Married… With Children Character Review: Steve Rhoades

The schedule for the Character Review posts will be changing to Friday (or Saturday at the latest from now on).

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television show Married… With Children. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show. There is something to be said about a well-written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.

Marriage is a partnership. It is also a balancing act. What one person lacks, the other person has, and visa versa. In Married…With Children, Steve Rhoades (David Garrison) is married to Marcy Rhoades (later D’arcy). They live next door to Al and Peg Bundy (Ed O’Neill and Katey Sagal). Compared to his wife, Steve is quiet and generally goes along with whatever is going on. Unlike Al, Steve respects Marcy and their marriage. At least initially.

Coming under Al’s caveman-like ways, Steve starts to morph into Al’s second in command. He also gets back at the bullies who made his high school experience miserable by denying them the funding at the bank he works at. After a few years, Steve leaves Marcy, wanting to be an outdoorsman. Marcy eventually remarries and introduces her neighbors to her new husband, Jefferson D’Arcy (Ted McGinley). He comes back now and again, unhappy, but accepting that Marcy has moved on.

To sum it up: Being a nice person is important. But is also important to stand up for yourself. Steve does stand up for himself, but it takes him a while to do so. But the only way for him to do that is to leave everything and everyone he loves.

Which is why he is a memorable character.

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Jose Alba Should Not be Facing Murder Charges

Small businesses are the backbone of this country. Without them, our economy would collapse. Among the things they need most is to be safe while on the job.

On July 1st, Hamilton Heights bodega worker Jose Alba was attacked by two customers. He stabbed one of them in defense, killing the man. Instead of being seen as a hero, he was arrested for murder. As of earlier this week, he was out on $50,000 bail. His supporters are doing everything they can to convince DA Alvin Bragg to drop the charges.

Jose Alba should not be facing murder charges. Yes, he did kill someone. But the only reason he stabbed his assailant is because the man was attacking him. If this person had just paid for whatever he was buying and then went on his merry way, he would be alive.

Anyone who has read this blog knows that I am all for gun control. In the case of Mr. Alba, he has every right to legally own and carry a firearm. In an ideal world, we would all go to work and not worry about losing our lives. But the reality of his profession forces him and every small business owner/employee to be prepared for this eventuality.

I can only hope DA Bragg will see the light and absolve Mr. Alba of the charges. He deserves that much.

The Only Way to Describe the Beanie Feldstein/Funny Girl Dustup is a Dumpster Fire

In Hollywood, one of the methods that producers use to fill seats is to hire performers who are well known to the audience. The problem is that this method does not always work. Just because an actor is famous does not guarantee that they are right for the role or that fans will respond in a positive manner.

For the last few months, Beanie Feldstein has been headling in the new revival of Funny Girl. Though most of the reviews were not entirely bad, they were not entirely good either. Though I haven’t seen it, close family members have. What they told me echoed what has been written about the production.

Feldstein was supposed the role of Fanny Brice until the end of September. She is now leaving at the end of this month.

To be fair, this is the first revival of the musical since its premiere in 1964. Given that the only person who has played the title role is Barbra Streisand, the expectations perhaps need to be a little more realistic..

Lea Michele of Glee fame will be taking over from Feldstein in the fall. Though it has only been a few days, the rumor mill in regards to Michele’s supposed diva behavior has not stopped churning.

I’m obviously not in showbusiness. But I have been in the working world for nearly two decades. From my perspective, this is a dumpster fire than can only go one of two ways: Michele can prove her critics wrong and the show will last. Or, it will all go down in flames and the reputation of this beloved Broadway musical will have a tarnish on it that will remain on it forever.