Bob Saget, who died on Jan. 9, 2022, is probably best remembered for his role as Danny Tanner on the popular sitcom "Full House," which aired from 1987 to 1995.
I think fans of the show have such fond memories of this character because Danny exemplified what it meant to "be there" as a parent. A single dad whose wife had passed away, he was eager to lend an ear to daughters D.J., Stephanie and Michelle, offering them support and reassurance through the twists and turns of childhood and adolescence.
Why heap so much praise on a sitcom dad? It's easy to disregard TV as mere mindless entertainment. But entertainment media can both reflect and reshape culture – including how fathers interact with their children. They can influence how viewers think about fathers, regardless of the accuracy of those portrayals.
As someone who studies stereotypes of fathers, I view Danny as an avatar of the changing expectations of fatherhood that began in the late 1970s.
Danny Tanner was a 30-something widower when Full House premiered. That wasn't a common situation for his demographic – less than 1% in his bracket shared it – and it allowed viewers to watch Danny parent his three daughters with the help of his brother-in-law and his best friend.
Nonetheless, in nearly every episode, viewers saw Danny "being there" for his family.
In the earlier part of the century, fathers were assumed to be breadwinners and not much else, a stereotype reflected in the era's popular media.
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