A wonderful episode of Leave it to Beaver was on the other morning where Beaver and Gilbert were caddying for 2 businessmen at the Mayfield Country Club. This was the final season and it really showed the growth of Theodore’s character. Mr. Langley is having Beaver shave strokes off his scorecard for what Beaver thinks is a $5 or so bet. His conscience bothers him enough for that, but really troubles him when he finds out he was party to fudging a $500 dollar bet!

Beaver decides to visit the businessman later at his office and tells Mr. Langley what’s bothering him. Mr. Langley sees what he has done by not being a good role model, straight and true. He thinks for a moment, and then asks Beaver to be his caddy one more time, he thinks he knows a way to set things right. He and Mr. Howard play again and this time he makes sure he loses so that the $500 is returned to Mr. Howard. All is right with the world and Mr. Langley does the right thing and does his part to affirm how important it is to do the right thing as a man.

It was such a well done episode it got me to thinking. During the time the show ran (1957 – 1963), Hollywood was all about honor, the ‘code of the west’, doing the right thing and adults as role models. That time period was especially full of westerns. A  child then learned when you fought, you fought fair, you didn’t shoot people in the back, and your handshake was better than a piece of paper. It showed why America was better than the rest of the world. Character.

A boy could learn a lot about being a man by watching the Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers. Try that watching today’s TV. Let me know how that works out.

In just a few years in the late 60’s, things went south. Westerns became filled with these “anti-heroes”, the Lone Ranger and Roy Rogers were gone. Hollywood embraced degenerates like Sergio Leone, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and others that would shoot kids and harm women. That was unthinkable before, even the most evil of villain had a line he wouldn’t cross. Not anymore.

50’s and early 60’s television and movies really showed how Hollywood back then was interested in supporting the family, building character and being an asset to society. Something changed. In less than a decade good became square. Wholesome became sappy. Christians became bigots. Doing the right thing was for suckers. Wise, sensible and responsible husbands and fathers like Ward Cleaver became non-existent on the big or little screen. Every father became a fool, an idiot and a bumbling buffoon.

Its like someone threw a switch and the culture war was on. The only thing I am sure is, is that America lost. The battle and the war.  For reasons that aren’t clear to me, Hollywood decided to stick a knife in decency.