Dinosaurs gave us a look at ourselves
Posted on May 23rd, 2006
by 
Dean
Dean
I've recently purchased the first two season of the early-nineties sitcom "Dinosaurs" and I had forgotten just how political the show was, and how it probably had an effect on my young mind; helping to shape the man I am today.
For those who don't remember, the show centered on Earl Sinclair and his family of five. The man characters all had names from the petroleum industry: Sinclair, B.P. Richfield, Hess, Ethyl.
I finished an episode that made light of modern man's obsession with television. When Grandma Ethyl utters that television has led to "degradation in our society, we should write letters," the mother Fran advises her to get a life. But yet the whole 23-minutes was about how TV has ruined "family-time". No wonder the show had a somewhat short shelf-life.
As a kid I enjoyed the teenager, Robbie, and now as an adult I can see why. He was always questioning why things were the way the were, when asked to start a conversation at the dinner table he says, "Well I've been thinking a lot about the nature of reality," and moves on to the whole tree in a forest bit. He also questions why at the age of 72 all dinosaurs had to be hurled into the tar pit, thus ruining his father's fun as he was preparing to throw Grandman Ethyl over the cliff.
Now that I've watched and learned some lessons from this prehistoric family, I think I'll go unplug my television for awhile.
For those who don't remember, the show centered on Earl Sinclair and his family of five. The man characters all had names from the petroleum industry: Sinclair, B.P. Richfield, Hess, Ethyl.
I finished an episode that made light of modern man's obsession with television. When Grandma Ethyl utters that television has led to "degradation in our society, we should write letters," the mother Fran advises her to get a life. But yet the whole 23-minutes was about how TV has ruined "family-time". No wonder the show had a somewhat short shelf-life.
As a kid I enjoyed the teenager, Robbie, and now as an adult I can see why. He was always questioning why things were the way the were, when asked to start a conversation at the dinner table he says, "Well I've been thinking a lot about the nature of reality," and moves on to the whole tree in a forest bit. He also questions why at the age of 72 all dinosaurs had to be hurled into the tar pit, thus ruining his father's fun as he was preparing to throw Grandman Ethyl over the cliff.
Now that I've watched and learned some lessons from this prehistoric family, I think I'll go unplug my television for awhile.
Access: Public
childhood
May 2006 