You can always tell when the new television season begins from the return of the tried and true TV character: stupid dad.

It didn’t used to be that way. The television of black and white images and only three channels boasted a plethora of wise fathers. Chances are you didn’t know what they did for a living, but did it really matter when Wally or Kitty had a problem? Everything was solved with a trip to Dad’s study, where he sat puffing his pipe or smoking his Camels, donning his sweater or jacket with the patches on the elbows. If Opie was pondering the meaning of life, good old Daddy Andy would find an answer while eating a piece of Aunt Bea’s pie or walking to the fishin’ hole. continue reading »