It is hard to believe that 30 years ago this past month, “Married With Children” debuted. Television would never be the same after that. The premise focused on the dysfunctional family known as the Bundy’s as they go through everyday life. The father who didn’t know best, Al was a former high school football star turned shoe salesman. Peggy, the mother, was no June Cleaver. The daughter, Kelly, was as dumb as a bag of hammers. And the son, Bud, basically was a nightmare version of a kid brother.
I remember the first time I recall seeing an episode of “Married with Children”. I was around 9 years old, and it was part two of a three-part episode entitled “The England Show”. The premise of the episodes focused on the Bundy’s going to England and how supposedly there was a curse on a small village and the way to break the curse was to kill Al and Bud. It’s a little odd when you read it like that, but after seeing these episodes, I was drawn to the show. The only downside was that I learned about the song “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred. Nine-year-old me started singing I was too sexy for anything and everything.
As the weeks progressed, I began to watch more episodes and was oddly drawn to the show and its characters. I found myself laughing at the crude humor. Even though I didn’t get the jokes half the time, it was a lot different than what I was watching back then. You didn’t exactly see this kind of humor on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, that is for sure.
As I reflect back on this show, I have thought of several reasons on how a silly show like “Married With Children” has influenced me growing up. The first is that like I mentioned earlier, it was a lot different than a lot of other family shows I had watched. The family shows I watched up until that point were “Full House” and “The Brady Bunch”. Those shows were happy go lucky, and all their problems were wrapped up by the end. With “Married with Children”, their problems barely got solved, if any at all.
The second was that is helped me get more into the works of Frank Sinatra. Every time I watched an episode, I always looked forward to hearing that classic song. It also helped with the fact that my grandfather was a Sinatra fanatic, and I think he took notice. He had his own local cover band, entitled The Dukes of Swing. In fact, they once let me sing “Love and Marriage”. When one of the band members asked me how I knew about the song, I mentioned “Married with Children”. I don’t think he was impressed.
Another reason I look back with fond memories is that this show lead into my fascination with redheads. For years, I would always say it was Lindsay Lohan from her “Mean Girls” days that started the love. But it was Peggy Bundy. While Christina Applegate was one of my first childhood crushes, as I’ve gotten older I have grown more of an attraction to Peggy. I guess it was just the way this character was written. And how she always knew what she wanted, even though Al could not perform to satisfy her needs. I think I will just leave it at that.
But the ultimate point as to why I still love the show is a little more personal. Before I wrote this post, I kept asking myself “What was it about this show that I couldn’t get enough of? Why did I drive my family crazy with its constant references? And why does it mean so much to me?” Well, I finally came up with the answer. “Married with Children” saved me from ending my life.
This may take some explaining. When I was 12 years old, my life was turned upside down. In a matter of six months, my parents divorced and I moved to a new area. I had gone from a large city to a small rural community in a different state. It was a culture shock that is for sure. It was the kind of area in which if you weren’t born there, best of luck to you. It was the lowest of low. I honestly didn’t want to go on with my life anymore. But what really helped was the fact that every day after school, I could come home, and “Married with Children” would be on TV. It was a good escape for a two-hour period.
I also looked forward to the summers, in which I could watch more episodes throughout the day. I looked forward to summers at my grandparents, because that is when me, my sister, and some of my cousins got together. That one cousin whom I have mentioned in previous blogs, we would watch endless shows staying up late after everyone had gone to bed. We had to keep the noise down, yet we would still laugh.
As the years progressed, things did get better over time and I wanted to keep on living. Late last year, I ended up buying the complete series on DVD. Around this time, Alamo City Comic Con was coming up and David Faustino, who played Bud Bundy, was going to make an appearance. I knew that the trip wouldn’t be complete without meeting him.
When I went to the comic con, it was pure perfect timing. Out of all the cons and celebrities I have met, David Faustino surprised me the most. I had read various posts that he was odd and or rude. I didn’t get that impression at all. He was very generous, and we even got to talk for a few minutes. I told him about watching the show got me through a tough time. He said that a lot of people had said that to him over the years, and that it made him feel good that the cast and crew touched a lot of people. It felt good to know that I wasn’t alone.
After that, I began to start the complete series box set, which Faustino himself autographed for me. It took me about four months to complete. Keep in mind, I didn’t watch episodes every day. When I finally finished it, I began to feel a sense of relief leave my body. It was like that sorrow that had been with me all those years ago, was finally being put to rest. For anyone that has felt like that, it is one of the best feelings in the world.
And this is what “Married with Children” has meant to me growing up. This is dedicated to the creators, writers, and actors that were a part of this iconic show. I hope that it is never forgotten. If there is a way I can end this blog, I would have to paraphrase a quote from Al Bundy: “The fact that I haven’t put a gun in my mouth, makes me a winner!”