Very often we are told of the wisdom of Eddie’s father and mother, mainly father. So let’s name something we learned about Eddie’s father and mother from Edward Haskell.

In an episode Eddie says “That’s how my father picks up houses cheap, he looks in the divorce notices and calls ‘em up.”

“That sweater is very attractive Mrs. Cleaver. My mother has one just like it only it’s imported.” :D

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They were having squab for dinner one time, otherwise Eddie would have eaten with the Cleavers.

His mother shops at a quaint little bakery that Eddie urges June to try, to which she says, maybe she will.

His dad got Eddie's hair curled when he was in kindergarten, and everybody laughed at him...and Eddie hasn't really talked to him about anything since.

I don't remember the line about his father looking at divorce records and calling the subjects up about their houses [and of course it may not be meant to be taken as reality], but people are seldom more emotional than at a time like that, so he would really get a lot of earfuls on the phone.

We learn the 1st-season Mr. Haskell apparently is a fun-loving joker ["Train Trip"] and does think his Eddie is a victim [voodoo curse episode]. But by late in the last season, he is very different, thinking irresponsible Eddie would benefit from some rougher living on a summer-long fishing boat.

The one about divorce notices is Wally’s Orchid.

I’m mainly thinking about stuff Eddie says about parents not what we see.

In Wally’s Party Eddie says “My father got the present in the city as you can’t get anything good around here.” I think it was a microscope that the atomic scientists use.

Eddie comes to the door and June is vacuuming. “My mother has a cleaning lady. When you’re a social leader in the community you can’t do your own housework.” I believe he also says she’s an exchange student and she makes her where a uniform.

In Eddie’s Girl Eddie says “She goes to boarding school. My father says that’s a good indication her family has money. He says not to waste time with people who don’t count.”

Probably the most revealing thing is that conversation he has with Wally in Beaver's Doll Buggy, that I alluded to in my previous post (which also had a couple of not-so-good examples).

When Wally and Eddie split up, trying to find Beaver and the doll carriage, they get back together, and Eddie says he feels kind of sorry for Beaver. Wally can't believe what he's hearing. Then Eddie proceeds to explain about the hair curling or permanent. His long piece of dialogue at that point goes a long way toward explaining Eddie Haskell. It shows how a single incident can form an imprint. I can still remember a few insulting things my father said, probably some 60 years ago.

Later (probably tomorrow) I'll get out the DVD and transcribe it here.

Yeah that’s an incident that stayed with Eddie a long time. I believe he says a woman who took care of him gave him a home permanent when he was in kindergarten and his father made fun of him. He laughed at Eddie instead of understanding. Eddie said he never told him anything again.

In Beaver and Chuey, Eddie said his father says any joke is okay if it’s funny enough.