When we watch old TV shows like Leave It To Beaver or the Andy Griffith show, we tend to make fun of the parent/child relationships portrayed in those shows as irrelevant to today’s world, and “pie in the sky.” We say that those relationships as portrayed aren’t realistic in the world today, and we’re better off to see shows that have “real” relationships, complete with divorce, drug abuse, sexual experimentation and the like.
Having just watched an episode of “Beaver”, I am going to vigorously disagree that the marriage and family relationships portrayed are not realistic. Yes, June is always wearing a dress and necklace. Ward always has a tie on. Wally and the Beaver always get along. I know that isn’t necessarily how things are in real life. But those things are the fluff. I’m talking about the relationships.
I didn’t crawl out from under the rock yesterday. We all go through tough times in our marriages and in our family relationships. Sometimes there is no quick fix. Sometimes there is no fix at all…we just endure. We don’t always have the world’s problems solved in a 30 minute segment. Parents become ill or disabled. Children die unexpectedly. Financial reversals aren’t uncommon anymore.
But the core values of the relationships that we see in those old TV shows, far from being fodder for laughter and derision, should be values we strive for, labor for, and press our entire beings into bringing into our relationships with others, and maintaining them, growing them, and using them as we go through life.
What’s laughable about honesty? Why would anyone make fun of integrity? What is cornball about doing for others? What is it about devotion to others that makes it anathema? And since when did generosity, truth, and humility become things embraced only by losers?
Come on, someone. Answer me if you dare. Tell me that these things are truly worthless and good only as fodder for humor and crude jokes. Tell me that these things aren’t the values we should have…that greed, selfishness, dishonesty, deception, and pride are better. Tell me how society benefits from these rather than the “old school” values of honesty, truth, and humility.
Then tell me how you’ve done lately and how it’s working out for you to embrace the new value system. Tell me how it will work for you when you’re old, alone, and chronically ill in a nursing home. Suddenly, the Ozzie and Harriet show doesn’t look bad at all.
1 comment:
Unfortunately, there are NO current shows on TV that epitomize what you are looking for. The old values aren't outdated, but our culture has changed and is miles away from Ozzie and Harriet. When I can count on one hand the number of kids at one of my schools that live in families approximating those values, with both biological parents in the home, and mom staying home to be a homemaker, I still have fingers free.
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