Posts Tagged ‘Tuesday Topics’

Marc Price as Skippy Handleman

As you know I am always interested about how adoption is portrayed in the media, and there’s a reason for my fascination. When I was a kid I was a HUGE fan of Family Ties and I will never forget when Skippy (the boy next door) discovered he was adopted. (Season 2, episode 19: Baby Boy Doe, it aired on 8 March 1984)

Keeping in mind I wasn’t 10 yet – I was really excited to find out Skippy was adopted too. However, at my tender age my excitement quickly turned to horror when Skippy finds his birth mother (alternately called his “natural” or “real” mother throughout the episode) and she rejects him. Okay this is a HUGE oversimplification of what happened but again at my age I saw Skippy’s birthmother get really upset when she found him and I remember thinking “wow, I guess I should never try to find my birthmother.”

Growing up it wasn’t just Skippy, though he was my earliest memory of adoption on television. When I got older Viki on Head of the Class and her teacher went to find her birthmother at Christmas time. (season 5, episode 15: Viki’s Torn Genes, it aired on 18 December 1990) I don’t think I saw the end of this one, ever – frankly at that point I wasn’t really watching the show very much and once her birthmother didn’t want to see her – I probably abandoned it for something else.

No fear, at some point I grew up to understand the subtitles of the episode of Family Ties that I didn’t understand when I was younger, but I always think back on that. It’s perfectly normal to look for people we identify with on television so what television portrays can really have a profound effect. I also wonder for people who had NO adoption experience what they take away from the way adoption is portrayed on television?

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Deciding for Life has been a work in progress. I’m always working on ways to change the site and make it a place where you, dear readers, feel free to voice your opinions as well. I noticed that the post about Sixteen and Pregnant’s Lori and Cory generated some really thought provoking discussion.

Here’s what I thought was great – it was NOT a big lovefest where everyone agreed with my opinions, but dissenting opinions were voiced respectfully. I learned some things. In fact, I went back and watched the episode again with new eyes thanks to things that you shared with me.

So on Tuesdays (starting tomorrow) I plan to introduce a topic and throw out my opinions and then ask you for your wit, wisdom, and experiences.