You Guys, TV Used to be SO SERIOUS

      I really don't think you understand. Remember the show Life Goes On? One of Mom's favorites, right? That show was about Down Symdrome and HIV.

      What?

      You heard me.

      Now, I don't know about you guys (because I don't feel like doing math right now), but I was like eight years old when that show was on. I distinctly remember mom explaining AIDS to me, and to her credit, she got most of it right...?

      And speaking of AIDS, what about Wesley's friend on Mr. Belvedere who had AIDS? There's also an episode of Mr. Belvedere about child molestation. (Not joking: remember Wesley's scout leader? That's okay, I didn't either, but a quick Google search will refresh your memory).

      Totally changing gears, let's talk about Alf. I know what you're thinking: am I really going to suggest that there was anything remotely serious about Alf, the crazy puppet from outer space? Oh boy, am I! Remember when Alf finds out that his home planet was destroyed by nuclear weapons? That's right! Nukes! (Man, I miss the Cold War...)

      Do you think Mom and Dad were aware of how seriously they were shaping our social consciousness with what we watched on television? From The Wonder Years to The Cosby Show to Family Matters (we also watched a lot of television that took place in Chicago), to The Torkelsons and Perfect Strangers, there were a lot of lessons that we learned, mostly about how to treat people decently and be open-minded to things that might at first appear strange or unknown.

      Maybe the death of the American sitcom has hurt our society more than we realize. Although maybe, like the death of the "musical," somebody is eventually going to realize that people still actually want television to be about serious and relevant conflicts that can be resolved in forty-five (or even twenty-two!) minutes with a smile and parental hug.