I thought he was just a little creep. I mean, I want to like him cause he's got so many issues, but really he was always getting Beaver in trouble. I don't see how Beaver could have not gone along with him. By the way, Beaver does this way too much, even up through the last season. He listens to Eddie, who he knows he shouldn't listen to, but does anyway.

I don't even understand what Beaver liked about Larry.

Originally posted by frani
I thought he was just a little creep. I mean, I want to like him cause he's got so many issues, but really he was always getting Beaver in trouble. I don't see how Beaver could have not gone along with him. By the way, Beaver does this way too much, even up through the last season. He listens to Eddie, who he knows he shouldn't listen to, but does anyway.

I don't even understand what Beaver liked about Larry.

I know what you mean. I still love larry the most out of all of beaver's friends though. Maybe its because he's so pudgy and cute. The way Larry gets beaver into trouble all the time kinda makes the show more realistic though. Kind of a childish version of peer pressure. I remember when I was that age, I had friends that always talked me into doing stupid stuff and I knew the stuff was wrong, but i did them anyway to prove myself. To prove I was capable or just to prove I wasn't chicken! But don't think I'm telling you you're wrong, because I'm not! I totally understand what you're saying! And I agree with it.

Originally posted by BeaversBiggestFan


I know what you mean. I still love larry the most out of all of beaver's friends though. Maybe its because he's so pudgy and cute. The way Larry gets beaver into trouble all the time kinda makes the show more realistic though. Kind of a childish version of peer pressure. I remember when I was that age, I had friends that always talked me into doing stupid stuff and I knew the stuff was wrong, but i did them anyway to prove myself. To prove I was capable or just to prove I wasn't chicken! But don't think I'm telling you you're wrong, because I'm not! I totally understand what you're saying! And I agree with it.

I agree with BBF 100%.

Beaver shouldnt have been his friend since he got him in so much trouble but it made good episodes like Beaver plays hookey when larry says they should skip school and they end up getting in a lot of trouble.

Beaver had 2 flaws in the way he related to people, the chief of which was his gullibility. Sure, Larry gets Beaver in trouble, but all of Beaver's friends did that. But the fact that Larry was definitely Beaver's closest friend until he was written out does mean he caused more trouble than any other particular friend. When they were together almost every wrong thing they did was Larry's idea-- buying a bow&arrow set instead of a camera for Wally's b-day, playing hooky, smoking the pipe, going to the movies and winning a bicycle when Beaver was grounded, just for a few examples.

But that was just a big part of the show-- that Beaver and Wally were raised to be responsible and conscientious, so they expectedly have conflicts of their sense of right and wrong with their friends who are less conscientious. And that's just the way it was-- no friend or no other family could be portrayed as better or more wholesome than the Cleavers. The boys' friends interfered with the Cleaver 'wholesomeness' and the 2 who did it most were Beaver's best friend, Larry; and Wally's best friend, Eddie.

How many of us didnt have friends like Larry at least at one point in our lives? I know I did. Larry didnt get alot of credit for being very smart but he was in fact very cunning. Beaver always followed his lead into any type of trouble. Gilbert also had a knack of giving the Beaver a push into trouble Beaver could be considered a follower. I agree with the earlier poster without Beavers "trouble makers" the episodes wouldnt have been as good. Larry was a big part of the shows success!

These replies are so well thought out and so perfect, I stand corrected. You're all quite right that these other characters, particularly Larry, acted as foils to the bring the Beave out of the Cleaver bubble. (Talk about your mixed metaphors)

I also kind of softened to Larry today when I saw "Beaver's pigeon's" and Larry did the funeral thing.

:)

[i]I also kind of softened to Larry today when I saw "Beaver's pigeon's" and Larry did the funeral thing.
:) [/B]

Awwww, wasn't that cute?:blush: