Last weekend when I was watching I noticed that Jeff is in his 2nd year of college but Gidget is still what 15? Even at 16, I thought she was too young to be dating some guy as old as Jeff - heck she was "jailbait"...I don't get why her father let her do that - my dad would've had a royal fit...

Last weekend when I was watching I noticed that Jeff is in his 2nd year of college but Gidget is still what 15? Even at 16, I thought she was too young to be dating some guy as old as Jeff - heck she was "jailbait"...I don't get why her father let her do that - my dad would've had a royal fit...

In the movie version, Jeff (Moondoggie) was the son of a business friend of Mr. Lawrence, and he felt he would be a good match for Gidget. Of course no one knew Jeff was Moondoggie until he was introduced to Gidget (Francie) in the living room after a date had been set up for the 2 of them, and they pretended to never have met each other.

Gidget dates the Big Kahuna, the Martin Milner character who is in his 20's, and not only does Russ not mind, he mixes the guy a drink from the home bar when he shows up for the dinner Gidget cooks. The photographer was in his 20's too.

Russell was a university professor in the 60's, and I always found this show an interesting example of permissive parenting of that era. In a lot of ways, their family seemed healthier to me than, say, the Leave it to Beaver family, where Wally and the Beav were always worried about being in trouble and the family seemed preoccupied with rule-breaking rather than having any real fun. By contrast, Russell and Gidget Lawrence seem to have a relationship based on mutual trust and respect, and with a lot of thoughtfulness, humor and playfulness. However, Russ's permissiveness re: fifteen-year-old Gidget's going out with much older men certainly would raise eyebrows today.

I also think that back when this show aired, we didn't think as much as we do today when watching a show. I know that for myself, even being a teen then, I didn't dissect the hidden meanings of what it might all mean ,I just watched it cause I liked it...naive I guess, but I think it was just the times. Sometimes I feel simpler times would be better then what the world is today;)

When watching the show, I wonder why Gidget has 2 twin beds in her room. I assume in earlier years she shared a room with her sister but now sister is married. The 2nd bed is still there.

...I think that she and Russ get along in the way they do because their brains work the same way, instead of because of some set parenting style...

This makes great sense to me. I think you're right.

Thanks.

IIRC, In the very first episode, Gidget said that her mother had died the year before but little was ever said about Russ's late wife . I'm wondering if Russ's more lax parenting may have been a combination of trying to make up for Gidget not having a mother in her teen years and/or having been always more lax than her late mother may have been (which could be reflected in how more uptight Gidget's older sister was).

In a lot of ways, their family seemed healthier to me than, say, the Leave it to Beaver family, where Wally and the Beav were always worried about being in trouble and the family seemed preoccupied with rule-breaking rather than having any real fun.

By contrast, Russell and Gidget Lawrence seem to have a relationship based on mutual trust and respect, and with a lot of thoughtfulness, humor and playfulness.

I think this show shows one of the best relationships on TV. This is similar to Family Affair where the kids get to know whats right and whats wrong but in a safe environment.

I was raised in the Cleaver type home. It was nice and all, but I learned early how to lie and hide things.
I don't think once that anybody thought that I should have a happy childhood.

I think Russ and Uncle Bill did. I don't think Ward and June nor Margaret and Jim did.

When watching the show, I wonder why Gidget has 2 twin beds in her room. I assume in earlier years she shared a room with her sister but now sister is married. The 2nd bed is still there.

In the first episode and maybe the second, there is only one full size bed in Gidget's room.