Leave It to Beaver

This show always makes me feel better whenever I watch it. It is a great end to a stressful day, and is always a go-to whenever I am sick. It is safe and enjoyable for all ages, though younger children may not always understand some of the more mature (but not inappropriate) humor or the customs,speech, and culture of that time period.

Some have said the show is dated; I guess so it's half a century old. It may be dated but the lessons are timeless and heartwarming. The humor comes from incredibly well written scripts and situations the boys and parent have to work through and do what is right. It reminds me of Mark Twain. The Cleavers are unlike families in modern comedies where parents are buffoons and the object of ridicule from snarky children. The parents and the children have flaws and make mistakes, but in the end, there is a rich life lesson to learn from those mistakes. My daughter is eight and she absolutely loves leave it to beaver. For us it is a nightly ritual.

America needs to return this this family model. Tested, proven success. Great family show for all ages.

This show teaches good lessons. As for what candide said about Ward praising his father's liberal use of a razor strap, Ward does not praise this. He sometimes says things like this in anger, but he always realizes that there's a better route to go by the time he calms down. If you look closely at the episodes, you'll notice that Ward doesn't discipline in anger. Ward realizes that he has a temper problem. Maybe this is why he takes great pains to wait to discipline Wally and Beaver until he calms down. If any honest criticism can be made about the show, it's that blue collar workers aren't valued. Those workers aren't put down, but their contributions to society and the economy aren't recognized either. Indeed Ward is insistent that his boys go to college. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, but that may not be what everyone wants. Indeed when Beaver talks about being a garbage collector or some other lower class occupation, both June and Ward supress that kind of talk. Compare that to SESAME STREET and MISTER ROGERS, where, on both shows, a job is a job. So, while I do recommend LEAVE IT TO BEAVER for everyone, parents ought to tell their children that June and Ward sometimes do cross a line with their views on working class jobs.

Younger children shouldn't be exposed to this. Older teenagers could watch it if they are invited to analyze and critique its out-dated views on parenting and gender. Wally and Beaver usually justify their moral choices out of fear corporal punishment by a moody father who praises his father's liberal use of a razor strap. They say they never know what mood he'll be in when he comes home from work and it could result in a beating. Women are constantly cruelly demeaned by all the males (Beaver, Wally, and Ward) as being silly, foolish, irrational, etc. while traditionally masculine roles and emotional attitudes are praised. This level of misogyny goes far beyond the housewife/breadwinner stereotype.

My 9 year old son asked me "Can I see shows you watched when you were my age?" so I picked this one because of the good morals and good family values it taught. Both of my children love this show. Even though it's old, it does not bore us. It really teaches a lot of good lessons in life.