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« Kristy McNichol
Well... Somebody Has To Start This,
I guess, now that Family has been released on DVD, it's all but inevitable that there will be more discussion about Kristy McNichol. I think people will remember her presence on the television and smile warmly. I know that I will.
So, in tribute, I'd like to add a few thoughts. Not out of nostalgia, but out of appreciation. Appreciation that comes from being alive and around at the time the show originally aired, and heartfelt appreciation for Ms. McNichol's impact on our culture.
In order to do this properly, I feel it's important to understand the impact that television had on people at the time the show was running, and also to remember where popular culture was heading, back then.
There weren't VCR's yet. So people read, listened to music, or went to the movies, using only those media to get some sort of guidance in determining how to live according to the times. Disco would happen shortly, and America would celebrate casually and carelessly with what I'll refer to here, for the sake of propriety, as "The Night Life".
We were just heading out of the '60's, where psychedelia reigned as the lifestyle of the young as well. Unfortunately, by the time the early '70's arrived, it was apparent to most that living in a haze of sweet smoke and whatever else you liked doing wasn't going to offer the heightened consciousness or astounding revelation that the gurus of the previous decade had promised. It was simply going to burn people out. And that happened everywhere. And burned out masses watched the tube because there wasn't much else going on.
Enter Kristy McNichol. Others had attempted to portray qualities such as decency, thoughtfulness, kindness, and sincerity in the media in a positive light, with varying degrees of success. Until Kristy appeared, however, many of the tired and jaded simply dismissed this as "corny". However, in just a few all-too-brief seasons of television, this young actress achieved the near-impossible. Through her portrayal of possibly the most lovable character on television, ever, she singlehandedly demonstrated the sheer beauty of our most essential human qualities. This was not hype. This was not "corn". This was genuine, and heartfelt, and wondrous. And something amazing happened as a result: people decided to change, and got back to developing real relationships with each other, for the sheer joy of it. Suddenly, almost overnight, it seems... it wasn't so all fired important to be "cool" anymore. Being well-rounded and whole felt better.
There are those who call Kristy McNichol a great actress. There are those who claim to adore every show she ever did, and every film she ever made. You can read about that all over the web. As for myself, I pay tribute here, to a girl, all of 14 at the time, who managed to make history.
I think that might have something to do with why she's still so appreciated, today.
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Oct 4, 2006 10:18 PM
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Wow, this is a really well written, well thought out post. I loved Family and usually list it as one of my all time favorite shows. To me, being young and coming from a time when most of the shows were sitcoms, doctor or police shows, Family was a breath of fresh air. I think it was the first episode (or one of the first) where Kristy's character steals the family car. I remember how shocking it was to me that a 14 year old would do such a thing - even if it wasn't just a joy ride. I might have to get this DVD set, it's been so long my memory fades. I need to watch this again.
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Oct 5, 2006 12:30 AM
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