Bickering on TV

Late one night last week, I came across "The Honeymooners" on TV and watched an episode and a half. I was taught from an early age to love the show. It certainly has many of the problems that come with "early television" -- the threadbare visuals, the limited range of action, the difficulty (impossibility) of putting yourself back in a place when basic sitcom jokes felt fresh. Then again, the limited range (and live performances) of "The Honeymooners" gives the impression of a play, and I like that. Plus, I'll take the "early" version of the set-up, in which the characters are scraping to get by and there's a genuine affection at the bottom of the marital carping, over the "recent" version -- the avalanche of shallow, unlikable stupidity that is "Yes, Dear," "Still Standing," "According to Jim," and so many others.

Speaking of tired marital carping, soon after watching "The Honeymooners," I just happened to pick up the comics page of a Sunday newspaper for the first time in an age. And guess who's still at it after all these years? Yep, the Lockhorns: