I’m Binge-Watching The Waltons…

I’ve been binge-watching The Waltons television series the past few days.

 

What I find nostalgic and endearing about The Waltons, Mister Rogers Neighborhood and (to a slightly lesser extent, see below) Little House on the Prairie is the inherent decency and respect that these series exhibited and exalted.

 

(Side note: Michael Landon appears to have had a life-long love/hate relationship with females because his mother was horrible and likely mentally-ill, so his female characters–or his writers’ female characters–too often came across either as mother-of-Christ madonnas/angels or battle axe shrews and witches (with a B), which I frequently found off-putting…).

 

Series like The Waltons and Mister Rogers Neighborhood are what’s missing from far too many of today’s entertainment industry offerings, and from political and social interactions, too.

 

These two iconic series didn’t shy away from the tough questions, concerns and crises that we all face in life, and they didn’t minimize, idealize or demonize various marginalized groups of people. Instead, they respected their audiences enough to allow us to feel heard, respected and counted as intelligent enough to figure things out for ourselves.

 

I had forgotten how many instances there were of juxtaposing attitudes in The Waltons and of how—with patience, attention, love and respect–the family managed to overcome time-worn bigotries and ideologies (their own and others’) and learn to embrace humankind in its many guises, from self-centered actresses to hard-bitten CCC workers who’d grown up in Hell’s Kitchen, to gypsies, to spinster ladies who were unknowingly brewing whiskey (their father’s “Recipe” which they believed to be an herbal remedy) during Prohibition, and more. Olivia Walton’s gentle persistence in getting her husband to agree to be baptized runs throughout the series as does her “red flag” response when confronted with potentially-harmful influences on her family (“loose” entertainers, the unwitting spinster moonshiners, gypsies, etc.).

 

In Olivia Walton we see the concern behind her worries. She isn’t a Bible thumper; she’s simply a mom who wants her children to honor and respect Christian values. Whenever she finds herself falling short of her own values–when she comes across as less charitable than she knows she should–she realizes that no one wants to fall short, but circumstances sometimes conspire to make it happen.

 

It’s obvious that the Walton men cherish their wives and children. Their affection for their wives is so apparent that just witnessing a quiet look, grin or nod between them (vicariously) makes us (the audience) realize  that we’re witnessing the romantic foreplay that makes loving so much fun…and so sacred.

 

On Walton’s Mountain, love isn’t a dirty word. Romance is an expected result of living long enough and honestly (intimately) enough in a family setting to be able to develop loving, committed partnerships in families the children will go on to create with the people they decide to commit to.

 

Grandpa and Grandma Walton are the quintessential conflicted couple. Grandpa sees nothing wrong with innocent flirting, or with showing outward affection to his wife; Grandma finds his outward behavior scandalous and appalling, and the horror of it all shows on her face every time he playfully touches her in public or tries to get her to loosen up and acknowledge the wild, tempestuous, hidden passions that made made them  fall in forever love all those precious years ago.

 

Has there ever been more endearing, reflective, family-oriented fare?

 

The Waltons was one of DeForest Kelley’s favorite shows, too. He said it reminded him, in many ways, of his upbringing in the south (Virginia for the Waltons, Georgia for De).

 

Although I can’t claim the same variety of kinship to the series (I certainly can’t say that the Walton family reflected my family growing up!), I resonate with the idea that this is the way family life ought to be; this is the way children ought to be reared : to question, to aspire, to work hard, to respect others, and to become decent, contributing members of society.

 

If I were raising kids, grand kids or great grand kids today, The Waltons and Mister Rogers Neighborhood would be on my TV most of the time. I think these series are treasures that stand the test of time.

 

The Earl Hamners,  Fred Rogerses and DeForest Kelleys of the world were looking to foster a civilization. I think they would be very saddened to see the callous, reactionary, intolerant, fear-based nation we inhabit today. What we have now threatens to destroy the America that they personified, cherished, embraced and advocated for with every breath they took.