FROM HERMAN MUNSTER TO HOMER SIMPSON: TV DADS AND WHY WE LOVE THEM
Tune in to some of TV's most famous father figures
Dad, Daddy, Pops, Papa, Poppy, Pa. Kids call their fathers by all sorts of names. ¶ I called mine Herman. ¶ No, that wasn’t his name –I would never be so disrespectful as to call him by his birth name, which is actually Richard.
It was Herman as in Herman Munster, the 7-foot-tall childlike patriarch of the TV series “The Munsters.” ¶ Couldn’t have told you how or why that started. He didn’t look like Herman –he wasn’t green and didn’t have bolts sticking out of his neck.
He wasn’t a goofball like Herman, nor was he prone to juvenile tantrums. But, for a number of years, even my friends called my dad Herman. If it bothered him, he never said a word. ¶ Come to think of it, there are similarities between the two –both are loving and devoted family men who are great providers. Plus, they accepted their kids for who they were. In TV Herman’s case, that meant taking care of a vampirish little boy who carried around a wolfman doll. For my Herman, it was looking after an imaginative daughter who loved monsters. ¶ There are all types of TV dads who leave an impression –good, bad or hilarious –on viewers. Here are just a few:
Classic dads; In the 1950s, TV portraits of dad were painted with idealism. Going back to Jim Anderson (played by Robert Young) in “Father Knows Best,” these white-collar dads wore a suit and tie to the office, came home to their well-behaved kids and talked about their day over family dinner. It was a rosy portrait of white picket fence America.
Ward Cleaver, “Leave It To Beaver” (Hugh Beaumont) Solid guy, corny show. He didn’t always give the best advice, but he tried. He was patient, non-judgmental and was known to even help the wife out in the kitchen.
Mike Brady, “The Brady Bunch” (Robert Reed)
The head of one of television’s first blended families, this architect took care of everyone. He could be strict with his combined brood of six, but he was also fair and tried to give advice as best he could. Advice, I would guess, that might have been difficult to take once he started wearing that groovy perm.
Cliff Huxtable, “The Cosby Show” (Bill Cosby) He was a well-to- do doctor, but he was down-to-earth, too –a trait he passed along to his family. Despite his ugly sweaters, he was smart, funny and used wisecracks to keep the kids in line. Recently, “The Daily Show” did a segment where the similarities between this lovable classic dad and President Obama were explored to comic delight.
Single dads
Television has always had a soft spot for single dads and their unique situations. Perhaps it’s because there’s nothing that tugs at the heartstrings more than a kid who has lost a mom or – worse yet –both parents. Ben Cartwright (“Bonanza”), Lucas McCain (“The Rifleman”) and Steve Douglas (“My Three Sons”) were among those blazing the trail of single dads in the 1950s and ’60s. Here are more.
Andy Taylor, “The Andy Griffith Show” (Andy Griffith) Possibly the most popular single TV dad ever, Sheriff Taylor was a patient man full of Southern charm. A good listener, his heart-to-heart talks with freckle-faced Opie were a staple of the show.
Uncle Bill, “Family Affair” (Brian Keith)
Bill Davis was a successful civil engineer living a carefree bachelor’s life in a luxurious Manhattan apartment when a family tragedy left him the legal guardian of little twins, Buffy and Jody, and their teen sister, Cissy. He fumbled here and there, and there were plenty of tears, but his soothing tones made all the difference to the kids.
Richard Castle, “Castle” (Nathan Fillion)
Yep, he’s new. Really new. But in the modern TV world where family dysfunction rules, it’s refreshing –and heartwarming – to watch a relationship between a father and his teen daughter that is grounded in love and mutual respect –with a game of fencing around the living room thrown in for fun.
Role models
For a number of TV dads, their strength is in their unending kindness and patience that extends beyond their family. Though they take responsibility as head of the family, they also see themselves as equal partners with their wives. In these families, when Dad sits down to talk with the kids, Mom is usually right at his side.
Charles Ingalls, “Little House on the Prairie” (Michael Landon) He faced the many struggles that came with being a homesteader, yet he always made sure that his family was safe, warm and fed. Pa Ingalls was the definition of a good neighbor, a trait he ingrained in his children.
Rev. Eric Camden, “7th Heaven” (Stephen Collins) Strong family bonds are the main reason that this series about a minister and his family ran for more than a decade. Eric Camden never backed away from dealing with tough issues as both a dad to seven and a minister.
Eric Taylor, “Friday Night Lights” (Kyle Chandler) Here’s one of the best fathers on TV today. Not only is he a loving and understanding dad to his own kids, he’s a father figure to the high school students he coaches on the football team.
Regular guys
Let’s hear it for the regular guy, those slovenly, blue-collar workers who might not have the manners to say “excuse me” after they burp, but are fiercely devoted to their kids –in their own way.
Homer Simpson, “The Simpsons” (Voiced by Dan Castellaneta) How can a guy with so many bad traits –he’s lazy, crude, clumsy and inept –be so lovable? Because he knows he’s a bumbling idiot. This beer-swilling, doughnut-loving dad does the best he can with Bart and the gang. Besides, what other TV dad can boast he has a catchphrase in the dictionary? So, “D’oh!” to all the perfect dads.
Dan Conner, “Roseanne” (John Goodman) This flannel-wearing big guy was a bit lazy around the house, but he supported his family as best he could. He made mistakes –a lot of them, actually –but he never let his family down. Plus, he could meet the strong-willed Roseanne wisecrack to wisecrack and come out the winner.
Al Bundy, “Married…With Children” (Ed O’Neill) No one would mistake this guy for a role model. He could be rude and his hygiene wasn’t the greatest. But Al worked a minimum-wage job that he loathed to support his family –and that says a lot. Besides, every sitcom needs comic relief.
Don’t do as I do dads
Sometimes, you don’t want your dad to come to career day. Not that you don’t love him or he doesn’t love you. It’s just that you might prefer he doesn’t open his mouth in public. Or that once he leaves the house, he becomes a Mr. Hyde capable of monstrous deeds.
Archie Bunker, “All in the Family” (Carroll O’Connor) If you wanted an opinion in the 1970s, you tuned into this show and waited for Archie to spout off from the comfort of his easy chair. He was bigoted, ignorant and often crass, yet Americans loved this guy –and so did his daughter.
Jack Bauer, “24” (Kiefer Sutherland) Yes, his myopic and tragic devotion to his job cost his wife her life. But this super agent never wavered from protecting his troublesome daughter, Kim, no matter how much of a brat she was. As we saw this season, Jack would even sacrifice his life to protect her. In the end, Kim gladly put her own life in danger to save his.
Tony Soprano, “The Sopranos” (James Gandolfini) This “waste management consultant” had two families to care for and, he hoped the two would never meet. But he couldn’t keep the fact that he was a mobster and a killer from his kids forever. A bit overprotective, Tony loved his kids and tried to do right by them. Still, kids learn by what they see and they got an eyeful.
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