[Hacksaw]

I feel the same way about the old Andy Griffith Show and the Leave It To Beaver reruns. Unlike the stuff made today, there are good role models, parents aren't fools and the families aren't expected to be disfunctional.

You might not agree, but I thought Tim Allen's family on Home Improvement was pretty good. Allen's character was a bit of a goof, but I think it showed Husband, Wife and Family in a very positive light.

[FourPeas]

You're correct, I don't agree. Tim Taylor is a bafoon. His wife, children, the people at work and the guy next door all know it. He's not respected, nor is he seen as a stong leader. He's a clown. Now, there's nothing wrong with clowns, but it's not what I want my young sons to see when they think of male role models.

The show does depict a loving family and for that it needs to be commended. But the smartest one in the family is the mother, followed by the children, with dad taking up the rear. Smart women are good; dumb men are bad.

Not only is the dad not a great role model, but his friend, AL, isn't either. He's what Hollyweird wants us to think of as The Sensative Man. He's insecure, too in touch with his feminine side and just too wishy-washy. Facial hair asside, he has a definite lack of testosterone.

We watched Tool Time a lot before we had children. After I started considering the messages it sent with regards to a father figure, we stopped.