MetaChat - TV Families.

Gawd. If I had grown up with a father, then it would have been the family in My So Called Life, cos I *was* Angela Chase when I was 15.

posted by gaspode 23 October | 14:10

If your mom was Kitty, I have a crush on her.

My parents were/are Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore from Ordinary People.

posted by WolfDaddy 23 October | 14:40

If your mom was Kitty, I have a crush on her.

My lesbian ex-girlfriend does, too. Whenever she wants to squick me out, she says "So, how's your mom?"

It was actually pips who noticed the similarities, especially in one episode where Red says to Eric "The reason bad things happen to you is because you're a dumbass." Dad has that slow burn irritability. I don't resemple Topher Grace in the slightest, but I'd happily keep company with Laura Prepon.

Also, the slim jim beef-n-cheese I just bought at the corner store tastes funny.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 15:00

I can't think of a TV family like my parents.

They're kind of like this, but throw in a barbecue grill.

posted by taz 23 October | 15:08

Check the expiration date on that Slim Jim, jon, I think it's another relic of the '70s.

My parents' names are Howard and Marian (same as the Cunninghams on "Happy Days"), but there the resemblence ends. My father, who before he went bald was nicknamed "Red", definately resembled Red Forman in those days (I suspect a lot of MeFites' fathers did, we have all grown up to be as smartass as Eric), but now, he is a lot closer to Jerry Stiller's character in "King of Queens"... Oddly, while I've had to stay with him between getting a life, he spends a lot of time watching sitcom reruns, and has not noticed the resemblences for himself: sometimes I wish I had his total lack of self-awareness.

posted by wendell 23 October | 15:13

My father, who before he went bald was nicknamed "Red", definately resembled Red Forman in those days (I suspect a lot of MeFites' fathers did,

Actually, pips' dad (RIP) resembled nobody so much as Lawrence Tierney in Reservoir Dogs. And yes, even when he was 80+, with less than a foot of colon left* I was terrified of him. Even pips outlaw biker half-brother was.

*within five minutes of meeting you he would take you through a tour of what was left inch by inch.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 15:17

I guess they were probably most like the Connors on Roseanne, only white-collar and slightly slimmer. Loud and crazy. Dad was mostly a grumpy Red Foreman or the dad from the Wonder Years. Yet, the folks were (and are) pretty zany. Mom painted the kitchen dark blue so we could write on the walls in chalk.
They once filled the living room with sand and had a giant beach party. Stuff like that. Come to think of it, there's no family like my family. God bless 'em.

Jonmc--step away from the slim jim. It takes a hell of a lot for one of them to taste "off."

posted by jrossi4r 23 October | 15:25

Parents and their behavior are an interesting way of reminding you that class is about more than income, if that makes any sense. or class as in how nervousfritz (of all people) put it "upper working class vs. creative class."

My dad is a home furnishing salesman and my mom is a 8th grade teacher (neighbors of the school have referred to her as "that lady with the whistle leading the kids around.") we gave her a boxing nun hand puppet for christmas once, she takes it out when the brats act up). My sisters husband's parents (and step-parents) are college professors. Incomes are probably roughly equal, but professors are probably held in higher societal esteem. And my bro-in-law's folks are very dry and reserved snifter of brandy and NPR in manner, whereas we're kind of loud demonstrative ethnics. I remember my youngest sister, an overachieving college kid right now, saying after meeting my sister's mom-in-law, "I don't like her. She looks down her nose at us." I couldn't really argue, although she was perfectly cordial.

But I see whre she was coming from. i sometimes get the same inferiority complex around people whose families are from more artistic or bohemian backgrounds.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 15:33

So, which troubles you more? The gay guy or the lesbian who crushes on your mom? *snickers*

It's Kitty's finely-honed sense of the absurd that makes me love her so.

posted by WolfDaddy 23 October | 15:41

Bah, I have no TV mom'n'dad. My parents are straight from the pages of Calvin and Hobbes. My dad especially; he's the spitting image of Calvin's dad, complete with the made up explanations intended for his amusement at my confusion ;).
Man am I glad my dad isn't Red Forman

posted by Edible Energy 23 October | 15:48

So, which troubles you more? The gay guy or the lesbian who crushes on your mom?

Prolly the lesbian, since it's creepy imaging someone I've slept with digging my mom.

Odd thing about mater: the people who lived in the house behind us used to be this semi-white trash ex-wife of a fire captain and her obese sons, one of whom was an eagle scout, the other who I used to play ball with. She later had a scuzzy biker boyfriend. They also had a huge doberman that used to chase me around on my paper route. Mom was not terrifically fond of them. Then a gay couple moved in and cleaned the property up. My mom thought they were great. The key to acceptance is good lawn care, dude. Later I sold one of the couple a PC in my salesman days. he was a nice guy.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 15:49

My parents are Fred and Wilma. ≡ Click to see image ≡
Swear to god, they are/were totally Fred and Wilma, hell, they even looked like Fred and Wilma, or, well, an upper middle class non animated version thereof. And their names are even Frank and Norma, so that's close enough. My dad (gone now) used to shout at my mom across the house just like Fred Flintstone; when I was really little I thought maybe he was Fred Flintstone. I recognize that means I'm Pebbles and I'm okay with that.

posted by mygothlaundry 23 October | 15:53

Yes, mgl, but could he stop a car with his bare feet? Also, how does cactus juice actually taste?

posted by jonmc 23 October | 15:54

Actually, you do kind of look like Pebbles, for true.

posted by taz 23 October | 16:02

My dad was one of those terrifying old school dads who believed you could tell the worth of a man by the strength of his handshake and his drink. He could totally have stopped a car with his bare feet, I have no doubt. Or he could just have yelled loud enough about it to scare the car into stopping. He's been gone for five years now and I still catch myself looking over my shoulder in fear once in a while. Or when I find myself channeling him: "JESUS H. ALMIGHTY CHRIST YOUNG LADY, IN THE NAME OF ALL THE SAINTS AND HOLY MARTYRS, I WANT YOU DOWNSTAIRS RIGHT GODDAMN NOW!" *shivers* *apologizes* *looks around guiltily*

posted by mygothlaundry 23 October | 16:03

My parents names are Joe and Anna, FWIW. I would've much preffered being Joe III. It suits me better than the name I have.

Oh, here's two more great songs.

(the second track is recorded live in South Boston on St. Paddy's day. Keep that in mind when hearing the rabid response.)

posted by jonmc 23 October | 16:09

My dad Is 80% Hank Hill (especially the perpetual blue jeans + white t-shirt) and 20% Red Forman. My mom? Totally Calvin's mom. Remember that strip where Calvin found the dying squirrel? Happened to me. I guess that makes me 50% Bobby Hill and 50% Calvin, and that sounds about right,

posted by keswick 23 October | 16:34

Also, popmc bears a striking physical resemblance to Clint Eastwood that only increases as he ages and his hair whitens. His voice and manner are similar as weel. Hearing him say "Do your homework!" was quite unnerving.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 16:36

not my own family, but...

went to a wedding last night where the groom's mother's partner was younger than the groom. main topic of conversation was a local politico who finally discovered (at age 60) that his biological father was someone other the person he'd always thought, and that all his acquaintances had known for years, including the president, who once introduced him to his (biological, and now dead) father without letting on.

posted by andrew cooke 23 October | 16:41

Ward and June Cleaver. Sort of bemused at the antics of their progeny. Good folk.

posted by puddinghead 23 October | 16:46

Gay couples make the best tenants, he says completely homo-superior-ly.

They keep the place clean and if they're late with the rent, there's always plo chops

posted by WolfDaddy 23 October | 17:10

Malcolm in the Middle, but without the dad, and not as geniusy, and with hitting.

posted by amberglow 23 October | 17:12

all families have hitting, dude, or at least I've never met one that didn't.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 17:15

Honest, jon, the only time I was ever spanked I was two and I told a lie (I remember it). My father felt so bad that they outlawed hitting ever after.

posted by puddinghead 23 October | 17:23

Lucky you. When my family was mad we were like the WWF, only not fake.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 17:28

i think being irish might have something to do with that, jon.

posted by keswick 23 October | 18:08

I don't have a TV family. =\

My roommate from college maintains his family is Malcolm in the Middle. I think his dad looks like Drew Carey.

posted by Eideteker 23 October | 18:43

watch out for wilma, you know she's got a to the moon punch

when i said chocolate the starbuck at eponymous gave me the cheesecake instead of the chocolate chocolate cake
so i am eating cheese cake
and there is another
but it ain't chocolate chocolate cake
or even key lime silk

i totally spaced my brain cloud and can't remember what i was going to put here as i have not yet the coffee to go with my cheese slab

something about tv and families and keeping up with families or the narrow exclusionary idealism of tv

anyway, the point of me posting here at all was to ask:
YES OR NO JON?
a lack of response will be taken as no, and i will weep mighty tears of acid and acid proof jewels and anodyne

posted by ethylene 23 October | 18:57

Shit, eth, I have no problem with going on the damned show, but you gotta do the legwork, sister.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 19:49

My mom was definitely Wilma Flintstone. And I LOVE That 70's Show.

posted by chewatadistance 23 October | 19:54

My parents didn't need to beat me, my brother took care of that just fine.
Now I'm 6'3" to his 5'8", but unfortunately we're a little old to fight.

posted by Edible Energy 23 October | 20:05

I don't have a TV family. Best I can come up with is my Mom is Marge Simpson. Groaning disapprovingly in the background, but ready to defend us like a mother bear. If we were stranded on a desert island, my Mom would find us some napkins.

posted by Marxchivist 23 October | 20:07

all families have hitting, dude, or at least I've never met one that didn't.

not tv families, except for cartoon ones.

posted by amberglow 23 October | 20:17

Oh, come on, dude, Ralph was always threatening to send Alice to the moon, remember? I bet he did, after the cameras went off.

NTM, what the fuck was Alice doing all day? One room apartment, three pieces of furniture-that's not a lot to keep clean, y'know.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 20:22

That's one of the gaping plot holes in That '70s Show that always bugged me. Red never does put his boot up Eric's ass, though he's constantly threatening to, and Eric's fear of him would suggest that Red actually follows through with his threats. As it stands, the feeling I get of Red is a guy who's bark is way worse than his bite, which is way too cutesy for me.

posted by Edible Energy 23 October | 20:59

Well, you're supposed to fill in the blanks with your imagination, dude. All the Foremanesque dads I've known (including my own) had bites to match their bark.

I will grantthat the entertainment value of That 70's show wen't down as Ashton Kucher's celebrity status rose. But as someone born in 1970, any 70's related entertainment is always gonna seem like a hit of valium to me.

posted by jonmc 23 October | 21:02

the entertainment value of That 70's show wen't down as Ashton Kucher's celebrity status rose

Same thing happened with that cute show with the young girl, who played Bette Midler's kid years in the movie Beaches. When "Joey" became the it, the show tanked. I had such a crush on her eldest brother, the paramedic.

posted by Feisty 23 October | 23:22

Feisty--I think you are referring to Blossom. She is now a neuroscientist and just had a kid.

posted by jrossi4r 23 October | 23:49

My TV family is Macgyver. My mom is Macgyver and my dad is Pete Thornton + the bimbo starlet. He's a Chem.E.; she does adult education/public service type stuff, currently for the Girl Scouts of America. I alternatively considered the proposition that my mother is Clint Eastwood from eg the Eiger Sanction, and papa is let's say Steve McQueen from the Great Escape divided by Cliff Huxtable.
I eat weirder stuff than you chopped up in my breffixt cereal.

posted by sam 24 October | 01:00

sorry, jon, it doesn't look like the queer eye thing is worth the effort right now, but i will still try, and even be on topic later.

posted by ethylene 24 October | 01:36

Blossom : )
I'm happy for her; she came across as a smart actress. I wish more of her type were chosen to be famous.

posted by Feisty 24 October | 09:46

Seems like amberglow and I lived in similar families. Only, hitting was the least of it.

posted by deborah 24 October | 12:39

The A-Team: My dad is Faceman and Hannibal combined, and my mom is BA and Murdock.

posted by Hugh Janus 24 October | 13:04

23 October 2005