For those who aren't exactly savy with late 1990's television culture, allow me to introduce you to the radical sitcom, That 70's Show. Despite not exactly being filmed in the 70's, the show takes place during the years of 1976-1980 and revolves around the life of Eric Foreman, an awkward American teenager from the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin. Being that I am also an awkward teenager living in a small town, I feel there are multiple ways I can relate to Eric...
1. His awkwardness.
As mentioned above, Eric is a moderately introverted teenager, shy around girls. The center of many of the show's running gags, Eric is clumsy and easily intimidated. I fell down the stairs just thinking about that.
2. His deadpan sense of humor.
Through Eric and his best friend, Steven Hyde, much of the series includes the duo's provocative, sarcastic jokes and puns. The amount of times I have watched the show and Eric and I have been the only two (both fictional and in reality) to laugh at the joke is remarkable and slightly terrifying.
3. The huge desire to escape a small town.
Eric's family resides in a fictional town called Point Place, which appears to very much be the 1970's version of my town, despite the fact that mine doesn't have a water tower. *scoffs*
4. His wardrobe.
I will happily admit that I also own a pair of bell bottoms, and he and I both seem to have a thing for bright striped shirts.
5. His love life.
Eric's lifelong crush is the girl-next-door, Donna Pinciotti; a redheaded feminist who reserves the right to kick anybody's butt whom she chooses. These feelings are introduced to us early in the series, and we are thrust into Eric's 'complex' emotions, whether we like it or not, for the entire series' run.
6. His personality.
While Eric is the stereotypical nerd, he could also double as the quintessential 70's hippie. Even though the show does not portray great detail into the characters' political views, Eric often implies opinion from a liberal aspect. On top of that, his entire gang is literally rock 'n roll, pot smoking hippies. One of his friends toward the end of the show is Leo, whom Red simply refers to as "the hippie". That was my high school nickname right there.
7. His lifestyle.
Depicted as earning average to low grades and being, for the most part, a laid back young kid, Eric seems pretty chill. Although I managed to keep my grades higher than Eric usually appears to, I often get described as overly chill as well.
8. Easily intimidated.
In my later teen years, I have become less passive and will stand up for myself and others. When I was about the same age Eric is at the beginning of the series, however, I was easily intimidated and stepped over. Sixteen year old Eric is known for picking fights and then running away, even from Donna herself.
9. His quirky, rather entertaining, decently chill parents.
Red and Kitty, Eric's parents, are not exactly cut from the same wood. A Korean War veteran, Red is tough, stubborn, and known for his harsh remarks. Kitty, on the other hand, is loving, energetic, and desires to be the #1 person in Eric's life. Despite their different attitudes, they both love Eric unconditionally, and seem to be pretty fun most of the time.
10. His friend group.
Although I didn't go through high school with a friend group like Eric's, most of the friends I have are pretty chill, silly friends like his. One of my favorite things about the show is that all of his friends have some sort of special characteristic (ex: Donna is a feminist, Fez is a foreign exchange student, Hyde has family issues, etc.) that separates them from the group, but simultaneously makes them one sort of family.
11. His sister.
Eric's older sister, Laurie, is depicted as a bratty, shallow, sassy woman. My sister isn't exactly like that, but still can be a pain in the butt.
12. Lastly, his ability to be himself.
Eric is a quirky, out-of-the-box type of guy, and he definitely doesn't care what other people have to say about him. Except maybe Donna, but who doesn't care what their partner thinks? (No comment there)
