Art Imitates Life, Life Returns the Favor

Like many of my generation, I grew up on a whole lot of TV and movies.

Specifically, on TV, I grew up on reruns of sitcoms from the 50s, 60s and 70s and was front and center for the “golden age” of the sitcom in the 80s and early 90s. I was indoctrinated into social norms by the likes of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Richie Cunningham and the Fonz, Kevin Arnold, Steve Urkel, Ross and Rachel, and any number of other characters that were on during prime time.

The film front was a bit more varied–science fiction, horror, classics, and a whole suite of definitive 80s films from John Hughes and Savage Steve Holland (among others). There were also musicals mixed in there, just for good measure.

Without a doubt, there are deep cultural truths tied up in the comic bits, creative camera work, and skillful writing that goes into the best of these. There is also a lot to be learned from the less critically acclaimed bits of visual media the public at large has consumed.

I know I was heavily influenced by some of what I grew up watching. You probably were, too.

I’ve been meaning for a while to lay out some of these lessons here. This week, I’m going to start.

But before I do, I’m going to ask you: What bit of visual media (TV show, cartoon, movie, video game) taught you something about relationships that you still go back to today? What was it you learned?