and encourages her sister to stay with her husband. In one episode she states: “Violet, you can’t walk out on anything as solid, sober, and respectable as your own Mercedes” (Keeping up Appearances)! Violet is always shown to be upset and complaining about something. On the other hand, Daisy and Rose, despite living just above the poverty level, enjoy life. Daisy enjoys spending time with Onslow watching television or going out with him. Rose, a promiscuous woman, tries to attract the attention of men everywhere as she parades around in skimpy outfits. Hyacinth herself wastes much of her time trying to stand out in society. As a result, her life is filled with stress and constant paranoia. On the outside though, she is a pleasant housewife, but those who know her true nature, know that she is very pushy and loves to try and be a part of every social event in town! Overall, members of the lower class appear to appreciate the little that they have and try to make the best of their situation.

Keeping up Appearances conveys a strong sense regarding differences between classes with respect to consumerism. Buying newer and better products is often shown to be the right thing to do. Hyacinth frequently buys products simply because of a crest on the package or because it is name brand. Even when it comes to clothes, she refuses to dress commonly. She only wears high end clothing, usually a dress. In a sense, Hyacinth validates the position of a housewife. At home, she tries to make her home as impeccable as possible. She is always polishing something, whether it is the telephone or a basket of plastic fruit! Whenever someone comes over, she wants them to recognize how perfect her home is. In terms of buying new, an episode focusing on Hyacinth buying a new sofa epitomizes consumerism. She refers to her original sofa as being old and not up to par with newer furniture. Hyacinth wants a new sofa no matter what. Hyacinth is “the worst kind of materialist yet she talks about values all the time…there’s a nice piece of English hypocrisy for you” (Routlege)! Family values are supposedly regarded as more important than material possessions in Great Britain. Families that are often wealthy do not walk around boasting about their money!

Gender roles take on an interesting position in Keeping up Appearances. In some instances, females are shown to take on a dominant role making decisions, while in others they are shown to be submissive. In the case of Hyacinth, she is in charge and Richard has no control over her in terms of spending or anything. Whenever Richard does attempt to criticize her ‘aristocratic spending’ she often says something along the lines of Richard being to blame for not having enough money. Hyacinth runs the household with an iron fist and does punish those who violate the rules. An example of this behavior is shown when Hyacinth invites her neighbor Liz over for coffee, and makes sure that Liz wipes her feet thoroughly or makes her remove her shoes before stepping foot on her floor. On the other hand, some female characters like Daisy, do not mind following their husbands lead. Daisy often does not get out of bed until Onslow does and even brings him food whenever he wants some.

Overall, Keeping up Appearances, is a show that does emulate British culture fairly accurately. Some people argue that scientists say that “we are hard-wired to care about social status” (Derbyshire). This is a very true statement, for at one point or another we all want to come across as someone that we are not. When we do not want people to see some aspect of our life, we try to hide it as best as we can or just never mention it. I also believe that it true that sometimes the people who are the least fortunate in terms of money are happier than those with a lot of money. When you have just enough to get by on, you appreciate everything you get from the people around you. Members of the upper class sometimes have a problem with maintaining their image. They often feel the need to ‘keep up with the Jones’’ and so they are often under pressure. For example, Hyacinth, after hearing about one of her neighbors going abroad for a month, decides to try and convince everyone that she will be going on a cruise on the QEII. However, her plan is to deceive others by just showing them brochures advertising the vacation, and not really going anywhere. Hyacinth never has any qualms about lying if it means that she can appear as ‘important.’

With a show as realistic as this, it is also easy for people to develop para-social relationships. A character like Liz for example, is one that many people may feel a strong bond with. She constantly is subjected to being part of Hyacinth’s ploys, yet she manages to always persevere and make the best of life. Many personal letters have been reportedly written to cast members too. All of the tv personalities reflect actual people that we all probably know. Additionally, I found it surprising in one interview to find that some people say shows like this make it easier to deal with troubles in real life. Patricia Routledge, who plays Hyacinth, states “The program put things in prospective for her and made her feel much better about things…that made me realize that the business of entertainment is very important” (Routlege). When it comes to people suffering from terminal illnesses or a person just having a bad day, switching on the television to find something like Keeping up Appearances can be therapeutic. This show, unlike many sitcoms today, is not vulgar and the characters are charming. Additionally, I feel that the setting, being in England, adds a sense of escapism for viewers outside of England. By seeing a place that is culturally different, we become interested in that society, and temporarily feel as if we are part of that society.

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