MovieChat Forums > The Wonder Years (1988) Discussion > Double Standard

Double Standard

posted 9 years ago by mpiccolo55000
15 replies | jump to latest

Jack always seemed concerned about how Karen went through boyfriends like there was no tomorrow, before she met Michael. Kevin would go on to do the same thing...every week, there was a different girl. He may have, in fact, been more promiscuous than Karen (although I know he wasn't having sex with all the girls he dated...or rather, they couldn't say so on a family show in the early 90s). Jack was never concerned, though, about all of Kevin's girlfriends. Granted, I know the father-daughter dynamic is different than the father-son dynamic. There was also some slight sexism there on Jack's part. What I think made it different for Karen and Kevin, though, is that Karen was the oldest, while Kevin was the youngest. The oldest kid always gets saddled with more rules and expectations by their parents. Oldest siblings, you know what I'm talking about...

[–] fleurfairy 9 years ago

I agree that by the time Kevin was a full-blown teenager, Jack was over it. He was too worn out to lay down the law like he had for Karen. This happened in my mom's family. She was the oldest of 10 kids. By the time the last two were in high school, they were allowed out until all hours of the night. My grandparents were just too tired to deal with them at that point.

I also think that going through all the ups/downs with Karen made Jack a little more flexible as a parent.

[–] mpiccolo55000 9 years ago

Great little personal story! 10 kids...I can't even fathom that! If your mom was the oldest, I imagine she did her fair share of parenting before actually becoming a parent. Who wants ten kids? Were they Catholics, Mormons, or was it back in the old country?

[–] fleurfairy 9 years ago

They were Italian Catholics in New York, lol. Fortunately my grandfather was a successful trial attorney so they were able to put all of them through college, etc. I still think having so many kids was really idiotic.

[–] mpiccolo55000 9 years ago

Wow! You must have a lot of cousins! When you guys get together, do you remember who everyone is? I'm terrible at remembering faces, so I know that would be a real problem for me...

[–] mpiccolo55000 9 years ago

I notice you're also a fan of The Twilight Zone. You have excellent taste!!

[–] pd3145 9 years ago

Karen was the only girl and their first child, so I could see the concern about that. Daughters are a lot more exhausting to raise than sons.

Still, there's only 4 years between her and Kevin, so exhaustion shouldn't have set in that fast. All 3 kids were done with high school within 4 years.

Having 10 kids is plenty of grounds for exhaustion!

[–] mpiccolo55000 9 years ago

Wow! Hard to imagine Karen and Kevin were that close in age, but you're right! She always seemed WAY older.

I don't think Norma was that exhausted -- she actually still seemed to have a lot of energy left in her at the end of the series, but I think Jack was exhausted from day one.

[–] bluerisk 9 years ago

I guess Kevin can't get pregnant.
And Karen was the first born and the most promising child of Jack.
His middle son was a dud, and Kevin good average.

Ich bin kein ausgeklügelt Buch, ich bin ein Mensch mit seinem Widerspruch.
Conrad Ferdinand Meyer

[–] gc18 8 years ago

Of course remember this is the late 60s/early 70s so you can't judge it by today's standards.

[–] Blizzard_Beasts 8 years ago

Because a woman can go out and get sex anytime she wants. It takes no effort.

It takes effort for a man to get sex from a woman.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] diurnalemissions 8 years ago

If there's something going on and a the female gets pregnant as a teenager/young adult, a goodly amount of burden falls on the female's parents. The baby goes with the female, if the female isn't established on her own, she lives with her parents. So, there's your double standard.

[–] Hardestwork98 (596) 6 years ago

Most fathers are picky about the men there daughters date

https://youtu.be/evzGr5GYJfQ

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] donx (9) 5 years ago

Becky Slater was a violent bitch. Men do it its a crime. Double standards aka feminist whinge. It was set in the early 60's which is accurate for the time. Have an outrage elsewhere.