Re-runs of old TV shows. Nothing smacks more heartily of the American childhood, no? The classics. We all have our favorites.
The Rat Patrol. Combat. Get Smart. F Troop. Rockford Files, Voyage to the Bottom of The Sea...hell, most of us could wax on all day about this stuff, many of us to our ultimate yellowy shame and embarrassment. This morning though I was thinking about
The Addams Family. Maybe it's because lately I've been getting episodes of the show on Netflix for the kids (who love the strange humor by the way--especially my youngest because, well, she's my hellion "Wednesday" in disguise.) I was thinking about Gomez Addams in particular, and how I once had a metaphorical epiphany about him, that I wanted to picture Gomez as God. Wait, hear me out. Think about it. Gomez as God. Not necessarily cruel or vengeful (as much of my parochial school force feeding had led me to believe) but a loving, passionate, thoughtful, well-read champion of lost causes...an inspiring, humanistic makebate agreeable to almost every affirmation--a titan obsessed with living life to its fullest, zany edge. And what of his wrath? His wrath was whimsical and absurd! Hell, Gomez vented his most diabolical simmerings by doing what? Playing with his trains! Of course you can take that a step further and see the show's train set vignettes as part of the divine metaphor as well. We all go around in fruitless circles at perilous speed, and John Astin has his hand on the detonator. Act accordingly. Onward.
