something i have been wondering about. On the show when it shows other peoples family's, why are about 90% of them really mean, I noticed that a lot of the other family's (especially mothers) are played by really bad actors....just some ideas that I wondered if anybody else noticed

Bus_Stop

I think the answer to that is very simple. It's just a comparison thing between the 'nice' Cleavers, who cleave so warmly, and the Rutherfords, Haskells, Mondellos, Whitneys, et al, for whom our glimpses seem to suggest they are a bit dysfunctional by comparison.

I guess thats a good explaination, but why have that comparison? What purpose does it serve?

When I was a kid I could always think of families just the ones on Beaver. Everyone knew a Eddie Haskell type, a Larry or a Whitey. It made it more realistic to me except maybe the Cleavers, who sometimes seemed too good to be true.