In response to Molly Hopkins, I agree that television shows of the past have given us ideas as to what the perfect family should be, but I fail to see any current shows relaying a similar message. So many people are quick to blame or point the finger at television as either giving the populace unrealistic ideals or as corrupting the populace. I think that, honestly, it is plain to see that television does not influence the populace, but instead it is just the oppisite which is true. It is the majority of the populace which influences telelvision. I mean compare a television show of any particular era to the social values of that same era. In the Dick Van Dyke show, the characters portrayed a family that would have been an ideal one for the time. And look at television shows today, shows such as Friends and Will & Grace often come under fire from fundamentalists as corrupting our society, these shows are continuously blamed for "making homosexuality acceptable" and "corrupting our children's values" and so forth. But it is obvoius that in reality, these shows are a result of a greater tolerance for diversty and a more relaxed attitude towards issues that would have been considered obscene only a short while ago. I am tired of people on both sides of the issue, claiming that television is filling America full of false ideas and corrupting our morals. Television gave us false ideals because we wanted those ideals, and now that society has become more comfortabe with sensitive issues, such as sexuality, and our tolerance for obscene humor has expanded (take South Park for example) television has changed, in response to what we want. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this; I love the Dick Van Dyke show; I love Will & Grace; and South Park is only the funniest show in the world. I'm just saying that these programs are a result of what society dicates is realistic, not some conspiracy of telelvision producers out to get us.