Wednesday, June 10, 2009

What Ever Happened to Predictability. . .







































the milk man, the paper boy, even MTV? . . . .Obviously I'm a child of the nineties, Full House is a part of my history.   I remember being 14 and leaving the family dinner table to catch my show!

Today I wouldn't call it a pilgrimage.  More curiosity. For those of you who are to young to remember when Mary Kate & Ashley were cute toddlers.  The theme song has the whole happy family having a picnic in San Francisco, with these famous homes as back drop.  Admittedly, I wanted to see this spacious plain for myself.  I'd always wondered how you could have such wide open areas in such a crowded city?  Sunday afternoon I decided to see it for myself. Alamo Square is about the size of a large city block.  Complete with rolling hills, play ground and picnickers. In reality, its just what it seems. A rolling hill flanked by great architecture, but my young mind created a sprawling expanse found only in the Midwest.  

Driving away with new found perspective I began wonder about the rest of the show? My Full House clung steadfastly to sitcom values nestled between cute babies, one liners, hugs and life lessons all wrapped up in a half an hour.   Except, that isn't how I think of San Francisco at ALL.  Iconic images include Mrs. Doubtfire and Monk, with their beloved oddness?  Then there's Harvey Milk, the Rock, Haight and Ashbury, Medicinal Marijuana. And the man in full drag queen make-up and men's street clothes, clutching his platinum wig and the dummy that supported it, running past my house to catch a night bus. This is the San Francisco I came expecting.

My reality, honestly, has been a lot more like Full House!  'Course I live in Mommy world--a family friendly neighborhood where I rarely venture out after dark.  However, I now understand why two "uncles" would move in with a young family living in huge house.  Not much has changed in that regard, Craigslist was founded here because housing is really that expensive and overlapping.  It's not uncommon to rent out your house while you  go on vacation, simply so you can afford to leave. Or turn every last nook and cranny into space for someone to rent.   I'd take renters that I'd trust to babysit!  

Like Full House, it's common for grown men and women to simply rent a bedroom, not an apartment, just a room.  No wonder Jesse and his family moved into the attic. Did you see that space?  It was beautiful, all utilities paid and more built in baby sitters!  
All these years I thought it was for comedic affect.  Now I see it's basic economics!

Some things have changed--the kids were WAY too normal an insanely middle America.  I went to highschool in the mid-west I should know! Including D.J.'s letter man jacket boyfriend, and kooky white friend from a semi-normal home.  Today,the story lines would be about recycling instead of family values.  The kids would be in Catholic school uniforms with friends like Yun See, and Ashra Pakal.  At least one of them would look more like Mary Kate or Ashley TODAY! Complete with eating disorder, huge sunglasses, designer bags, Iphones, and one or two nasty scandals erupting on Twitter.  But that's just my opinion. . . .

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