We grew up with myths and fantasy mainly ( books, TV, family lore, gossip, etc...)

A beautiful story! I think "Riley" was one of my favourites because he was forever learning more from his wife and daughter than what they learnt from him. By the way, my mother had one of those TV sets on the kitchen table.

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My grandma had one just like that. She'd bring it with her when she visited us over the holidays (we didn't have a TV). She'd set the rabbit ears on top, and they had a mess of tin foil on the ends. Us kids spent a whole lot of time in the "Gramma Room" when she came to visit.
 

Like you Paco, I loved Bewitched and the original Darren. Samantha's mother was Endora, not Hazel. I thought Elizabeth Montgomery was so cute and played her part so well. I also loved The Twilight Zone @Liberty. I think Rod Serling was brilliant. Through the magic of streaming, I occasionally watch episodes. Like every child, I loved the idea of Santa Claus until I found out he wasn't real (I forgot how).

I've always loved shows and movies about paranormal events, UFOs and people with powers. So to this day, those are among my favorite genres to watch. I must say however, that being psychic myself and having experienced paranormal events first hand, some of events similar to those portrayed in movies and films are not myths and fantasy. @feywon knows what I'm talking about.
We have similar tastes for entertainment back in the day. I have to add Outer Limits, One Step Beyond, Night Gallery, Thriller...uh, a couple others I've forgotten. I'll probably remember later around 3AM. :rolleyes:
 
We have similar tastes for entertainment back in the day. I have to add Outer Limits, One Step Beyond, Night Gallery, Thriller...uh, a couple others I've forgotten. I'll probably remember later around 3AM. :rolleyes:
Around 3 AM? That's about the time "Shock Theatre" comes on!
 

All religions "in general". There is no answer to "the meaning of life". Not on this earth. People who claim they know the answer (and want monetary support or obedience) are swindlers. Life (no matter who or what created it) is good. Let's enjoy it and not clutter it up with hocus-pocus and superstition.
It is hard not to make assumptions like this. Life is not "good". It is sometimes painful, horrific, deadly, unfair, crippling, etc. Maybe our imagination ( hocus-pocus ) is evolution's way of adapting to our environment. We have limited senses to understand what the universe IS, so we fill in the blanks with imagination, myths, and stories. Fantastic. The mystery is when and where does your own imaginary world arise?
In fact you have done what you dislike about religion, a definitive answer. :)
 
It is hard not to make assumptions like this. Life is not "good". It is sometimes painful, horrific, deadly, unfair, crippling, etc. Maybe our imagination ( hocus-pocus ) is evolution's way of adapting to our environment. We have limited senses to understand what the universe IS, so we fill in the blanks with imagination, myths, and stories. Fantastic. The mystery is when and where does your own imaginary world arise?
Life itself is good otherwise drug addicts and the homeless would be toping themselves in droves.

The key to life and the universe is not in understanding it. As I’ve already stated there is no understanding it … yet. This makes the meaning of life unimportant and making fantasy, superstitious explanations ridiculous. There it is. Those who cannot accept life for what it is find purpose in their imagination. That is where religion comes into play. Imagination. Hocus-Pocus. Superstition. When you watch your favourite ball sport do you evaluate wind velocity or satisfy yourself with the pitch or toss, delivered by the bowler, pitcher? “That was a good pitch!” or “That was a good wind!”? Life is exactly as we see it and we don’t need to know the velocity of the wind to live it to the best advantage at our own personal capabilities.

In fact you have done what you dislike about religion, a definitive answer. :)
Not true. Unless you can be more specific?
 
When I try to remember TV from when I was very little I picture the backs of my two older brothers' heads as they sat on the floor watching what I thought of as "the hats." Men in cowboy hats (The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy) or men in fedoras (Dragnet.) Even the kids shows like Howdy Doody and Lassie were pretty male centric.

My fantasy world came from books and records. My favorite thing was a huge album of "Snow White" containing several big records and many follow-along pages of text "turn the page when you hear the bell." We all three knew all the words and all the lyrics and had our favorite characters. I somehow already knew how to read when I entered first grade and it was probably from that. My poor mother said we played it a thousand times. I still can't sweep the porch without hearing "Whistle While You Work," in my head.

So if any childhood myth influenced me it was the Cinderella Complex. I grew up expecting some prince to come along and take me to his castle so long as I acted nice and looked pretty.
 
..... Even the kids shows like Howdy Doody and Lassie were pretty male centric.
I usually agree with this concept but I'm not so sure anymore. Male and female roles were obvious in the old films but I don't think being a coward or being a bad housekeeper were on unequal terms. But one thing still irritates me today when viewing old films: The man leading the woman around by her elbow!
 
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Including Mr. Aurelius's postulate.
 
Ricky Nelson was a idol for me. I wanted to be like him when I grew up. Except the part where he goes to a garden party. That is when I started wanting to play guitar. This show and the Monkee's set a major tone for my adolescence. :love: 🎸

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Ricky Nelson was a idol for me. I wanted to be like him when I grew up. Except the part where he goes to a garden party. That is when I started wanting to play guitar. This show and the Monkee's set a major tone for my adolescence. :love: 🎸

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It's late. You better get on home.
 
I would say the "Wizard of Oz" was a great fantasy and I enjoyed watching every year while growing up even though it took me years to find out it was based on a dream (I kid you not). Life is meant to be lived and if we have trouble living with the not so good times (like me) then it's best just to get on with it and enjoy the good times with the time you have left with the people you love. Whatever you need to be able to do that is your decision no matter what the choices are. Peace be with you.
 
In my OP I even got two shows mixed up because they both had to do with big magic. I called the Bewitched actress "genie"...WRONG that was Barbara Eden in "I Dream of Genie". See how fantasy and myth blend together to make it even more
fun. :LOL:

Both wonderful shows and actors/actresses in them. I had crushes on both Elizabeth Montgomery and Barbara Eden as well. Schoolboy innocence.
 
@Paco Dennis mentioned 'family lore' in the title of the thread. i find it interesting and perhaps significant that most responses have been about the the purely fictional (books/movies/TV Shows) input. What little info about our lives/family anyone has talked about has been pretty much in direct reference to our exposure to cultural influences, very little if anything of 'family lore'. Those stories about the people we descended from, nearly all of which were based on fact but also likely 'embellished' over the years as well. Because most all of us have a personal narrative, a concept of self (Look up Antonio Damasio Ted talk re this on YouTube) that is based in part on how our early lives, the people around us influenced who we are now.

i'm seriously considering starting a thread focusing on that subject, family lore, and how we have to reframe our personal narratives, perspectives on life when we learn something that contradicts, confirms or simply expands the real story behind the traditional one passed down. It doesn't have to be earth-shaking personal revelations sometimes just a shift in 'reality' that we might not have been privy to or recognized as children.

And just now my humor was activated at the notion of this, a thread that has focused on myth and fantasy will foster a 'spin off', something that has become common in comics, movie and tv land.
 
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And how about that 'happily ever after business.' When is that supposed to kick in?

When we realize that happiness is an inside job, that we are responsible for finding our own joy and peace of mind--in spite of what 'life', the world throws at us.

Or from another angle: Be careful about giving others the power to make you happy, because it is a two sided coin and those same people can make you miserable.
 
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And how about that 'happily ever after business.' When is that supposed to kick in?
Good question. Most of those people who played Mr. Dandy and Miss Goody Two-Shoes either crashed in aeroplanes & Porsches, OD'd on drugs & booze, or took their own lives. It's enough to break your heart. :cry:
 
We have similar tastes for entertainment back in the day. I have to add Outer Limits, One Step Beyond, Night Gallery, Thriller...uh, a couple others I've forgotten. I'll probably remember later around 3AM. :rolleyes:
Well I slept through that 3AM recall event(sleeping goood); I was thinking that Gary Collins was a main character in one of those mystery/thriller type TV series of the...late 60s /early 70s, but I guess I was mistaken. Maybe a Gary Collins look-alike...I'll keep searching my brain.
 
Well I slept through that 3AM recall event(sleeping goood); I was thinking that Gary Collins was a main character in one of those mystery/thriller type TV series of the...late 60s /early 70s, but I guess I was mistaken. Maybe a Gary Collins look-alike...I'll keep searching my brain.
Checking Gary Collins' IMDb page he guest starred in some of those types of shows between 1972 and 1977 In both Night Gallery and The Sixth Sense he played Dr. Michael Rhodes some sort of researcher i think. Plus a lot of other things. Here's link to that page.
i have IMDb bookmarked so if i'm having trouble remembering a title or a performers name and my 'synapse cascade' method (relax and remember everything you can related to what you want to recall, works for me 85-90% of the time) isn't working or it's something someone else wants to know but i'm unsure--i can look it up quickly. You can look up by movie/TV show titles, or by actor's names. Because 'recognition' is more reliable than recall when you see a title on the actor's filmography.
PS: i checked the link to be sure it works, if there's an ad at top you can scroll down to the wanted info.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004833/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
 
Checking Gary Collins' IMDb page he guest starred in some of those types of shows between 1972 and 1977 In both Night Gallery and The Sixth Sense he played Dr. Michael Rhodes some sort of researcher i think. Plus a lot of other things. Here's link to that page.
i have IMDb bookmarked so if i'm having trouble remembering a title or a performers name and my 'synapse cascade' method (relax and remember everything you can related to what you want to recall, works for me 85-90% of the time) isn't working or it's something someone else wants to know but i'm unsure--i can look it up quickly. You can look up by movie/TV show titles, or by actor's names. Because 'recognition' is more reliable than recall when you see a title on the actor's filmography.
PS: i checked the link to be sure it works, if there's an ad at top you can scroll down to the wanted info.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004833/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Since you're the expert - who was Mr. Peepers? Was he "what a chunk of chocolate!" Arnold Stang?
 
Since you're the expert - who was Mr. Peepers? Was he "what a chunk of chocolate!" Arnold Stang?
Wally Cox.
I remembered, because i've read about his long friendship with Marlon Brando, but double checked.

Dad always said the really smart person isn't one who memorises a bunch of things, they are the person who knows how to get the info they need when they need it. While true it was also amusing because we both needed little effort to memorise things. But the older i get the more i appreciate his lessons in research. These days with internet its so much easier, faster.
 


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