Does this seem like a rampant trend to you?

Arrested Development

War at Home

Quintuplets

This hit on me when I realized I would be attracted to the mom or other over 25 female adults on the show, much more then I would the younger women/girls....who were likely jail bait for me anyways.

I'm sure there has to be a couple of others, but I have noticed these shows featuring young 30 somethings that are the parents of present day teenagers.  It almost seems like there is this real eagerness to see the early Gen Xers born in the late 60s and early 70s as finally being the parents of their own current teenagers.  No one wants to wait 10 years, when it would seem much more normal to have someone born in 1971 be the parent of a teenager.  Biologically they could be yes, but still it seems odd.  Especially when the father is 34 and the son or daughter is 18 or 19.  Technically I could be the father of some kid born in 1990 (when I was 9th and 10th grade), or even little earlier then that actually, (when I was in middle school) but it would still seem so strange if we were side by side.  So they always add something into these shows about how the mom or dad had a kid when they were only 14 back in 1987 or something like that.  It's just weird that these kind of shows weren't around in the 90s, with former 70s teens parenting 90s teens.  People seem much more interested in the 80s-00s divide.

What do you guys think?  

It's defidently a developing trend. Not really surprising though with all the current intrest in the 80's. The odd thing is that there's an 80's-00's divide here since my mom and dad had me when they were 19 and 23 in 1987 and it isint nearly as obvious as it is on t.v. I even listen to some 80's music ;D

"Grounded For Life" also...



Not suprising either, it's life. Like in the '80's, parents from tv shows ("Family Ties" to "Married...with Children") grew up in the 60's.


"Suite Life of Zack & Cody"... the twins were born in 1992 (in real life and on the show),  and the mom was 22 (on the show)...which also could be another example

What about Two and a Half Men with Jon Cryer?


DUCKY!

That is indeed odd.  It's old to have say a 35-year old be the parent of a 15-year old, even if it's very possible. 

I'm 1990-born, but I've never quite seen Gen Xers, at least those born in the 1970s like Megatron as "parental figures".  They're more like older cousins.  Even a 1970er doesn't seem like a totally different generation from me, as I think I'm probably culturally closer to them than to a 2000er since the '90s and '00s are essentially the same animal pop-culturally and a 1970er would know the '90s at least a little bit, even if they were more into the '80s.

Whereas a Gen Zer is a child of the post-Apocalyptic world.

That is indeed odd.  It's old to have say a 35-year old be the parent of a 15-year old, even if it's very possible. 

I'm 1990-born, but I've never quite seen Gen Xers, at least those born in the 1970s like Megatron as "parental figures".  They're more like older cousins.  Even a 1970er doesn't seem like a totally different generation from me, as I think I'm probably culturally closer to them than to a 2000er since the '90s and '00s are essentially the same animal pop-culturally and a 1970er would know the '90s at least a little bit, even if they were more into the '80s.

Whereas a Gen Zer is a child of the post-Apocalyptic world.



Me either gen xers are more like older brothers and sisters to me, my brother and sister are both xers, so are some of my cousins. My parents are in their mid 50s and grew up in the '60s, so those in their 30s seem quite young to me. Especially very early 30s since they're only around 10 years older.

Me either gen xers are more like older brothers and sisters to me, my brother and sister are both xers, so are some of my cousins. My parents are in their mid 50s and grew up in the '60s, so those in their 30s seem quite young to me. Especially very early 30s since they're only around 10 years older.


Agreed. Those born in 1975, for instance, are only 15 years older than me, which is alot but not enough that they would have a totally different world view.  Plus, I could easily be their baby siblings in an alternate reality, more easily so than being their child. 

It's more pre-1968 people that I see as "parental" figures, but especially 1955-1965.

Yeah, I saw a few episodes of The War at Home and got a similar impression.

The dad (I forget his name offhand) still had a distinct "coolness" to him (part of him still had the "beer, cars and chicks" mentality), even if at the same time, he was very parentlike and domesticated. Almost as if they were trying to cram both of those in the same character. Like they didn't want to make the '80s or teens from that time seem "uncool" but that they were clearly in a dual role now too, ya know?

Like I've said elsewhere, I consider 70s-born people (even as far back as 1968 or '69) as big brothers/sisters/cousins. Not parental in any sense, so there's a certain weirdness to seeing them almost forced down our throats as the "uncool parent figures of the world".

I would even say a late 50's born person isn't entirely parental to me, though it's getting there. However a big part of my mind thinks a 1971-er should still be out partying in clubs and going on dates. In 1995, or even 1998 that was more prevalent than now.

P.S. I guess though, it's not that different than Danny from Full House being a very young dad. He had DJ when he was only around 19. However, he tended to act older than his typical age much of the time -- he did it with a good sense of humor and was very likable, but still, he struck me as alot "older" than your typical 29 year old in 1987.

Agreed. Those born in 1975, for instance, are only 15 years older than me, which is alot but not enough that they would have a totally different world view.  Plus, I could easily be their baby siblings in an alternate reality, more easily so than being their child. 

It's more pre-1968 people that I see as "parental" figures, but especially 1955-1965.



Yeah I dont look at someone as being my parental figure unless there at least 20 years older than me which would be at least 1967. I mean someone born in 1970 would have been 17 when I was born and while thats old enough to be my parent they just dont feel that far removed from me now.

Yeah, I saw a few episodes of The War at Home and got a similar impression.

The dad (I forget his name offhand) still had a distinct "coolness" to him (part of him still had the "beer, cars and chicks" mentality), even if at the same time, he was very parentlike and domesticated. Almost as if they were trying to cram both of those in the same character. Like they didn't want to make the '80s or teens from that time seem "uncool" but that they were clearly in a dual role now too, ya know?

Like I've said elsewhere, I consider 70s-born people (even as far back as 1968 or '69) as big brothers/sisters/cousins. Not parental in any sense, so there's a certain weirdness to seeing them almost forced down our throats as the "uncool parent figures of the world".

I would even say a late 50's born person isn't entirely parental to me, though it's getting there. However a big part of my mind thinks a 1971-er should still be out partying in clubs and going on dates. In 1995, or even 1998 that was more prevalent than now.

P.S. I guess though, it's not that different than Danny from Full House being a very young dad. He had DJ when he was only around 19. However, he tended to act older than his typical age much of the time -- he did it with a good sense of humor and was very likable, but still, he struck me as alot "older" than your typical 29 year old in 1987.


Like I said, people seem VERY eager to see former 80s teens parenting current 2000s teens.  That's why I think there are so many of these type of TV shows around.  If they waited 10 years, around 2015 or so (hey Back to the Future's time!), then it would be more normal.  Now I realize that in real life it is very possible to start having kids at 16, 14 or even 12, but it stills out of place.  What makes it odd for me is exactly what you pointed out Marty, they seem to try to make the parents "cool parents".  All because they are younger parents born around 1970.

Married...With Children had middle aged actors parenting Bud and Kelly Bundy.  I know Ed O'Neal had to be in his 40s during the entire run of that show, maybey even in his 50s towards the end.  Well Katey Sagal was probably around 35 when that show started, but the kids both seemed under 15 when the series premeired, so I don't count that.  Family Ties...you got me there, those were former 60s flower children parenting 80s teens.  But again the parents on that show seemed so out of touch with everything regarding their Reagan era kids, and the two younger kids (Jennifer and Andrew) didn't seem out of place as their children. 

Plus even if 80s sitcoms had a 32 year old parenting a 17 year old, the mom and dad just seemed to look and act a lot older then they really were back then.  They acted 45, and sometimes even looked 40ish.  Or in the 80s if one actor was 34 (usually the mom) then the other was like 44, so things were done in a way to throw you off.  You never thought about it.  Today you have all these shows with these more maverick type parents, and its much, much, MUCH more obvious how young they are.  And the parents being young is stressed as an intregal part of the storylines. 

Grounded for Life, I KNEW there was another one.  I bet there is at least one more that we have missed.  And yes it did jolt me into how the times are changing when I watch current sitcoms and realize that the parents on these shows are only 4 or 5 years older then me!         

Agreed. Those born in 1975, for instance, are only 15 years older than me, which is alot but not enough that they would have a totally different world view.  Plus, I could easily be their baby siblings in an alternate reality, more easily so than being their child. 

It's more pre-1968 people that I see as "parental" figures, but especially 1955-1965.


Hey we could start our own sitcom on FOX or WB!  I had you when I was 14 1/2, and today I'm your 30 year old dad, struggling to raise you as I had to grow up with you.  Our whacky next door neighboor would get us involved in all sorts of adventures.   ;)


If we were side by side, people wouldn't think of me as your father though.  Now that I think about it, there is plenty of good sitcom fodder here.  Especially if every episode has people thinking I'm your older brother, when I'm actually your father.

Hey we could start our own sitcom on FOX or WB!  I had you when I was 14 1/2, and today I'm your 30 year old dad, struggling to raise you as I had to grow up with you.  Our whacky next door neighboor would get us involved in all sorts of adventures.   ;)


If we were side by side, people wouldn't think of me as your father though.  Now that I think about it, there is plenty of good sitcom fodder here.  Especially if every episode has people thinking I'm your older brother, when I'm actually your father.


;D

Haha that would be funny!

I actually knew a guy who was born in 1974, so about your age.  He seemed adult, but more "kid-like".  I think the Xers will always be sort of kids at heart, even when they're old.