Latest news with #LeaveIttoBeaver
Los Angeles Times
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: An appreciation of ‘The Cosby Show's' Theo and TV's other ‘lost boys'
To the editor: When I watched TV shows like 'The Cosby Show,' 'Leave It to Beaver' and 'Family Matters,' I always enjoyed the 'regular boy' characters in them. For me, Theo has always represented the average boy struggling to survive in an accomplished family ('Malcolm-Jamal Warner carried a heavy load for Black America,' July 26). How many times has one read about the children of wealthy and highly talented parents (like Bronny James, for example) who are doing the best they can to thrive under the pressure? Then you have 'the Beave.' Another regular kid trying to survive in an otherwise perfect (or so it seems) family. And finally, there was Steve Urkel. He was my favorite TV kid, someone truly gifted and either resented or envied by the adults and kids around him. I want to thank Theo, Beaver and Urkel, and the actors who played them, for representing the good-hearted 'lost boys.' They gave the lost boys of their generations hope. Mark Walker, Yorba Linda
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
With Manifest Destiny art, DHS goes hard on ‘white makes right'
Since the start of President Trump's second term, the Department of Homeland Security's social media team has published a stream of content worthy of a meme-slinging basement dweller on 4chan. Grainy, distorted mug shots of immigrants. Links to butt-kissing Fox News stories about MAGA anything. Whiny slams against politicians who call out la migra for treating the Constitution like a pee pad. Paeans to 'heritage' and 'homeland' worthy of Goebbels. A Thomas Kinkade painting of 1950s-era white picket fence suburbia straight out of 'Leave It to Beaver,' with the caption 'Protect the Homeland.' All of this is gag-inducing, but it has a purpose — it's revealing the racist id of this administration in real time, in case anyone was still doubtful. In June, DHS shared a poster, originally created by the white-power scene, of a grim-faced Uncle Sam urging Americans to 'report all foreign invaders' by calling Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On July 14, the DHS X account featured a painting of a young white couple cradling a baby in a covered wagon on the Great Plains with the caption, 'Remember your Homeland's Heritage.' When my colleague Hailey Branson-Potts asked about the pioneer painting and the Trump administration's trollish social media strategy, a White House spokesperson asked her to 'explain how deporting illegal aliens is racist,' adding that haters should 'stay mad.' Now, behold the latest DHS salvo: a July 23 X post of a 19th century painting by John Gast titled 'American Progress.' A blond white woman robed in — yep — white, with a gold star just above her forehead, floats in the center. She holds a book in her right hand and a loop of telegraph wire that her left hand trails across poles. Below her on the right side are miners, hunters, farmers, loggers, a stagecoach and trains. They rush westward, illuminated by puffy clouds and the soft glow of dawn. The angelic woman is Columbia, the historic female personification of the United States. She seems to be guiding everyone forward, toward Native Americans — bare breasted women, headdress-bedecked warriors — who are fleeing in terror along with a herd of bison and a bear with its mouth agape. It's too late, though: Covered wagon trains and a teamster wielding a whip have already encroached on their land. The white settlers are literally in the light-bathed side of the painting, while the Native Americans are shrouded in the dusky, murky side. It ain't subtle, folks! 'A Heritage to be proud of, a Homeland worth Defending,' DHS wrote as a caption for 'American Progress' — a mantra you may soon find printed on the $20 bill, the way this administration is going. Gast finished his painting in 1872, when the U.S. was in the last stages of conquest. The Civil War was done. White Americans were moving into the Southwest in large numbers, dispossessing the Mexican Americans who had been there for generations through the courts, squatting or outright murder. The Army was ramping up to defeat Native Americans once and for all. In the eyes of politicians, a new menace was emerging from the Pacific: mass Asian migration, especially Chinese. Scholars have long interpreted Gast's infamous work as an allegory about Manifest Destiny — that the U.S. had a God-given right to seize as much of the American continent as it could. John L. O'Sullivan, the newspaperman who coined the term in 1845, openly tied this country's expansion to white supremacy, expressing the hope that pushing Black people into Latin America, a region 'already of mixed and confused blood,' would lead to 'the ultimate disappearance of the negro race from our borders.' O'Sullivan also salivated at the idea of California leaving 'imbecile and distracted' Mexico and joining the U.S., adding, 'The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on its borders. Already the advance guard of the irresistible army of Anglo-Saxon emigration has begun to pour down upon it, armed with the plough and the rifle.' This is the heritage the Trump administration thinks is worth promoting. Administration officials act shocked and offended when critics accuse them of racism, but the Trump base knows exactly what's going on. 'This is our country, and we can't let the radical left make us ashamed of our heritage,' one X user commented on the 'American Progress' post. 'Manifest Destiny was an amazing thing!' 'It's time to re-conquer the land,' another wrote. DHS seems to be vibing with the Heritage American movement, now bleeding into the conservative mainstream from its far-right beginnings. Its adherents maintain that Americans whose ancestors have been here for generations are more deserving of this nation's riches than those whose families came over within living memory. Our values, proponents say, shouldn't be based on antiquated concepts like liberty and equality but rather, the customs and traditions established by Anglo Protestants before mass immigration forever changed this country's demographics. In other words, if you're white, you're all right. If you're brown or anything else, you're probably not down. Our own vice president, JD Vance, is espousing this pendejada. In a speech to the Claremont Institute earlier this month, Vance outlined his vision of what an American is. 'America is not just an idea,' Vance told the crowd. 'We're a particular place, with a particular people, and a particular set of beliefs and way of life.' Weird — I learned in high school that people come here not because of how Americans live, but because they have the freedom to live however they want. 'If you stop importing millions of foreigners,' the vice president continued, 'you allow social cohesion to form naturally.' All those Southern and Eastern Europeans who came at the turn of the 20th century seem to have assimilated just fine, even as Appalachia's Scots-Irish — Vance's claimed ethnic affiliation — are, by his own admission, still a tribe apart after centuries of living here. Trump, Vance added, is 'ensur[ing] that the people we serve have a better life in the country their grandparents built.' I guess that excludes me, since my Mexican grandparents settled here in the autumn of their lives. The irony of elevating so-called Heritage Americans is that many in Trumpworld would seem to be excluded. First Lady Melania Trump was born in what's now Slovenia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the child of Cuban immigrants. Vance's wife's parents came here from India. The Jewish immigrant ancestor of Trump's deportation mastermind, Stephen Miller, wouldn't be allowed in these days, after arriving at Ellis Island from czarist Russia with $8 to his name. Even Gast and O'Sullivan wouldn't count as Heritage Americans by the strictest definition, since the former was Prussian and the latter was the son of Irish and English immigrants. But that's the evil genius of MAGA. Trump has proclaimed that he welcomes anyone, regardless of race, creed or sexual orientation (except for trans people), into his movement, as long as they're committed to owning the libs. Americans are so myopic about their own history, if not downright ignorant, that some minorities think they're being welcomed into the Heritage Americans fold by Vance and his ilk. No wonder a record number of voters of color, especially Latinos, jumped on the Trump train in 2024. 'American Progress' might as well replace red hats as the ultimate MAGA symbol. To them, it's not a shameful artifact; it's a road map for Americans hell-bent on turning back the clock to the era of eradication. Like I said, not a subtle message at all — if your eyes aren't shut.
Business Insider
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Newly built homes have one feature that's luring buyers: Outdoor living spaces
A few features define the classic American home: a white picket fence, a manicured lawn, and, of course, the porch. These were the hallmarks of the homes we saw on 1950s and 1960s TV shows like "Leave It to Beaver" and " The Brady Bunch." But as that era faded and American homebuyers leaned more into modern aesthetics, porches and patios fell out of favor in some parts of the US. Now, that trend is reversing. As newly built homes shrink in size, buyers want to make the most of their space, and for many builders, that means bringing back livable outdoor spaces like the porch and patio. Data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows that the share of new single-family homes in the US built with patios rose steadily from 47% in 2008 to 64% in 2023. Similarly, the overall share of homes with porches increased from 60% to 68% during that time. "Buyers want a patio. They want a front porch," Rose Quint, assistant vice president for survey research at the NAHB, shared at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference in June. "If the home's shrinking, at least that space allows them to have more living space." Survey data from the NAHB's 2024 What Home Buyers Really Want report, a national survey of over 3,000 recent and prospective homebuyers, shows that 86% of respondents want a patio, and 81% would like a back porch. Outdoor living spaces are also in demand to optimize multigenerational living While the growing demand for patios and porches has a lot to do with homes being smaller, another factor is the rise of multigenerational living, Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst with told BI. "With interior square footage shrinking due to rising construction costs and tighter budgets, outdoor spaces like porches and patios have become an appealing, cost-effective way to extend living space," Jones said. "They offer both social and practical value, especially in multigenerational households, where shared spaces are in high demand but additional rooms may be out of reach." With more people living under one roof — whether it's young adults moving back in with their parents after graduation, aging parents living with their adult children during retirement, or siblings sharing a home — outdoor communal spaces have become more important than ever. Jennifer Shurtleff, director of product research and development with Texas-based homebuilder Highland Homes, told BI that the company is meeting demand with flexible outdoor features like optional kitchens, fireplaces, and covered patios. Shurtleff said it's part of a broader shift toward outdoor amenities that support health and wellness. "There's been a dramatic shift toward biophilic design over the past few years, where seamless indoor-outdoor living plays a key role in overall well-being," Shurtleff said. "Homebuyers are prioritizing spaces that allow them to connect with nature, soak up natural sunlight, and enjoy a sense of calm and balance." "Whether it's a quiet cup of coffee on the front porch, an alfresco dinner on the back patio, or entertaining friends around an outdoor fireplace, these outdoor spaces offer versatile opportunities for living and entertaining while staying connected to everything happening inside the home," Shurtleff added.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Jerry Mathers Reunites with Leave It to Beaver Cast at Fan Event
Jerry Mathers , who became famous for playing Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver during the 1950s series Leave It to Beaver, appeared publicly at the Hollywood Show in Burbank, California, on June 6 and 7. The 77-year-old actor took part in autograph signings and photo ops, getting back together with classic television show fans. The event also included a reunion of the cast from the original show. Mathers was accompanied by Luke "Tiger" Fafara, 80, who portrayed Tooey Brown; Stephen Talbot, 76, who played Gilbert; Veronica Cartwright, 76, who played Violet Rutherford; and Jeri Weil, 77, who played Judy Hensler. Leave It to Beaver initially ran from 1957 to 1963 and continued to be popular throughout decades of syndication. The initial season is now streaming on Peacock. After the show ended, Mathers retired from acting. He went on to high school, where he participated in football, and afterward went into the Air National Guard. Later, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, to study philosophy. While attending Berkeley, a false rumor spread that he had passed away in the Vietnam War and people sent condolence letters and flowers to his family. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Eat 1 Teaspoon Every Night, See What Happens A Week Later [Video] getfittoday Undo Mathers resumed his acting career in 1978, teaming up again with Tony Dow, his on-screen brother Wally, in the stage play Boeing, Boeing in Kansas City, Missouri. The two then performed in The New Leave It to Beaver, a revival that ran from 1983 to 1989. The majority of the original cast reprised their roles in the revival, aside from Hugh Beaumont, who portrayed Beaver's father and died in 1982. Tony Dow died in 2022, and Barbara Billingsley, who portrayed the Cleaver family matriarch, died in 2010.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Commentary: Why nostalgia for the 1950s of ‘Leave it to Beaver' persists in America's religious right
Anyone looking to drench themselves in the 1950s nostalgia currently favored by the religious right in America should consider watching 'Leave It to Beaver' stoned. Which is what I did with an old friend in the 1980s while attending graduate school at the University of California-Berkeley. Nostalgia for the '50s — that land beyond time where Catholic traditionalists such as Notre Dame political theorist and post-liberal prophet Patrick Deneen dwell — idealizes imaginary communities of yore such as Mayfield, the setting for 'Leave it to Beaver,' where the values of faith, family, friends and flag all flourished. According to this narrative, late-stage liberalism and the globalization of markets, with their characteristic rootlessness, dissolve this communal existence. When I was at Berkeley in the 1980s, a large number of my childhood friends from Princeton, New Jersey, somehow found their way to the Bay Area. One afternoon, one of my Princeton buddies was house-sitting for an uncle in a Bay Area suburb. The uncle, whom I'll call Uncle Jim, had been my Cub Scout pack leader in Princeton when I was in elementary school. One sun-drenched afternoon, my friend and I settled into a couch, he rolled some joints and we flipped the TV to 'Leave It to Beaver' reruns. The series, on the air from 1957 and 1963, is a resonant symbol of '50s nostalgia, one to which conservative Catholics have returned as a template for modeling natural law. To Catholics who moved to the suburbs in the '50s and '60s, 'Leave It to Beaver' was a 'medieval morality play,' as Jerry Mathers, the Catholic actor who played young protagonist Theodore 'Beaver' Cleaver, put it. The show was a guide for young souls more tethered to television than to the suburban church. Michael De Sapio, writing in the online journal The Imaginative Conservative in 2017, states that, according to Mather, Beaver Cleaver 'repeatedly succumbed to temptation, suffered the consequences, and was guided back on the path of virtue.' In other words, these archetypal storylines and characters represent a moral imagination that 'elevates us to first principles as it guides us upwards towards virtue and wisdom and redemption,' in the words of American philosopher Russell Kirk. De Sapio continues: 'The emphasis on decorum and good manners in the Cleaver family conveyed a vision of the good, true and beautiful.' Mathers shared that the casting directors for the show selected him to play Beaver when they asked where he would prefer to be after they noticed he was uneasy at the audition. His guileless reply: his Cub Scouts den meeting. Notably, the mission of the Scouts is to 'prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.' Which returns us to Uncle Jim, my former Cub Scouts leader. He was an electrical engineer who ended his first marriage and moved to California in the 1970s, where he married a woman several decades younger and shed the trappings of his formerly decorous identity. 'Leave It to Beaver' mirrored and shaped the aspirations of millions of Catholics moving to the suburbs after World War II, and it has lingered as an idealized — and exclusive — depiction of the American Dream. The only nonwhite characters to appear in the show's 234 episodes were a Black man exiting a dairy truck in the episode 'Eddie, the Businessman' (1962) and a Black actress who plays a maid in the 1963 episode 'The Parking Attendants.' Within months of its final episode in June 1963 — following the March on Washington, D.C., in August led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the November assassination of President John F. Kennedy — 'Leave It to Beaver' had become a charming artifact of mid-century optimism, more a product of nostalgia and romantic imagination than a realistic model for America's future. _____ Peter H. Schwartz writes at the broad intersection of philosophy, politics, history and religion. He publishes the Wikid World newsletter on Substack. _____
