Watching t.v. with my dad was always an experience. I remember him
laughing hysterically at Gilligan’s Island—he just couldn’t wait to see what
pickle Gilligan would get the crew into this time. Dad would follow up most
Star Trek (The Original Series) episodes by analyzing the scientific
probabilities of parts of the story line. He would critique performances on the
Lawrence Welk Show—not his all-time favorite, but when we were at my
grandparents’ house we sort of had to
watch it. Dad was more of a Hee-Haw guy; he reveled in the lame jokes and the
country performances.
Dad would sometimes cry at Little House on the Prairie. He’d praise Jim
Rockford wholeheartedly for his suave ability to solve yet another case. And he’d
get truly tense—even angry—about his favorite Portland Wrestling heroes getting
pounded mercilessly by their rivals. But this could be balanced out by an
episode of The Carol Burnett Show. Yes, televised entertainment with my dad was
always an emotional experience. Experiencing my dad’s reactions to various
shows and scenes was just about as entertaining as the programs themselves, if
not more.
Dad was a cartoon buff—he loved Looney Toons, and particularly Yosemite
Sam and Bugs Bunny. He was a Flintstones fan, especially enjoying the banter between Fred and
Barney. And he liked some of the classic Hanna-Barbera characters as well—Rocky
and Bullwinkle, Huckleberry Hound, and Yogi the Bear to name a few. Technically,
these were “kids’ shows,” but my father’s exuberance over these animated
wonders seemed to exceed that of any kid I’d
ever seen.
Dad would borrow lines from character interactions we’d seen—usually from
Yosemite Sam or Ernie and Bert (of Sesame Street fame) and use them at random
times—it was always a treat to relive those moments with him. His eyes would
light up, and he’d use different voices, depending on the character he was
mimicking. My dad made watching t.v. more than just an idle activity—it was an
experience. I’ll always be grateful that he showed me how to be an interactive
and fascinated viewer.
Our t.v. times were not without educational value, of course. We watched
Jacques Cousteau and Wild Kingdom—and my dad would go off on scientific
tangents related to the adventures we saw on the screen. He wanted me to know
as much as I could about the wonders of our world, and he used television as a
handy vehicle to that end. He was a teacher (by virtue of the way in which he
shared poignant information with me), a humorist, and a scientist of sorts in
his own right. T.V. opened up realms of discovery and creative expression,
which my father found difficult to resist.
Though he was not a t.v. addict—he
worked hard all the time—he definitely was an enthusiast. I still enjoy a good
show here and there, but t.v. has never been the same as when I watched it with
my dad. T.V. opened doors of adventure, curiosity, and levity—and my dad made
the journey a joy.
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