Andy G.

Tonight I sit in my living room enjoying watching yet another rerun of Andy Griffith. My wife and I have seen this same episode several dozen times yet we watch it with the same glee we did many years ago. While she tends to anticipate it more than I do, I must admit that I do relish in the oddly anachronistic moments that Andy Griffith provides.

Although overly antiseptic and culturally shallow with an overt avoidance of reality, the Andy Griffith show meets the need in all of us for a world without societal pressures and a world without complexities. A slower paced lifestyle where smiles are abundant and relationships are wholesome. A world without cell phones, email, computers, and blogging! The Andy world demonstrates the idea of events that result in lessons and values and sentimentalism and personal growth.

In contrast to this, I also watched a show called Friends where rampant discussion of body parts, adultery, homosexuality, and alcoholism were not only frequent but also venerated. A show about relationships yes, but all with unhealthy and seemingly fleeting futures.

But I find myself laughing to an extent to some funny lines and zany humor from both shows. Somehow, though, after watching Andy, I don't feel like washing my hands or clearing out my brain like I do after watching Friends. Watching Andy is like playing with a kitten or a puppy or eating popcorn or listening to a Mozart concerto. The show is balanced, enjoyable, relaxing, and predictable. Whereas, Friends feels more like a pit bull dog or a feral cat or a heavy poorly cooked meal or a Stravinsky Ballet. It is uneven, fun at moments but suspicious at others, intense, and unpredictable.

In our modern and eclectic culture, is there a place for both? Certainly! I am so glad for the opportunity and the rights to experience both kinds of shows. But if I had to make a choice, the choice would be Andy every time!