The Golden Girls can be kinda dark....so is Little House on the Prairie, wth (movies, Friends)
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Gen-x'er here. There were a lot of edgy content in the sitcoms of the 80's too. Facts of life had and episode about date rape and peer pressure surrounding pot smoking. One that really squicked me out was the pedophile episode on Different Strokes. The guy that owned the bicycle shop was a child predator. It showed him grooming Arnold and Dudley and then attempting to molest them. He almost got Dudley. There were a lot of messages and awareness episodes.
Yes. And good television shows more than one side. Little House the TV series has become a classic. When I listen carefully I can hear a message in many of the episodes. Little House the books rises to the level of literature imo. So much information packed into so few, very simple words. Just one example:. "Ma despised Indians. She was afraid of them too.". From The Long Winter.
Then I turn on Little House on the Prairie. I loved Little House when I was a little girl. Apparently, my parents didn't let me watch all of the episodes. There's one about a 15 year old girl named Sylvia who develops breasts early, is spied upon by wretched little boys, is raped, ends up pregnant, is going to marry Albert (who had been adopted by the Ingalls) and, instead, ends being attacked by her rapist and dying (partially because of stupid Albert). WTH.
Guess you haven't seen the one where Albert gets addicted to morphine yet...
I've been watching old tv shows to try to relax. I figured I'd watch the shows I grew up with. The tv shows I grew up with were not nearly as happy as I remember.
For example, I turn on the Golden Girls. This episode is "brother can you spare a dime" about homelessness. The girls end up in a homeless shelter and meet an old woman (Sophia's friend from Shady Pines) who ends up, penniless, there, an alcoholic who is also a PHd, etc. I mean, I thought this show was a comedy? So depressing.
Then I turn on Little House on the Prairie. I loved Little House when I was a little girl. Apparently, my parents didn't let me watch all of the episodes. There's one about a 15 year old girl named Sylvia who develops breasts early, is spied upon by wretched little boys, is raped, ends up pregnant, is going to marry Albert (who had been adopted by the Ingalls) and, instead, ends being attacked by her rapist and dying (partially because of stupid Albert). WTH.
I didn't want to resort to SpongeBob, but it might happen.
Golden Girls may have been a comedy but they had a LOT of after-school-special type teachable episodes. Off the top of my head there was one where Rose was addicted to painkillers, Blanche was being abused by a boyfriend, Dorothy had a gambling addiction, Rose fought age discrimination in hiring, Sophia's friend (the same actress in the homeless shelter) wanted to kill herself, another friend of Sophia's was neglected in her nursing home, Rose thought she might have AIDS...
You might not have to resort to cartoons--there's always I Love Lucy!
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Originally Posted by Sunshinetwelve29
Gen-x'er here. There were a lot of edgy content in the sitcoms of the 80's too. Facts of life had and episode about date rape and peer pressure surrounding pot smoking. One that really squicked me out was the pedophile episode on Different Strokes. The guy that owned the bicycle shop was a child predator. It showed him grooming Arnold and Dudley and then attempting to molest them. He almost got Dudley. There were a lot of messages and awareness episodes.
Gen-x'er here, too. My parents must've completely censored stuff in my house. I watched Different Strokes, but I def did not see that episode.
(It's pretty bad.... I don't remember this episode either tho)
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