Was Fonzie A Loser?

Probably from backlash of the 40-70 year old parents who are paying cable for their kids to watch the show in the 70's.
There wasn't much cable back in the 70's.

If it aired today, he'd be gay and apologizing constantly for his white privilege.
No, he'd be a woman who beat the crap out of half of the men and slept with the other half.
 
Fonzie never really had a direct impact on me at all. When Happy Days came on the channel was changed most of the time. To me his biggest contribution to culture was "jumping the shark." No hate for him just indifference.
 
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If anything, we could actually say the show was a Fonzie success story.

He goes from high school dropout… who worked as a mechanic…. to owning his own garage… he goes back to get his high school diploma…. He becomes partner in the new rebuilt Al’s Diner, after the old one burns down… he meets a woman he falls in love with and leaves all his womanizing in the past…. he then goes to college and gets his teaching degree…. he gets his teaching job… and to cap it all off, he ends up adoption a young boy by the name of Danny.

I always took that adoption ending of his story to be the end-cap on his journey. Richie and all the others who he guided, had moved on and started their adult lives, and Fonz’s need for family would only make sense that he longed to be the father figure he never had.

So his story isn’t about a loser, but more about someone who struggled and overcame.
 
Who are they?
Season 3 Rod Sterling GIF by Paramount+
 
I was about 10 in Fonzie’s heyday so I re him vividly.
Was he “cool”? YUP!
Let‘s breaking down, shall we?

1. He rode a motorcycle.
2. He did a terrible Elvis impression and was loved for it.
3. he always wore a leather jacket.
4. He successfully pulled off an Evel Knevel stunt and was loved for it.
5. EVERY hot woman was at his beck and call at the snap of his fingers.
6. He battled an alien, won, and was loved for it.
7. He had his own cool apartment.
8. He had a tough guy reputation so NOBODY would dare mess with him.
9. He jumped a shark and was loved for it.
10. He had magical abilities far beyond those of mortal men.

I could keep going, but really, what’s the point?
 
He was over 21 and exclusively hung out with high school kids…

His “office” was a bathroom in a diner where the high school kids hung out at….
He was originally written as a 16 year old. When Winkler was cast (27) it was generally accepted as somewhere between 18-20


Even though in real life the actor is almost a decade older than the other actors, in TV world he’s supposed to be only a few years older than Richie.

He’s a high school drop out (and “bad kid”) who befriends Richie when Richie tries to help him go back to school. He ends up dropping out again, but stays friends with Richie. He works as a mechanic, eventually owns his own garage and is part owner of the diner.
 
He was originally written as a 16 year old. When Winkler was cast (27) it was generally accepted as somewhere between 18-20


Even though in real life the actor is almost a decade older than the other actors, in TV world he’s supposed to be only a few years older than Richie.

He’s a high school drop out (and “bad kid”) who befriends Richie when Richie tries to help him go back to school. He ends up dropping out again, but stays friends with Richie. He works as a mechanic, eventually owns his own garage and is part owner of the diner.
And finishes school, goes on to college and become a teacher.
 

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