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Wait Till Your Father Gets Home

(Rated TV-Y7, Children, cartoons, & animation, Starring Tom Bosley, Joan Gerber, David Hayward, Where to watch: Boomerang, DVD)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    The '70s' answer to King of the Hill.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 9–12

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Characters don't approve of the racist on the show, but they tolerate him. His vigilante army uses violence in the name of "protecting American values." Like All in the Family, this series addresses lots of hot-button topics of the '70s. The somewhat conservative (or at least traditionalist) father struggles against his more liberal children -- and, more often than not, is proved right.

  • Violence:

    Vigilante character and his "army" carry and use weapons, usually against the hapless hero. No more injury results than a bump on the head.

  • Sex:

    Cartoon raciness in the '70s was quite mild by today's standards -- mussed clothes, the faint suggestion of impropriety, etc..

  • Language:

    Stereotypical racist references ("chinks," "spics," etc.).

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some characters may smoke or drink.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Wait Till Your Father Gets Home

Parents need to know that this '70s cartoon is a real period piece. Although the show professes an intolerance for racial stereotypes, the characters themselves are stereotypes. The main character's best friend is an unabashed racist with a negative comment about every minority from Jews to Italians to Latinos and beyond. It's clear that he's crazy, but the comments may still upset children -- and he does remain Harry's best friend. That said, this cartoon take-off of All in the Family is actually less edgy than that program was and, for older kids, could serve as a decent intro to the era.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how things have changed since this program originally aired (from 1972-1974). How does the series reflect its own tumultuous times? Why does Ralph see hippies, commies, pinkos, etc. as threats? Do people still share his beliefs today? Are the Boyles, even with their disagreements, a happy family? Every episode of this show presents a mini morality play that provides ample opportunity to discuss one of the many institutions that was under fire during that decade.
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