publ: Americana - Living in the Past with The Waltons

[Johnny]

There is a publication using The Waltons show as its basis.
Title: The Land of Lost Content: Living in the Past with The Waltons,  
publication: Americana: The Journal of American Popular Culture (1900-present), Fall 2008, Volume 7, Issue 2, 
author: Stephen Brie
address:  Liverpool Hope University (University in Liverpool, England, U.K)

It begins:

As Pam Cook points out, one of the most significant developments in film and television studies in recent years has been the growing interest in the relationship between texts and the propagation of memory (the process of mental recall of past sensations, events, and knowledge) and nostalgia. Cook defines nostalgia as "a state of longing for something that is known to be irretrievable, but is sought anyway";

nostalgia can also be defined as a yearning for the return of past circumstances and events and/or a pain or longing to return to an idealized "home." This paper will build on that interest, taking as its focus the way in which the producers of the drama series The Waltons attempt, via the visual and aural mise-en-scene, to manipulate their American audience’s text-based nostalgic memories in order to propagate and perpetuate conservative values and myths,

specifically the notion of the past as depicted in the show as an ethically superior "place" to be, and the idea of the existence of an idyllic rural life based on family values and moral certitude. Both of these ideas are presented as natural, desirable templates for the way in which late twentieth century and early twenty-first century American life should operate. In concluding, the paper will seek to gauge the extent to which these aims may or may not have been successful.

[Livie's Friend]

I don't believe that Earl Hamner, Jr. set out to author books and then produce television shows to "manipulate their American audience’s text-based nostalgic memories in order to propagate and perpetuate conservative values and myths," I think if he were still alive, he would be saddened by those comments.

That is one person's interpretation and I heartily disagree with the author's viewpoint.

Those of us who watch these programs definitely want to remember when conservative values were cherished and not disdained as something evil and full of inequity.  How many episodes were included to shine a light on the indignities of the day?  Being conservative did not allow people then or now to keep their head in the sand.

There must be truth to the Waltons that many people desire to watch that is not present in today's culture.  Why do they watch?

My belief is that the American culture is being manipulated to believe something much different now.  The children of today will never know what I grew up with; an innocence they will never know.

[patriciaanne]

The irony here is that most of the Waltons (characters in the show) were not politically conservative. They were New Deal Democrats, with the possible exception of Grandma. Of course, if you compare that to what's going on now -- it's worlds apart. JFK would be considered politically conservative by today's standards.

There is an obvious movement in this country to eliminate the family as a strong unit. The stronger and more interconnected a family is, the stronger and more independent the individual family members are and -- therefore -- less reliant on the government to solve all their problems. If a government can't "solve" all your problems (or at least convince you that it can), then it's much more difficult for that government to grow and become more powerful over its own citizens. And therein lies the problem.

The family is the single most important unit when it comes to creating a stable society. The more you erode and devalue that unit, the more unstable society becomes, which then presents a frightening opportunity for other forces to step in.

[Easton]

Earl Hamner Jr. wrote the Waltons to inspire nostalgia. Every fan can empathise and sympathise with the family. Every fan lived The Waltons in one way or another. Every fan could be that family.

[Johnny]

I wondered if this is how some folks in the U.K. perceive historical social culture in America.