Why Roseanne Is An Instant Hit

I've always been a fan of Roseanne. I remember watching it as a kid with my parents. Whenever I see it as a rerun, I put it on. Obviously I was thrilled when I heard about reboot and it didn't disappoint. And, you know, I got to watch it with MY kid:

Soon after it aired, it was discovered that over 20 million people tuned in. I mean, duh. AND it was renewed for a second season. (It airs on Tuesdays at 7/8 eastern on ABC and I find a lot of reruns on the TVLand channel.)


Why is Roseanne still so popular? Well, I have some ideas.

1. The family talks openly about being poor.

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They're lower middle class, and many live the same way. People struggle with their bills, struggle to get medication, and struggle in general. It bugs me when I see shows where the people complain about having no money, yet they have a nice home with nice decor, and drive around in a vehicle that looks new. It's not realistic. Roseanne is realistic.




2. The show isn't afraid to go there. Remember that episode where DJ doesn't want to kiss a black girl in the school play?

Well, guess what? In the revival, DJ MARRIED that girl and they have a daughter.




3. It's probably how parenting goes for people 90% of the time.

I know there are some who like to hide behind perfection. They'll show photos of their immaculate homes, state they only give their children organic food, and say that they've never yelled at their kids, not ONCE, because it's so so damaging. Roseanne yelled. Roseanne fed her kids fried food. Roseanne's home is NOT immaculate. But not many want to admit it. (I will! I yell, we eat fried food, and my home will never be immaculate.)



4. Dan and Roseanne still love each other.

I admit, I love the show This Is Us, but sometimes Jack and Rebecca are too cheesy for me. I like how Dan and Roseanne keep it real. This is basically how my husband and I are. There might not be any grand gestures, but it's okay. Honestly, a grand gesture might freak me out and I'd probably think my husband was dying or something and that was his way of telling me. Like Roseanne and Dan, we plan on embarrassing our kids whenever we can. One of my favorite scenes in the original show was when Becky brought a boyfriend over and asked Roseanne not to embarrass her and Roseanne was all, "We's poor people!"



5. It talks about real issues and through it all, the family truly loves each other.

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Remember that first episode where Mark likes to wear dresses in the reboot? He identifies as a boy, but he just likes colorful clothing. Dan isn't a fan at first, but then realizes that his grandson likes to wear those things, and that's he's a strong kid for doing so. Plus, I'm all for being a weird family.



(Fun fact, Tim Curry was in the original and Tim Curry is EVERYTHING.)

So do you watch Roseanne?