Cast of Full House
John Stamos (Jesse Katsopolis) Bob Saget (Danny Tanner) Dave Coulier (Joey Gladstone) Candace Cameron Bure (D.J. Tanner) Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie Tanner) Mary-Kate Olsen (Michelle Tanner) Ashley Olsen (Michelle Tanner) Lori Loughlin (Rebecca Donaldson) Andrea Barber (Kimmy Gibbler) Scott Weinger (Steve Hale) Dylan and Blake Tuomy-Wilhoit (Nicky and Alex) Comet (Dog)
Discussion of Family Communication
Full House ran for eight seasons and had more than 190 episodes. Full House started September 22, 1987 and ended on August 29, 1995. I grew up during this time, as many of us have, and can remember looking up to some of the characters and watching at the end of every episode the advide given by the father. This family had excellent communication. Every problem was talked out and solved by the end of each show. With every end advice that either Jesse, Danny, or Joey was giving, there would always be back up music that seemed to set the mood even more. The show was about closeness within the family, sticking together through anything, and helping each other out. Since Danny was left to care for his three daughters without a mother, Joey and Jesse played a huge role within the family. This family type could best be described as a biological extended family, since a parent, children, and relatives are all living together. Though this family can also be considered a single-parent family, I would consider it more an extended family. Even though Joey was not part of their biological family, throughout the episodes, he became more and more a part of the family.
Telling Stories, Roles, Rules, Power, Intimacy
One thing that I remember from watching Full House is the family stories that were told during the show. Danny would talk to little Michelle about being born, Danny would talk to all three children about stories about their mother, Joey would talk about stories with his comedian tour, and each family member would always tell stories about another family member from what they can remember.
Roles within the family were set in place from the beginning of the show. It was Joey and Jesse's role to help out with raising the three girls. Danny's role in the family was to be the provider and caretaker. He was always there when someone needed him for advice and always talked opening with the other members. The three daughters role in the family was to look out for each other.
Rules were very clear in Full House. Everyone had to respect one another, clean up after themselves, and talk about what is bothering them. Though there were episodes that some family members did things that broke the rules set in the family, by the end of the episode, everyone knew about the mistake and through good communication within the family, the mistake was talked about and corrected. The three daughters rules included cleaning their rooms, not fighting, not yelling, eating properly at the dinner table, going to school and getting good grades, and telling the truth.
It was clear that the older adults had the most power within the family. Danny was the head of the household but ironically still seemed to find out everything last. Joey and Jesse were the two guys that the three daughters felt like they could go to if they were in trouble, without getting in trouble. Danny would always still find out about the problem by the end of the show.
It was not until towards the end of the seasons when intimacy was a major concern. Jesse married Rebecca in the show which added to the family when Nicholas and Alex were born. One of the major issues that I can remember involving intimacy communication is when D.J. started to date Steve in the show. Danny was against her dating and had many different discussions in episodes about her feelings towards Steve. Being a father, what else was he to do than worry about his oldest daughter growing up. Still, this family stayed strong together through great communication that lasted until their last episode.
Conclusions and Recommendations
It is very important in using the communication terms when trying to analysis this family. Rules set the groundwork for how each member should behave. Without the rules in the family, and understanding each members rules as it applies to the show, it would be difficult to explain how this family comes together. The Tanner family is shaped around the roles that each member plays within the family. The show is about bringing together a singe-parent family, and making sure everyone is well cared for, loved, and does not feel neglected. It shows real life portrayals, because it would be very hard for Danny to make it with three daughters on his own without his wife. It shows how close a family can be with good and open communication. The show is all about talking about your problems and letting each other know how you feel. Full House was an all-around great show, because it not only showed you how well a family can connect when working together, but how well communication plays in keeping the family together and happy. As far as recommendations for improving the quality of their communication I would say that the show did a great job in showing how well communication can benefit the over-all well being of the family. At the end of each episode their was always a lesson to be learned, advice to be given, and love to be shown.
