During the 1980s, the buzzword was "family values," which meant that only people who had heterosexual nuclear families had value. We heard again and again that the only life worth living involved husbands and wives raising horny teenager and wisecracking preteens. That's why Married...with Children was such a big hit, immersed in a pool of Family Ties, Family Matters, Growing Pains, The Wonder Years, and The Cosby Show. 
After a season and a half, Harper left in the midst of a salary dispute -- and proved not indispensible. Her character was killed, Aunt Sandy (Sandy Duncan) moved in, and the renamed series got top ratings for another three years.
As is common in nuclear family sitcoms, the kids soon took over. The twins usually had episodes involving cheating, bullies, staying out past curfew, friends (notably Andre Gower), and the "discovery of girls." By the last season, they were as heterosexually active as David.
.Especially in later seasons, when he toned up. Here's what he looks like after Hogan.
Jason Bateman was mostly ignored, too -- there are no shirtless teen idol pix of him anywhere. But his David got most of the serious episodes (premarital sex, drunk driving, gambling), and he had ample time for buddy-bonding, particularly with the gay-coded teen-operator Rich (Tom Hodges).
They didn't specify how he contracted the disease, but as this was the first sitcom AIDS episode where everyone didn't yell "Blood transfusion!" over and over, the silence was more than enough to tell us that David's friend was gay.
Most of the cast members are gay allies. Jason Bateman has played gay characters many times. Jeremy Licht and his wife Kimberly are vocal supporters of gay rights; 2012 he participated in Brice Beckham's CCOKC video (Child Celebrities Opposing Kirk Cameron).
There's a Jason Bateman story on Gay Celebrity Dating Stories.
See also: Danny Ponce
Hey, no pictures of Jeremy Licht! He was the cutest of the bunch!
ReplyDeleteOk, I put one up.
ReplyDeleteSurprised that Jeremy has a wife. I always thought he was gay.
ReplyDeleteI had the biggest crush on Danny Ponce.
ReplyDeleteI always got gay vibes from Jeremy Licht too and I definitely saw his character on the show as gay coded when I was growing up (although admittedly not as much as some other boy characters on sitcoms since then).. However, I was always more attracted to Danny Ponce than I was to Jeremy and, although I'd LOVED Jason Bateman on 'Silver Spoons', sometime during the time he had his own show 'It's Your Move', he hit a growth spurt and went from looking 12 to 16 seemingly overnight and I lost interest. Unfortunately I, for one, DID think Valerie Harper was indispensable. The show just had so much more depth with Harper as the lead (blending both comedy and drama seamlessly). After Sandy Duncan joined the show, it just turned into a standard run-of-the-mill sitcom with absolutely nothing special going for it other than cute teenage boys strutting around in tight jeans.
ReplyDeleteCute teenage boys in tight jeans are the main reason teenagers watch television. The other is cute teenage girls in tight jeans.
DeleteJeremy Licht *swoon*
ReplyDeleteJeremy Licht was gay-coded, but Danny Ponce wore the tightest pants I ever saw. You could see everything, in detail.
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only guy who enjoyed looking at these cute guys...
ReplyDeleteLoved the short shorts of the 1980's.
Is it jealousy, admiration, lust, or something else- that lead young men to be attracted to these male stars?
Jeremy Licht...sigh! Danny Ponce...tight buns...Jason Bateman...perfection!!! I watched this show just for the guys when I was a teen.
ReplyDeleteI think Jason Bateman lacked the physical development to warrant shitless scenes/pics. Consequently he was cast for comedy more than sex appeal...
ReplyDeleteOh, I remember them screaming "Blood transfusion!" over and over on TV. I get what they were going for, a lot of people thought it was "killing all the right people". (Can't remember which sitcom used that, Designing Women?) But if course "innocent victims" imply guilt as the default state. If anything, people started imagining getting AIDS all sorts of ways besides sex, blood transfusions, and organ transplants.
ReplyDeleteI think on the "Designing Women" episode, the guy was gay. He wanted them to design the room for his funeral after he died. But they might have used the phrase "killing the right people" ironically.
DeleteIt was supposed to portray her as what we now refer to as a "Trump-supporting uncle".
DeleteKendall (Tony Goldwyn), a fellow decorator, tells the women that he is dying of AIDS and wants them to design his funeral including a special room at one mortuary that other victims could use for their own. All the ladies are very understanding and caring. Even Suzanne (Delta Burke) has spoken to her doctor and talks about the myths.
DeleteImogene, a customer and old acquaintance of Julia overhears the conversation and makes her opinion clear, that AIDS is God’s punishment and it’s “killing all the right people”. Julia very nicely asks her to move her car. When Imogene asks why Julie says “because you’re leaving” and then lets her have it with both barrels.
The other story line has Mary Jo being selected by her daughters high school PTA to speak in favor of condoms in the classroom. The speech she gives is masterfully written and Annie Potts delivery will bring you to tears.
And they had a very hot looking dad
ReplyDeleteI thought Jason Bateman had spoken out opposing same sex marriage.
ReplyDeleteI can't find a reference to his opinion on same-sex marriage. There's a hookup story featuring Jason Bateman on "Tales of West Hollywood" (not mine, a guy I was dating).
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