If you’re reading this — whether you like it or not — you have [at some point in your life] been part of a family. Chances are you’re still part of a family. (We have met very few loners in life who have eschewed or lost all family.) It’s something we all have in common, but what constitutes a family can be very different depending on who you ask. That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s episode of Men in Gorilla Suits.
We begin by talking about our earliest family memories and then jump to how large our immediate families were (and are).
There are those who say, “My friends are family!” Does that hold true to us, or can only actual relatives be family?
The Brady Bunch introduced many people to step families at a time when it wasn’t as common as it is today. We discuss our experiences with step families — and then talk about in-laws…are they as bad as sitcoms and movies make them out to be?
Find out if family is the most important thing in our lives; then we talk about our best — and worst — family memories.
Families are not perfect things, and sometimes there are relatives who are just very hard to deal with. Find out if either of us have ever written off a family member.
With more people having children later in life (or not at all), “fur-kids” has become a term many use to describe their pets. We some time to talking about how important pets are to family.
It seems even the most Leave-it-to-Beaver families have some degree of dysfunction going on. We ask if there even are any normal families out there, or if it’s all an ideal that can never exist.
Finally, what constitutes a family has changed over the years. We talk about the future of the family and the challenges faced (and — hopefully — the acceptance that family is really what we make of it…).
If you feel compelled to join in the conversation, have your say in the comments below…
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In my experience, saying “you’re part of the family” is a colossal insult. My in-laws said that, and I can’t imagine any “family” more horrible than my in-laws, and I’m a horror writer. If they had come at me with knives or guns, at least they could’ve been charged with assault. Yet they still continue to suck free air.
CMS: Shawn and I figured you’d have a good reply. I really DO know people from very strong and stable families (in fact, I think I was fine with a lack of what most consider a close family because I was accepted by friends into their families…even taken on vacations with some at times). But sooooooo many families I know and have seen are either dysfunctional or anything but a family — even though they may try appearing that all is well. Many people don’t seem to talk about that in blunt ways — I’m sure some would be appalled that I call a relative “a festering cunt” in this episode.
But that person really was horrible in so many ways. I can still see some good in them, and have a couple fond memories, but mostly…they were a person I would have had nothing to do with had we not been related. My father was an alcoholic and addict, but he really was the best thing on that side of the family.
Hearing some of the things your in-laws have said and done, I don’t blame you one bit for not pretending you’re all family.
Christopher: I enjoyed your “festering cunt” description, and I will borrow it here. To call my in-laws “festering cunts” would be a colossal insult to festering cunts.
I haven’t listened yet, about to do so, but when I read the “festering cunt” comment, I thought, “oh, he’s talking about Jackie”, who truly did give festering cunts a bad name. Off to listen.