What Kind of TV Parents are We? (Infographic Included)

Jason-Maggie-Seaver-growing-pains-5110661-402-512

My wife and I have talked before about which TV parents we are most similar to. We quickly decided that Jason and Maggie Seaver, of the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains (1985-1992), best represent us.

It seems like most TV sitcoms of the 1980s revolved around some kind of amendment to the traditional nuclear family.

Like a wise-cracking alien joining the Tanner house on Alf. Or Uncle Jesse and Joey joining the Tanner House on Full House. And don’t forget how neighbor Steve Urkle basically lived with the Winslows.

But with Growing Pains, there was a nuclear family in which the parents loved each other, and unlike most sitcoms since the 1980s, the dad wasn’t an idiot.

Plus, there was no outsider who is adopted into the family; unless you count the final season in which Leonardo DiCaprio joined the cast, but I figure most of us had stopped watching by that point.

The parents were intelligent, hard-working, and sensitive to the children’s psychological needs. Though that sounds like a pretty normal thing to feature on a family sitcom, it’s not.

Writers on sitcoms often can’t handle a happily married couple with kids. If nothing else, the writers have to kill off one of the parents.

Danny Tanner’s wife died after a drunk driver hit her, on Full House.

Then DJ’s husband died while fighting fires, on Fuller House.

And then if both parents are still alive, the dad is by default, an idiot: Homer Simpson on The Simpsons, Al Bundy on Married with Children, Carl Winslow on Family Matters, Tim Allen on Home Improvement

I would actually argue that the Seavers were actually the most normal, life-like family in the past 30 years, in a sitcom. That’s the simple reason that I believe that Jason Seaver best represents me as a TV dad, and Maggie Seaver represents my wife.

Below is a related flow-chart asking, “Which T.V. Mom are you?”

(Because I fully recognize that the majority of the readers of my blog are not male, but instead female.)

Thanks to Berries.com for this graphic.

Which TV Mom Are You?

Fuller House Recaps- S1: E4, “The Not-So-Great Escape”

Fuller House Recaps- S1: E4, “The Not-So-Great Escape”e-guide-list

In the 4th episode of Fuller House, we are officially introduced to DJ’s veterinarian clinic, as DJ’s son Max is given the responsibility of choosing which spawn of Comet he wants.

The main plot line involves Jackson and Ramona getting into trouble together at school, and therefore, both being suspended; after Jackson makes a (smoke producing?) volcano underneath the smoke alarm in an effort to cause a diversion to help Ramona escape (?) from school.

I find that concept difficult to follow, but it takes even more imagination to figure out how Stephanie and DJ’s boys found so much tomato soup to soak in after the skunk sprayed them.

And speaking of Stephanie, my disappointment for her character (age 34) grows after learning that her career as a DJ (?!) isn’t even paying off: She has a collection of maxed out credit cards, causing her to be unable to pay her $18 coffee bill.

From there, a misunderstanding or two causes Stephanie to pretend to be a single mom in order to impress a guy at the coffee shop.

We also see DJ parenting Kimmy on how to parent, after they initially discipline their children much differently after “the not-so-great-escape”.

This episode is heavy on character development, as we see the character similarities between Jackson and Ramona (yearning 7th graders), as well as Stephanie and Kimmy (adults who lack self-discipline as well as the ability to efficiently discipline children), contrasted against the “real adult” figure of DJ tanner.

Though by the end of this episode, Kimmy (age 39) shows honest efforts to be an adult, Stephanie (age 34) shows she her character will continue to struggle.

Isn’t it at least a little odd that so early on in this series it is becoming evident this show is about adults who failed to grow up?

Must I remind you about Uncle Joey (age 56) on the episode right before this, leading the kids in trashing the house with slime?

Seriously, it’s a theme: Adults who forgot to grow up since Full House ended in 1995.

And don’t forget to watch my video recap here:

If you would like the full version, watch this one instead:

Fuller House Recaps- S1: E3, “Funner House”

Fuller House Recaps- S1: E3, “Funner House”

In this 3rd episode of Fuller House awkwardly entitled “Funner House”, we see a literally incredible event in which Uncle Joey (who is in his mid 50s) babysits the kids.

Despite apparently getting married (hence the black wedding ring) and moving out of the house many years ago, Joey Gladstone never had kids of his own.

I say this not only because he doesn’t mention any kids if he has them (though he doesn’t mention his wife either), but because he flies in from Las Vegas (to San Francisco) with a mini arsenal fully of wacky summer camp weapons of “family friendly violence” and leads the kids in wrecking the house with slime and other water-based ammunition.

A married man with kids of his own would not encourage such behavior.

And then at the end of the episode, after witnessing DJ, Stephanie, and Kimmy getting accidentally slimed instead of him, he just laughs and walks away.

That is why I call the premise of this episode “literally incredible,” as in, not credible.

Though I do admit I really liked his toilet paper leaf blower.

I suppose I should mention the actual main plot of this episode, which concerns Stephanie and Kimmy taking DJ out for girls’ night.

We see a random opportunity for Stephanie to utilize her skills as a DJ and singer (?!), along with Macy Gray (?!).

The part I liked most about “Funner House” is that we see despite Kimmy soon-to-be-ex-husband there with another woman, there is definitely a spark of hope they may end up back together.

I don’t really care about DJ and Steve getting back together, because that’s obviously inevitable.

But it would be more difficult and I believe more rewarding to see Kimmy and Fernando to get back together; for each other, and for Ramona.

Be sure to watch my video recap as well, here below:

Fuller House Recaps- S1: E2, “Moving Day”

Fuller House Recaps- S1: E2, “Moving Day”

In the 2nd episode of Fuller House, Kimmy Gibbler and her about-to-be 13 year-old daughter Ramona move in.

Here’s my criticism of this episode: Clearly, the Gibblers should share the entire attic. Considering that Uncle Jesse, Aunt Rebecca, Nicky and Alex lived up there, I am confident that two people, as opposed to 4, could make the space work.

But apparently to make the plot of the show (and this episode) more interesting, DJ’s older sons Jackson and Max must now share DJ and Stephanie’s old bedroom.

This actually turns out to be a pretty funny episode though.

It’s funny how Kimmy begins a tradition of referring to DJ and Stephanie as her “sister wives.”

And I laughed pretty hard during the scene where Stephanie accidentally leaves her cell phone in the baby’s diaper.

Meanwhile, Jackson secretly hides in Uncle Jesse’s truck to apparently attempt to run away.

I love the fact Uncle Jesse drives a truck, as his personal vehicle. I’ll assume it’s a Toyota because that’s my favorite brand of trucks.

We again see the 34 year-old Stephanie acting like she never grew up past the age of 24. But now that she’s moved into the house, and having to take on responsibilities, hopefully we’ll see begin to finally grow up.

She was the character I most identified with when I was a kid, as I am only a year older than her.

So in a weird way, it’s sad to see that she didn’t grow up to be more responsible as an adult now in her mid-thirties.

I plan to make an entire recap video on Stephanie’s character, but I’ll wait until I watch all 13 episodes before I do.

But even if and when she “grows up”, there is no doubt her character had some psychological issues that held her back.

Blame it on the middle child syndrome.

Thanks for reading my Fuller House Recap. I invite you to watch  my video version as well.

Dear Jack: Hiding in an Ocean of Stuffed Animals, Like E.T. in 1982

5 years, 3 months.

Dear Jack: Hiding in an Ocean of Stuffed Animals, Like E.T. in 1982

Dear Jack,

Last weekend we were in Alabama, celebrating Aunt Dana’s birthday a month late, since the blizzard happened the same day we were supposed to go there on our actual birthday weekend.

You and your cousin Calla enjoyed playing hide-and-go-seek with Uncle Andrew.

With the two of you both being 5 years-old now, you’ve mutually reached a convenient dynamic: You come up with fun and weird ideas, and your cousin goes along with them.

When it came time for your final hiding place before we left to drive back to Tennessee, you discovered the perfect hiding place.

In your Aunt Dana’s dormer window upstairs, there is a display of 1980s and 1990s stuffed animals; including, but not limited to, a Popple, a giant Domino’s Pizza teddy bear, Shoney Bear, and Alf.

You saw it as the perfect opportunity. Quite seamlessly, the two of you immersed yourself in the ocean of stuffed animals.

Instead of hiding out of sight, the two of you hid in plain sight.

Just your expressionless faces were showing in the collection of stuffed animals. I admit, I wouldn’t have found the two of you- I would have walked right past.

Fortunately, your Uncle Andrew snapped a picture of the event on his phone and ran downstairs to show us all, before officially “finding” you two.

It would have been one thing if an adult had given you this idea. But no- this was the result of two 5 year-olds hiding from an adult.

Even more impressive, you have never seen the movie E.T.; since it is not available on Netflix streaming.

One day, when you finally get to see that movie, you’ll watch the scene where E.T. himself hides in a closet full of stuffed animals.

You didn’t get the idea from adults or from a movie. You thought of this all on your own.

I am definitely impressed.

Love,

Daddy