Was Fonzie A Loser?
- Thread starter Captain Dunsel
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Mottrex
Sr Member
When this aired in the UK we didn't know if it was an old TV show or new, we got a lot of Old US shows along with The Six Million Dollar Man, CAs etc.. Personally I didn't like the Fonz in the beginning but maybe that was the point, I'm sure he was a bit abrasive and could be seen as a wrong un..
But he certainly grew on me being around ten I enjoyed seeing the character grow and was prolly the first time we saw a character arc in a sit com ?
Ralph the Mouth was my fav until I saw Lavern and Shirley who met them at a VW meet in Flo Ryder a few years back as part of a American Graffiti meet n greet.
What's great about the great HW is that he was able to step out and build a brilliant career as both director and actor..
But he certainly grew on me being around ten I enjoyed seeing the character grow and was prolly the first time we saw a character arc in a sit com ?
Ralph the Mouth was my fav until I saw Lavern and Shirley who met them at a VW meet in Flo Ryder a few years back as part of a American Graffiti meet n greet.
What's great about the great HW is that he was able to step out and build a brilliant career as both director and actor..
Bigdaddy
Master Member
I tend to stay away from adjectives like "loser" since it denotes a person (or character's) potential. He definitely seemed like a guy without a plan at the beginning of the show but his arc is more meaningful than I remembered after reading this thread. As a kid I thought he was the ULTIMATE Cool, even did a 5th grade short film for school where I played an "older" version of a Fonz stuck on his nostalgia of the 50s while trying to connect with his daughter in the 80s. I still have it on VHS, my wife and kid laughed their asses off when my mom insisted on watching it a few years ago.
Would I approve of season 1 Fonzie dating my daughter? Not a chance, based on his tenacity at building a family and future later, sure.
I sometimes still say "don't touch the leather" when I'm wearing my jacket.
Would I approve of season 1 Fonzie dating my daughter? Not a chance, based on his tenacity at building a family and future later, sure.
I sometimes still say "don't touch the leather" when I'm wearing my jacket.
Solo4114
Master Member
I thought the consensus was that Chuck went to 'Nam and never came home. :-/^^ Batguy, I was about to mention that very thing. I was a kid when Happy Days came out and it easy to see how that show evolved as it went along... I mean, Richie's older brother disappeared as the show progressed.
But as far as cool?... ABSOLUTELY! I mean, the guy jumped a shark and in to process gave the world a term for "well, this has officially gone to crap" that's still used to this day!
As for the Fonz, he was cool when I was a kid. I'd probably look at a guy like that as a loser in the moment if I saw them now, but that's the shifted perspective of being an adult and factoring in notions of success. But then he turns his life around and grows, so, not a loser in the end.
As for today's standards...I don't think they'd make that show today. But hey, be on the lookout for a 90s version soon, greybeards....
Cephus
Master Member
Probably meant Korea.
Axlotl
Master Member
It would have been over by the time of Happy Days. Maybe he was drafted and shipped to Germany, like Elvis.
Riceball
Master Member
It's possible. He could have been drafted, did a few years, re-upped, and then got shipped out to 'Nam as one of the early advisors. Remember, before scores of combat troops were sent out to Vietnam there were US advisors out there advising and training the ARVN.
I think everyone is trying to read too deeply into the Chuck character and what happened to him. They never addressed where he went, or sent him off in a story line of him leaving for military or college. They just eliminated him out of the show and didn't worry about it further. The initial design to have a big brother, was reworked when they decided to expand Henry Winkler's role. He was only supposed to be a small character and due to popularity, they expanded his role in the second season. And the writers most likely decided to merge the big brother role and Fonzy's character, so they cut Chuck out.
Mottrex
Sr Member
Oh there were certainly Fan sites/clubs in the 70's..
Usually run by the fans themselves with postal Fanzines and replies by mail, it was quite the thing.
There was certainly a Fonz UK fan club here in the UK along with Star Trek Starwars(Bantha Tracks)
Also without Happy Days we might never have seen the talent that was Robin Williams..
Absolutely. I yield to the opinions cited that my conclusion may not be definitive…a lot of gray area there.
All of us should be willing to reconsider our conclusions…the world would be a better place if we did.
I ask you all to look upon me as a true paragon of virtue for taking the action to revise the title of this thread.
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I grew up with the "Fonz" so to speak. Happy Days started out as basically the "American Graffiti" TV series. Then it slowly morphed into a caricature of 1950's/60's life until it finally "jumped the shark".
My Dad was a Greaser in the 50's, a real leather jacket wearing "Hood". He loved the early Happy Days and Fonz's character. He watched it every week. He identified with Fonzie.
I never once thought Fonzie was an old guy hanging with teenagers. He was in their age group, but was a drop-out. That was established in the early part of the series.
Fonzie as a character is an American icon.
My Dad was a Greaser in the 50's, a real leather jacket wearing "Hood". He loved the early Happy Days and Fonz's character. He watched it every week. He identified with Fonzie.
I never once thought Fonzie was an old guy hanging with teenagers. He was in their age group, but was a drop-out. That was established in the early part of the series.
Fonzie as a character is an American icon.
Family Matters did the same thing, where the younger sister "Judy" just vanished from the sitcom after three seasons.
EvilLincoln1
New Member
Never thought of that until now. On a similar note, rewatched “Meatballs” and came to the uncomfortable realization Bill Murray’s character has a similar vibe. It’s still a very funny movie, but it leaves unanswered questions about why this clearly late 20s man is still a camp counselor, hitting on high school girls, etc.
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