THE INFLUENCE OF LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. After I posted on Leave it to Beaver yesterday, I coincidentally came across a mention of the show in an interview in the current New York magazine (March 24-April 6). Mike Judge (the creator of Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill and director of Office Space) lists eleven comic influences on his work, and Leave it to Beaver is first on the list. He alludes to the criticisms of the show in saying: “It seemed like a dorky 1950’s show, but it was hilarious.”
I had referred to criticisms of the show for not dealing with important social issues, but Judge’s quote from the show deals with both theology and international politics. Beaver’s mother tells him that God will know if he lies, and Beaver responds: “Yeah, and he has enough to worry about with the Russians and all.”