Fred And Ethel As "Godparents" Bad or Good?

[Haunted_Armoire]

I was thinking that sometimes Fred and Ethel were totally clueless as to how children behave and they also weren't all that nice sometimes to Little Ricky! When the baby was crying Ethel said "KEEP THAT SQUAWLING BRAT QUIET!!" Yeeouch! And when Little Ricky was playing the drums they were really ornery about that too. When the Ricardos had to stay with the Mertz's Ethel was upset that the baby was "going to cry all night again too". I mean geez. The Mertz's were childless but they sure seemed to be annoyed sometimes with Little Ricky!

[Ireneparalegal]

You got that right. Being godparents means the equivalent of those are the people you want your child to be brought up by in the event of your death(s). Did the Ricardos really want them to raise Little Ricky? And remember how the Mertzes practically asked (or BEGGGGGGED) to be a part of Little Ricky's life? When Ethel asked Lucy, "We are going to be something" in regards to being an aunt.

[catlover79]

I kind of tend to give Fred and Ethel the benefit of the doubt here. They were childless, and probably hadn't spent much time around other people's children. Some adults who aren't used to kids tend to come of as harsh and uncaring but really aren't...that's my take on it, anyway.

[Haunted_Armoire]

I would be scared to leave Little Ricky with Fred because his idea of a balanced meal is a bottle of beer and a salami sandwich! I would be scared to leave Little Ricky alone with Ethel because she always has her snoopy nose out the window spying on new tenants! The kid would be chugging down RAT poison and dish soap on her watch!

[Ireneparalegal]

^^^

[Ethelfan1993]

I'm sure Ethel would have been a wonderful mother if she had to raise Little Ricky. She would raise him about the way that my mother raised me and look how I turned out! On second thought, maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea. LOL! Just kidding, my mom raised me right, I just rebeled. I don't think that Fred would be a good father because I don't like him and he doesn't seem like the fatherly type. But that's just my opinion.

[tdr]

Ehtelfan, it's nice to see someone new and enthrusiastic on this board. It seems like some of us have just talked ILL all out for years to where there is not much else to be said about it.

As to the Mertzes being the ones to raise Little Ricky if Lucy and Big Ricky got bumped off-- well, it would not be the best of circumstances IMO. There is no indication they have any experience with kids-- that is, in being continuously responsible for them-- and not even anything to show they like kids. Indeed, their building did not allow children until that episode in which we see Mrs. Trumbull go from a tyrannical witch to a compassionate caregiver . No, it's clearly an adult environment. And while 'Fred' is ornery and cheap in the show, they seem to be careful about presenting him as a harmful lush, although many fans would have known that, since William Frawley was the cast member most like his character, that that was really the thought behind the scenes. So it's too likely he would have been abusive toward lilttle Ricky... unfortunately perhaps not in the legal sense of the times-- it was fully expected that parents or caregivers would intimidate their charges verbally and sometimes use the paddle or belt on them (or do something worse), and teachers or anyone else who saw whelps or bruises would not report them, as they are often required to do now. But it just seems I have never known anyone raised by people who drink more than rarely or very little who did not deal with a terrible temper or an uncaring attitude about many things, if not outright abuse.

Well, this turned into a more serious post than I meant, and I'm sure some may disagree that Mertz was supposed to be the drunk that Frawley was. If there is such an indication in the series, one would be when the Ricardos and Mertzes are looking at businesses to go into (before they buy the diner), and Fred sees an ad and says, "A cocktail bar!" Ethel quickly says, "No!"

[Ethelfan1993]

Mmmm......maybe they didn't like children, but I think Ethel would have stepped up if she needed to. Like I said before, I don't know about Fred because I don't like him, but I do think that Ethel would have had that maternal instinct and taken care of Little Ricky to the best of her ability.

[dawsongirl]

I wouldn't leave a cat with Fred. And cats can pretty much take care of themselves if you aren't lazy enough to pour food and water in a bowl. But I'm not sure that was Fred....

[Ethelfan1993]

He would probably be too lazy to even do that! LOL!

[dakert]

Fred would have made a good parent--look at how well he helped raise Mike, Robbie and Chip Douglas

[tdr]

What he (Frawley) did for those boys on MTS (or so I've read) was to get drinks for them when they were under age. Since "William Frawley was Fred Mertz," as Lucille Ball said, he may have made Little Ricky the only alcoholic in his kindergarten class.

[Coffeecup]

Maybe the best parents would been the Applebys if L & R had died.
They had little Stevie and little Ricky would have brother/playmate.

[tdr]

Are you sure Carolyn wouldn't prove to be the "wicked step mother" in that scenario?

[Scoobiedoo30]

Good