He was an adult, unlike, the father's played on TV nowadays. When he told Beaver to not make trouble for Richard, because it's out of his hands. (I'm referring to the episode when Richard implicated Beaver, to the police, to get out of trouble). That was sound advice, which would not play out on TV today.
shareYup, back in the 1950's, fathers were represented on film as real men.
Now, fathers (and men in general) are most often represented on film as caricatural buffoons.
Now, fathers (and men in general) are most often represented on film as caricatural buffoons.
The problem is that men's full potential is being repressed every time feminists try to tell us we're evil for being right and responsible. Men like Ward had the trust and faith of his wife and children to be right. That compels a man to live up to that model. Men thrive on strife, struggle and competition. We need to prove ourselves to really feel proud. Despite what women and manginas have said over the years, men in the 1950s had their sh!t together because they were allowed to thrive and grow as people. Now, all society wants men to be are mindless worker bees that can fck whenever the queen bee feels like it.
Get off your soapbox while I play you a tune on the tiniest violin.
But in the 1950's, women were NOT allowed to thrive and grow as people!
Whatever ambitions they may have had as children, actual possibilities were scarce and the idea of "making it in a man's world" was laughed off as ridiculous by their parents and other adults.
Inevidebly, they found themselves relegated to the kitchen, the nursery, and the bedroom, to *beep* whenever their husbands wanted it, whether they were in the mood or not.
And let's not gloss over the prevalence of spousal abuse, both verbal and physical, as it was up until recent years.
Even women who had exceptional ability in "masculine" subjects like math or science were expected to be no more than schoolteachers.
Personally, I'm glad that men have finally recognized their "feminine side", i.e., compassion and tenderness.
And I agree; I don't like the way TV shows today depict them as dumb wimps.
That's for sure I mean there have bene tv fathers in the last couple of decades that have been kind of winey, and you have seen bricking couples. It something that wouldn't work as I am sure a lot of fathers would try to get their way out of talking to their kids or even punishing them.
shareThat's for sure I mean there have bene tv fathers in the last couple of decades that have been kind of winey, and you have seen bricking couples. It something that wouldn't work as I am sure a lot of fathers would try to get their way out of talking to their kids or even punishing them.
Bricking couples? What does that mean?
Couples that fight with each other duh
shareDuh? Try admitting you made a mistake and correct it next time. No one is infallible.
shareModern couples wouldn't fight so much if feminism didn't reinforce the idea that women are never wrong. If too people are too independent, they will clash like two rams constantly butting their heads together.
Get off your soapbox while I play you a tune on the tiniest violin.
True, among its many evils, feminism teaches that "men are the enemy." And women who become indoctrinated with that evil teaching are destined never to get along with any man and always to be miserable. In short, feminism is cancer.
shareReally?
My parents fought constantly, long before the Women's Movement.
In the first couple of seasons, I thought Ward was a tyrant--always hollering at the boys and blaming them for mishaps, even when they were innocent.
And though we never saw it, he would also spank Beaver.
I really get sick of his speeches about how he was when he was the boys' ages.
Fortunately, as the boys grew older, he mellowed some, although Wally and Beaver were still afraid of him.
I know you didn't ask about June, but IMO, she was just so over-protective, opposing even the smallest risks her sons wanted to experience.
And she always expected Ward to administer the discipline; I find that unfair to him.
I suppose today, June would be called a "helicopter mom".
The worst time in my opinion was when Eddie Haskell changed Beaver's grades and Ward jumped to the conclusion that Beaver changed his grades. Beaver tried to explain himself but Ward dismissed him as a liar.
Avatar made on sp-studio.de
Really? I never got the impression that Ward was a tyrant, or particularly strict or a harsh disciplinarian. Quite the contrary, he seemed quite understanding and "modern", usually willing to look at things from the kid's point of view, considering it's a show from 1957. And when he made a mistake, he admitted it and apologized.
Of course, he would not look away and ignore it when his sons misbehaved, but that's what parents are supposed to do, and it's not the same as being a tyrant.
Where did you get the notion that Ward spanked Beaver or ever hit the kids? On the contrary, Ward said numerous times that he did not ever hit the kids, and that he was raising them very different from the way his father raised him. Ward alluded several times to how his father had been abusive towards him. Also, the kids didn’t fear Ward, they respected him and wanted his approval and didn’t want to disappoint him. That was actually a very positive dynamic that is very lacking today in many families.
shareThe 1950s was a time of corporal punishment. My dad never hesitated to apply the back of his hand, or the front of it, to my face if I had earned it. He also got plenty of use from his belt, a wooden paddle, a coat hanger, a switch off a tree, a yard stick, or whatever else was handy when I aroused his wrath. It was a different time, my young friends. In retrospect, I don't mind it. I'm glad I wasn't coddled, applauded, and "good job"ed every moment. Learning that bad behavior results in unpleasant consequences is not necessarily a negative thing. That being said, I have never laid an angry hand on a child, and never will.
shareI agree with kathykato. Ward came from an abusive upbringing with an alcoholic father. He was attempting to be a different father who listened to his children and spoke to them rather than hit. He was also more lenient than his wife hoping to allow them to have experiences. June was more strict. They had different parenting styles.
Re: corporal punishment in the 50s. Not all parents believed in hitting their children. My parents and friends' parents found different ways to punish. My father's stern voice was usually enough, anyway.
Ward did what parents are supposed to do - laid out the rules and behavior that was expected of his sons. If they disobeyed, the boys knew there would be consequences to their actions.
Ward and June knew that as adults they had to actually work hard at being a parent - not a buddy, but a parent - and get involved with their kids' lives. They wanted their kids to be safe, responsible, and know the difference between right and wrong.
People have ridiculed June and Ward for being so involved but that's what it takes to raise a child. You have to know what's going on inside their head if you want them to stay out of trouble. There's always an Eddie Haskell just waiting to steer them in the wrong direction.
My parents would never have allowed me to stare at a phone (or a toy or whatever) while they were talking to me. And they wouldn't be staring at one either. Parents need to get their heads out of the sand and start raising their kids through hard work.
I never could understand how Ward and June could stand that phony suck-up Eddie Haskell, especially considering how he bullied Beaver.
They weren't stupid; they knew that Eddie was a fake.
But whenever they brought that up with Wally, he'd reply. "But he's my best friend!"
Seems that Wally was the one who was stupid.
IMO, Ward and June should have encouraged Wally into activities that would make him better friends than Eddie Haskell and Lumpy Rutherford.
And I think Eddie's father should have been made aware of his son's bullying nature.
Maybe a good military school could have imposed the necessary discipline.
BTW, Ken Osmond was great as Eddie; he was a natural talent.
I'm glad for his success as a police officer and am happy for his retirement.
I agree.
Wally was stupid. He put having a friend more important than how his own brother was being treated. The thing is, they make it seem like Wally is a good guy and maybe even popular at school. Seems like he could have had better friends around who didn't treat his brother poorly.
The mother is one thing, but I can't understand how Ward didn't step into it and tell Wally to dump Eddie as a friend.
I think the series was lazy in this regard. They created a character and didn't want to dispose of him. But they didn't change him either so Eddie never stopped being a jerk. The other thing at play was that Ward and June were to be nice people, and their version of that is to not judge others or complain about them. But that really does a disservice to the kids watching the TV show, which is what it was made for, thinking that you must put up with people not being respectful to your family. As if it was normal.
they didn't change him either so Eddie never stopped being a jerk
Maybe Ward and June were the only people who were able to see Eddie's insecurity and neediness, and maybe that's why they tolerated him.
But that's no excuse for them to ignore how he treated Beaver.
Are you kidding? Modern viewers actually condemn the Cleavers for getting so involved in their kids' lives, shaping them and guiding into becoming great men??
Jesus. That just shows you how socially screwed up our society is.
Get off your soapbox while I play you a tune on the tiniest violin.
It's not that, Luke.
It's just that Ward and June seemed to have no other life outside the kids.
How do you suppose they reacted when the boys eventually left the nest?
Especially June.
Imagine if the show continued after the boys left home. It would show Ward and June with nothing to do, because they didn't have a couple of kids around to try to inflict their punishments on. "How shall we punish the Beaver today, oh, wait, he isn't here, he's away at college. Well, guess I will go play golf and smack the hell out of a caddy..."
"And I'll just scrub the floors and wash the windows in my high heels and pearls."
shareYou’re missing the point of the show. lITB was unique in its day because it was the first series that was told from the perspective of the kids. It was not about the parents, but about the kids. It is safe to assume that Ward and June had a relationship apart from the kids and other interests, but that is not what the show is about.
shareI watched the show as a 5-year-old and found Wally, Beaver and their friends very relatable while their parents were boring.
Years later, I watched as an adult and paid attention to June and Ward for the first time. June from a privileged, spoiled background and more afraid and strict as a parent. Ward from a poorer, abusive background attempting to be the type of father he wish he had. The show is from the kids' perspective, but there are some interesting things happening in regard to the parents' backgrounds and relationship if you pay closer attention. It would've been interesting to see a prequel of a younger Ward and June.