Were the Cleavers upper middle class? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Tankeryanker · 03-06-2015, 08:12 PM

I was watching the episode in season five where Wally gets the clunker car that gets stuck in the driveway. I notice that June is wearing a mink stole when they were going out to dinner.

What do you think? Upper middle class or lower upper class?

MMR · 03-07-2015, 12:57 PM

Ward once explained that the Cleavers were neither rich nor poor, but "comfortable."

Definitely above average; Ward could afford to belong to a country club, and he had a stockbroker; they certainly weren't a paycheck-to-paycheck family.

Bonniegirl · 03-07-2015, 11:06 PM

Back than I don't think it was classified like that! Upper and lower middle class were terms that came in the 70's I think! Mind you, that is my opinion , I could be wrong. But I think in the 50's - 60's it was more like rich, middle class and poor! And middle class did pretty well back than! Even with only one adult working. They only had one car, one TV etc. A more simple way of life basically!

The Cleavers were Middle class . The reason June was in fur was because it is a TV show. In real life back than, they would have nice new clothes, but simple non fancy clothes being middle class! IMO!!

biffbronson · 03-08-2015, 02:30 AM

The family car always seemed to be a recent model, and their move to a newer house (at least I think it was newer) indicates old Ward was making pretty good coin. Another thing worth mentioning is that very early on, they had a woman working for them in the home (the earlier house). And it looked as though June was getting new kitchen appliances, another good sign.

We can only speculate what happened to the Cleavers after Marcus Welby, MD bought their house, added an outer porch, and hung his shingle. I like to think that Dr. Kiley and Wally started a motorcycle gang, and gave June a leather jacket with a neat logo on the back...!

LittleRickyII · 03-08-2015, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biffbronson

The family car always seemed to be a recent model, and their move to a newer house (at least I think it was newer) indicates old Ward was making pretty good coin.

Yeah, but Wally and Beaver still had to share a bedroom and bathroom. That's pretty middle class.

biffbronson · 03-08-2015, 04:14 AM

Okay on the bedroom, but none of the kids I knew had a bathroom to themselves. That seems pretty high-end to me.

MMR · 03-08-2015, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonniegirl62

Back than I don't think it was classified like that! Upper and lower middle class were terms that came in the 70's I think! Mind you, that is my opinion , I could be wrong. But I think in the 50's - 60's it was more like rich, middle class and poor! And middle class did pretty well back than! Even with only one adult working. They only had one car, one TV etc. A more simple way of life basically!

That's the way I remember it, too; everyone who wasn't rich or poor was "middle class."

Quote:

Originally Posted by LittleRickyII

Yeah, but Wally and Beaver still had to share a bedroom and bathroom. That's pretty middle class.

Interesting that they had to share a bedroom but the family had a "guest room" they could have used as a bedroom for one of them.

As it worked out, though, having the two boys share a room helped out as it gave us a lot of conversations between the two of them in the room.

pkripper001 · 03-08-2015, 10:48 AM

Here is what claims to be the Cleavers floor plan.Does this look to be the floor plan of one of the Cleavers homes ? If this is,did they keep one of the bedrooms for a guest room ? If so,how many guests did they have that spent the night ?

GrtGzu · 03-09-2015, 01:39 PM

Ward was always going to the Country Club to play golf and that ain't free....He just recently paid to have his clubs cleaned in the pro shop too cuz he made mention of it to June....

And who had 20 bucks to buy a girlie-sweater that Beaver wore to school? And that leather sweater that he and Richard both had wasn't cheap either....

Bonniegirl · 03-09-2015, 01:53 PM

Yeah I'm thinking they were Upper middle class, although as I posted before back than it was just called middle class, if you weren't real rich or real poor. They were pretty well off it seems, closer to rich than poor, so yes Upper middle class!

One thing though that would make them have more money is only having two kids! Back than people had a slew of kids. It was rare to only have 2. So with one adult working a good job and not having many kids you would be able to have some extra cash and have luxuries !

Tankeryanker · 03-09-2015, 05:30 PM

I just watched the episode where Beaver and Gilbert were smacking golf balls and the head to Wards club flew off into the bushes and the boys thought that it was their fault. Beaver replaced the club and it cost him $13-$16 dollars. I looked at this chart https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hous...rossrents.html and rent was $389 in 1960 in California so Ward had to make enough to play a rather expensive sport and keep his family in a decent environment.

I will say though that by today's standards, the Cleavers did not live in a big home. I don't think the concept of a bathroom for every bedroom was thought of yet in the 60's. A 3 bedroom 2 bath house was styling compared to what June and Ward grew up in before the war.

JudgeGarth · 03-09-2015, 06:29 PM

Oh, I think it was a pretty big house. I'm sure there was another bathroom on the first floor that we never saw. They wouldn't want dinner guests to have to go upstairs to use the bathroom. Lol.

Tankeryanker · 03-09-2015, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JudgeGarth

Oh, I think it was a pretty big house. I'm sure there was another bathroom on the first floor that we never saw. They wouldn't want dinner guests to have to go upstairs to use the bathroom. Lol.

Good deducting. So there was at least a third bath. The Cleavers were styling.

MickeyMac · 03-10-2015, 01:23 PM

Lets put it this way: The Cleavers never had to worry about getting on welfare or any other social benefits.

Torgo · 03-10-2015, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pkripper001

Here is what claims to be the Cleavers floor plan.Does this look to be the floor plan of one of the Cleavers homes ? If this is,did they keep one of the bedrooms for a guest room ? If so,how many guests did they have that spent the night ?

That doesn't look like either of the Cleaver houses, the garage for both houses was a separate building, and they didn't have a media room. The layout down stairs is wrong.
But, they did have a guest bedroom in both houses, one or the other boys stayed in it when the other had sleepovers. Also Aunt Martha most likely slept in it when she stayed over, and Uncle Billy.

03-06-2015, 08:12 PM	#1
Tankeryanker Do you like my monkey picture? Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 22, 2014 Posts: 3,049	Were the Cleavers upper middle class? I was watching the episode in season five where Wally gets the clunker car that gets stuck in the driveway. I notice that June is wearing a mink stole when they were going out to dinner. What do you think? Upper middle class or lower upper class?

03-08-2015, 02:30 AM	#4
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,502	The family car always seemed to be a recent model, and their move to a newer house (at least I think it was newer) indicates old Ward was making pretty good coin. Another thing worth mentioning is that very early on, they had a woman working for them in the home (the earlier house). And it looked as though June was getting new kitchen appliances, another good sign. We can only speculate what happened to the Cleavers after Marcus Welby, MD bought their house, added an outer porch, and hung his shingle. I like to think that Dr. Kiley and Wally started a motorcycle gang, and gave June a leather jacket with a neat logo on the back...!
	__________________ In memory of lovely Erin Moran 1960-2017 ~ Missing you "For you are beautiful ~ And I have loved you dearly ~ More dearly than the spoken word can tell..." "What's the word?" (Paul Martin) ~~ "I don't want money for nothing." (Timmy Martin) -- Lassie ROCKS! WORD UP "It's just a dugout that my dad built... In case the reds* decide to push the button down..."*

03-08-2015, 10:48 AM	#8
pkripper001 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 12, 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 401	Here is what claims to be the Cleavers floor plan.Does this look to be the floor plan of one of the Cleavers homes ? If this is,did they keep one of the bedrooms for a guest room ? If so,how many guests did they have that spent the night ? Attached Images

03-07-2015, 12:57 PM	#2
MMR Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 30, 2013 Location: United States Posts: 113	Ward once explained that the Cleavers were neither rich nor poor, but "comfortable." Definitely above average; Ward could afford to belong to a country club, and he had a stockbroker; they certainly weren't a paycheck-to-paycheck family.

03-07-2015, 11:06 PM	#3
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,775	Back than I don't think it was classified like that! Upper and lower middle class were terms that came in the 70's I think! Mind you, that is my opinion , I could be wrong. But I think in the 50's - 60's it was more like rich, middle class and poor! And middle class did pretty well back than! Even with only one adult working. They only had one car, one TV etc. A more simple way of life basically! The Cleavers were Middle class . The reason June was in fur was because it is a TV show. In real life back than, they would have nice new clothes, but simple non fancy clothes being middle class! IMO!!

03-08-2015, 04:14 AM	#6
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,502	Okay on the bedroom, but none of the kids I knew had a bathroom to themselves. That seems pretty high-end to me.

03-09-2015, 01:39 PM	#9
GrtGzu Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 05, 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 203	Ward was always going to the Country Club to play golf and that ain't free....He just recently paid to have his clubs cleaned in the pro shop too cuz he made mention of it to June.... And who had 20 bucks to buy a girlie-sweater that Beaver wore to school? And that leather sweater that he and Richard both had wasn't cheap either....

03-09-2015, 01:53 PM	#10
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,775	Yeah I'm thinking they were Upper middle class, although as I posted before back than it was just called middle class, if you weren't real rich or real poor. They were pretty well off it seems, closer to rich than poor, so yes Upper middle class! One thing though that would make them have more money is only having two kids! Back than people had a slew of kids. It was rare to only have 2. So with one adult working a good job and not having many kids you would be able to have some extra cash and have luxuries !

03-09-2015, 05:30 PM	#11
Tankeryanker Do you like my monkey picture? Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 22, 2014 Posts: 3,049	I just watched the episode where Beaver and Gilbert were smacking golf balls and the head to Wards club flew off into the bushes and the boys thought that it was their fault. Beaver replaced the club and it cost him $13-$16 dollars. I looked at this chart https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hous...rossrents.html and rent was $389 in 1960 in California so Ward had to make enough to play a rather expensive sport and keep his family in a decent environment. I will say though that by today's standards, the Cleavers did not live in a big home. I don't think the concept of a bathroom for every bedroom was thought of yet in the 60's. A 3 bedroom 2 bath house was styling compared to what June and Ward grew up in before the war.

03-09-2015, 06:29 PM	#12
JudgeGarth Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 07, 2004 Location: Wheaton, IL Posts: 443	Oh, I think it was a pretty big house. I'm sure there was another bathroom on the first floor that we never saw. They wouldn't want dinner guests to have to go upstairs to use the bathroom. Lol.

03-10-2015, 01:23 PM	#14
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	Lets put it this way: The Cleavers never had to worry about getting on welfare or any other social benefits.