Pop culture in the 1990s was very different from the pop culture of 2016. In the '90s, the Tanner family ruled our TV screens, social media was nonexistent, NSYNC was the obsession of every teenage girl in America. Now, the Kardashian family rule our TV screens, social media consumes our thoughts, and One Direction is the present boy band obsession of American teenage girls. But in lieu of the Full House series revival “Fuller House”, available on Netflix February 26, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on the greatest moments from one of the most beloved sitcoms in American television.
1. When Jesse almost moved out of the Tanner house and Michelle gave him a framed bunny from her bunny-clad wallpaper. Tough, macho man Uncle Jesse shed a tear, evidence of how much he adored Michelle.
2. When Joey accompanied Stephanie to a mother/daughter sleepover, it made you love Joey and his effort to prevent Stephanie from feeling left out because her mother died. So sweet.
3. When DJ and Stephanie got into a fight over their dad’s clothes and put a hole in Danny’s closet, the two sisters had to come up with a plan to distract their dear dad. They told younger sister Michelle to distract Danny when he got home from work and she was basically the worst/cutest distraction ever.
4. When Stephanie drove Joey’s new car through the kitchen window. Luckily, no one was injured. Unexpected shenanigans like this that proved the Tanners were just an average American family. Whatever happened to predictability...
5. When Jesse fell in love with Becky, Danny's Wake Up San Fransisco cohost and the gorgeous couple warmed our hearts. But in all honesty, no TV couple is more attractive than these two!
6. And while we’re on the subject of Jesse and Becky, it would be impossible to forget their wedding day, more specifically Jesse serenading his new bride with “Forever” by the Beach Boys. Have mercy.
7. When DJ started a crash diet so she could look skinny like a model and put her body in danger. Danny reminded DJ how important it is to eat a healthy, balanced diet and not go to extremes to look perfect. This was an important episode because it addressed body image issues and eating disorders even though eating disorders were not quite as serious of an issue in the early 1990s as they are today.
8. When Jesse’s Greek grandfather Papouli came to San Francisco to visit the family and died in his sleep the night before he was going to visit Michelle’s school and teach her class a Greek dance. Talk about a tearjerker.
9. When DJ created a plan to move Stephanie into Michelle’s room so that she could finally have some privacy in a room to herself, and it didn’t sit well with Stephanie. Michelle didn’t want to share a room with Stephanie either, so Stephanie humorously transformed the bathroom into her own bedroom. Danny questioned his daughters about Stephanie’s new living arrangements and Michelle replied “Stephanie lives in the potty now”.
10. When DJ and Kimmy went to a fraternity party and Kimmy was too drunk to drive, DJ took care of her and wouldn’t let her drive home. The next day, Kimmy was mad at DJ because she didn’t want to seem “uncool”. DJ reminded Kimmy that she lost her mom to a drunk driver and wasn’t going to lose her best friend in such a tragic situation, too. Eventually, Kimmy thanked DJ for looking out for her and the besties remained tight.
Needless to say, the Tanner family left us with many amazing memories. From laughter to tears, Full House moved us and inspired us. Danny Tanner, Jesse Katsopolis, and Joey Gladstone were the most selfless male characters in the history of American television. They all taught DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle (and all of us loyal viewers) important values and life lessons. The original series may have ended in 1995, but it is no surprise that here we are twenty-one years later counting down the days until we can see the Tanner clan back in action.
