Full House

Mike says that the mullet's popularity proves beyond a doubt that the end of times are upon us. While watching Full House, John Stamos' mullet constantly reminded me why the earth would eventually be purged by fire. I mean, how else can we rid ourselves of something so evil?

BRRRRRRRRR.

ANYWAY, sorry. So, Full House. Yeah. For eighties sitcoms about non-traditional families, Full House was really the benchmark and mold for the lot. As Kate says later, it has all the required elements, and all the stereotypes such a show would have. As such . . . it's rather painful for me to watch.

While much easier to look at production-wise, Full House really comes from the same place as Family Ties, but much more bubble gum. Sickly sweet dialogue and moral, happy endings, quick judgments and quick apologies, and a good dose of the warm fuzzies. Yikes. I quickly popped in the most violent movie I could find to cleanse the pallet.

Seriously though, Full House is pretty well-crafted. The characters and cast balance well, and the idea is pretty solid. There is a reason this show became the powerhouse that it was. As family programing, the show really had something for everyone (well, except for the fathers in the audience... they probably just liked it when it was over). Cute kids, even cuter baby, smoking sexy rock star, super-sensitive Bob Saget (so . . . did they ever reveal if his character was gay?), and silly comedy guy. A diverse group that really had mass appeal.

As a kid, I think I liked it . . . I know my Mom did. Watching it now, however, I can say I honestly wouldn't mind my son watching it. It has good values, and it's a show I feel safe about him watching. But if I was in the living room with him? Well . . . we would be watching something else.


Kate says the main thing I remembered thinking about Full House when it originally aired was "Will John Stamos ever cut his hair?"

Yeah, I've never been a big fan of a the mullet.

I still wish he would cut his hair (he eventually does).

Aside from hair, Full House is the ultimate cutesy sit-com. And it has all the ingredients:

GUYS WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHANGE DIAPERS (as Leonard says to Penny, "What's up with that?")

BABIES WHO LOOK LIKE PRECIOUS MOMENT DOLLS!

PRECOCIOUS CHILDREN!

THE GUY WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE CUTE AND FUNNY MAKING CUTE AND FUNNY NOISES!

THE GUY WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE SEXY BEING SARCASTIC AND LOOKING HOT!

A LESSON!!!

The LESSON is the ultimate purpose of this type of show: D.J. moves back into her room! D.J. and Steph learn to like school! Jesse and Danny learn to be friends with women!

And here's the thing--I might not have a yen for this type of show anymore (I must have once since I've seen a number of Full House episodes), but Full House does it better than just about any other sitcom of its type and era. The scripts just barrel towards that lesson at a million-miles-per-hour (the pilot is something of an exception, but then pilots always have to expend time on establishing who is who).

As you know, if you've read the Star Trek review, while I have outgrown my yen for playful (as opposed to witty) dialog, I still have a yen for tightly plotted television. Act I (problem), Act II (rising action), Act III (solution). It makes me happy at a very aesthetic level.

And not all the Full House lines are completely lacking in wit. I got a kick out of the girls saying to Uncle Jesse, "We only took advantage of you because you had absolutely no idea what you were doing." And the singing stuff is actually very funny and clever.

And, okay (I might as well be honest), I can be very girly and coy about sticky-sweet-sentiment. In any case, Full House sentiment bothers me less than Night Court sentiment. I think this is because Full House sentiment is anticipated. It is what it proclaims itself to be ("Hi, we are a squishy family show about squishy family values involving three unrelated men who spend way more time together than most men do and all in a really stellar townhouse!"). But Night Court starts to go in the sarcasm direction and then suddenly Harry is hugging people right and left.

Again, as Leonard would say to Penny, "What's up with that?"

(By the way, Night Court is worth watching for John Larroquette and his very long legs but also for Brent Spiner's reoccurring role as Bob Wheeler.)