Is the Addams Family Really All That Strange?

Is The Addams Family really all that strange?

“Normal is but an illusion, what is normal for the spider, is chaos for the fly,” said by the most loving and mildly sadistic mother of the 60s, Morticia Addams. The Addams Family is a seemingly odd clan of misfits who may be the most loving and accepting group in television culture. The Addams are a satirical inversion of the American family; an eccentric, wealthy clan who dabble in the macabre. They are unware or simply don’t care that others find them absolutely bizarre. This strange family was first spotted as a New Yorker cartoon strip in the 1930s. They were created and drawn by Charles Addams, then later adapted to a sitcom in the 60s. Lastly, the series eventually turned into featured movies and dared even a hit musical. The constant adaptations of the family to this day continue to open the hearts and minds of their audience. An icon of the American media, The Addams Family, reflects values and our love for individuality, true love, and acceptance which keeps this clan on the top of the classics.

Charles Addams was born “7 January 1912 in Westfield, New Jersey” (Charles Addams: Life) It was his father that encouraged the “rebellious rascal” (Charles Addams: Life) to practice drawing. Charles Addams’ first job was for “True Detective magazine where he and to retouch photos of corpses that appeared in stories” (Charles Addams: Life). Addams was known for his macabre humor; he was even quoted saying “A lot of those corpses were more interesting the way they were” (Charles Addams: Life). Charles Addams was married three times. In late 1942, he married his first wife, Barbara Jean Day who resembled very close to Morticia Addams, Addam’s ‘wife’ character to his made up family. Eight years later, Addams divorced due to not wanting kids. Later on he married a second time to a miss Barbara Barb who as well resembled Morticia yet had a more of a diabolical side to her; “she gained control of The Addams Family TV and film franchise” (Charles Addams: Life). Barbara pushed Charles into taking “$100,000 out on an insurance policy” (Maslin), which Addams later consulted a lawyer regarding the idea. His lawyer reported that he humorously told Charles “the last time he had word of such a move it was in a picture called Double Indemnity starring Barbara Stanwyck” (Maslin). In this film, Stanwyck’s character had plotted for her husband’s murder, soon after, this couple divorced in 1956. Finally, Addams married for his third and final time to Marilyn Matthews Miller in a pet cemetery. This happy couple moved into their new estate in Sagaponack, New York, and entitled it, “The Swamp” (Maslin). Charles Addams’ life gives an explanation for his characters interesting behaviors and perhaps the reason that Morticia and Gomez marriage is thriving and loving to highlight Charles longing for a loving relationship.

Addams life and characteristics correlate to the shows idiosyncratic but celebratory “otherness” of his characters’. “His sense of humor resembled that of Uncle Fester, the bald headed ghoul that the Addams once depicted in a movie theater, laughing at a movie that makes the rest of the audience cry” (Davis). His humor was dark and twisted that was more than likely the inspiration for his characters wicked taste of humor. Addams tend to feed into the hype of being a creepy eerie person like his characters. He was known for “visiting snake farms, having picnics in graveyards, and sometimes taking a souvenirs” (Davis). On a sunny Monday morning at the New Yorker headquarter, Addams was asked by fellow cartoonist Mort Gerberg “What did you do over the weekend Charlie?” his response “Well it was such a nice day on Sunday, I decided to take a friend for a drive- to Creedmore” (Davis). By Creedmore he was referring to the state psychiatric facility in Queens, Gerberg didn’t know whether or not he was kidding. Charles Addams invited the idea of being depicted as his one of his characters, in return a wide range of publicity occur for Mr. Addams which led to more success

The Addams Family gained their immediate media success by the radically different characters and atmosphere from any traditional family oriented television show of their time. The Leave it to Beaver sitcom is a classic example of a traditional family oriented show that defines the “golly gee” wholesomeness of the 50s and the 60s in American media. The Cleavers was depicted as a “All- American” family, where Mr. Cleaver was always home for dinner, His wife cleaned the house in her A- line dress and pearls and his two children Wally and Beaver always learned some kind of lesson at the end of every episode. The Addams Family, however, is completely divergent to this traditional family show. Morticia, for example, may be a stay at home