The Tri-County Journal
& Chattahoochee Chronicle
PO Box 850, 71 Webb Lane
Buena Vista, GA 31803
229-649-6397
tjournal@alltel.net
Wally and the Beav on Wisteria Lane?
Gregg Hunter
Vice President,
Public Affairs,
Ga. Family Council
It may be urban legend, but I've done enough digging around on the Internet to believe there's at least some basis in fact to this rumor: The set of today's TV show "Desperate Housewives" shares at least one home with the 1960's series "Leave it to Beaver." Not being an expert on the former, I can't tell you who now "lives" in the home previously occupied by Ward, June, Wally and Beaver Cleaver. But the difference between the two shows presents an irony too classic to pass up.
A comparison between the two shows not only points out the dramatic change in the entertainment industry over the last 40 years, but it also shows how perhaps our very understanding of family has changed in that time.
First, as a refresher for those who haven't seen Leave it to Beaver in a while - or ever - the show centered on two boys, Wally and his little brother Theodore, also known as the Beaver. Their parents were an intact family of a married mom and dad, June and Ward Cleaver. June stayed home and managed the household while Ward worked outside the home and tried to manage the boys.
Though it was scripted and performed by actors, the situations the boys found themselves in were entertaining because they were so, well, realistic.
Fast forward to the set of today's hit show, "Desperate Housewives." It features lifestyles and themes of a different kind. Murder, marital infidelity, and deception are the rules of the day. While one divorcee desperately pursues love with several different men, another unhappily
What does each show celebrate? What brings viewers back and helps them identify with the characters?
In Leave it to Beaver the themes of the show centered on honesty, loyalty, character, commitment to family and respect for authority. Ward and June always worked to instill wisdom into their boys' lives, helping them see the error of their ways - and there were lots of errors! That's what made the show so realistic Granted, June Cleaver was perhaps a little too "perfect" and one-dimensional with her perfect hair, pearls, starched house dress and seamlessly organized personal life. But are the themes of the show any less aspirational today?
In Desperate Housewives, doing what's "right" seems a very low priority in the homes on Wisteria Lane. Rather, their priorities seem to be doing what feels good, getting what you want at all costs, hiding the truth about your life lest others find out and, of course, the underlying plot of sexual exploration. I just don't see the amusement in the show's themes of murder, adultery, illegal drug use, petty backbiting and consequence-free choices.
What kind of themes do we want to duplicate in the lives of families in Georgia? What are we striving for? While some of the lifestyle issues in the Cleaver's world may seem outdated, isn't there something to aspire to in creating homes where commitment and integrity reign? If we sow selfishness and indulgent behavior like we see with the housewives on Wisteria Lane we will reap pain and disintegration in our homes. I'm certain of this.
Several months ago when I guest-authored this column, a reader wrote to let me know I was out of touch. In effect, she said, "What time are you living in? The world of Leave it to Beaver?"
If she's talking about a desire to see my sons grow up in a loving home where they can fail and succeed in an atmosphere of trust and moral integrity then I answer, "I could only wish, ma'am. I could only wish."
Gregg Hunter is vice-president of the Georgia Family Council, a non-profit organization that works to strengthen and defend the family in Georgia by equipping marriage advocates, shaping laws, preparing the next generation and influencing culture.