Life Lessons From the Shows We Love.
I grew up watching television, and I wouldn't trade those hours in front of the TV for anything. Somewhere between Leave It to Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show, Good Times, All in the Family, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and The Facts of Life, I picked up quite an education about life.
I learned about friendship, honesty, prejudice, family, responsibility, and what it means to be a decent human being. I also developed a pretty good sense of humor, largely from watching fictional people make the same ridiculous mistakes real people make every day.
And let's face it, Archie Bunker was practically a master class in how not to behave.
What Is CouchDegree.com?
CouchDegree.com is where I revisit the television shows I grew up with, along with the ones I've enjoyed as an adult, and explore what their characters, relationships, and storylines can teach us about everyday life.
I've always been fascinated by human behavior. I studied sociology, but my curiosity about why people do the things they do started long before I ever opened a textbook.
Television gave me plenty of material.
I loved watching Andy Taylor find a way to teach someone a lesson without humiliating them. I admired Mrs. Garrett's ability to offer advice while treating the girls with respect. And I watched Archie Bunker argue his way through life, usually convinced he was the smartest person in the room.
Some characters showed us how to be better people. Others demonstrated exactly what happens when we refuse to listen, admit we're wrong, or consider someone else's feelings.
Both kinds taught me something.
More Than Just Television Nostalgia
I've always had a soft spot for shows that sent you away with something worth thinking about.
I especially loved the closing diary entries on Doogie Howser, M.D., where Doogie reflected on what he'd learned. Last Man Standing also had a way of finding humor in family disagreements while leaving room for a lesson.
Of course, not every television lesson holds up.
Some of the shows we remember fondly promoted ideas about parenting, marriage, gender roles, and society that deserve a second look. Part of the fun of revisiting television as an adult is realizing how differently you see things now.
I can love an old sitcom and still admit that some of its characters needed a serious attitude adjustment.
CouchDegree.com isn't about pretending television was better in the good old days. It's about appreciating what those shows gave us, questioning what they got wrong, and discovering what we can still learn from them.
What You'll Find Here
I write about television characters and human behavior, family and parenting, love and relationships, friendship, everyday decency, work, money, and the social issues that television has explored over the years.
Sometimes I'll examine a memorable character or storyline. Other times I'll look at a familiar family argument, a friendship gone wrong, or a situation that makes me wonder why people insist on making life harder than it needs to be.
I'll connect those television moments to situations we encounter in real life, with observations, humor, and practical lessons we can actually use.
We'll begin with many of the classic American television shows of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, but CouchDegree.com isn't limited to any particular decade or genre. From wholesome family programs to modern sitcoms and dramas, there's plenty of television worth talking about.
Learning to Be a Mensch, One Episode at a Time
There's a Yiddish word I've always loved: mensch.
It describes someone who's genuinely decent, responsible, considerate, and honest. Not someone who simply talks about having good values, but someone who puts those values into practice.
That's probably the biggest lesson I took away from all those years of watching television.
Being a good person isn't about being perfect. It's about how we treat people, how we handle our mistakes, and what we do when nobody's handing out gold stars for good behavior.
I don't expect every television character to be a mensch. Where would the comedy be in that?
But I do believe there's something to learn from just about every show, even when the lesson is what not to do.
So pull up a seat. We'll revisit some old favorites, discover a few new ones, laugh at the absurdity of human behavior, and maybe learn something useful along the way.
After all, I've spent a lifetime watching television. I might as well put that education to good use.
Welcome to CouchDegree.com.
