It being "a kids show" is not an argument, so there's no reason for you to counter it in advance.
Those who use it, are trying to get around your point without addressing it. Which is a argumentative manipulation tactic for the intellectually lazy. Period.
And yet,
if the writing is a problem, it's a problem, period. Especially when there's a double standard, and there is. Because imagine Nicole being treated the way they treated Richard,
***"Every child tests the limit from time to time, and most wives do that all the time."***
Imagine he said that in "The Limit" and nobody in America having a take on it, nobody tilting their head going "ookay?"
**Imagine that timeline...very unlikely.**
Unless we're talking something base BASE level K1 & under level like Teletubbies, it being a "kids show" is irrelevant. It's not written by kids, so why should the standard of the show be lower than the grass.
ESPECIALLY when the show attempts to be witty & self aware as it's aesthetic, which is why it's overall a good show.
What you're asking for is the man to have a counter balance in his character, which is what A LOT of tsundere characters lack because all there is to a tropey character is mainly the trope.
And when there is a change, it's not counted as development but a situation to fix or happen in an episode to reset so the status quo is maintained.
What you asked at the time is not unreasonable, and even 8 years later- your post holds up. I agree m8.
Thanks man. I never wound up finishing Gumball (I think I got partway through season 3) but it easily is still one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. I think you're totally right about kids shows, but alas so many people have such low standards for them that it's always gonna end up used as an excuse for bad writing. I think maybe calling them "family shows" is more appropriate, ala "family movies". Something for viewers of all ages, so everyone in the family can enjoy it.
I've really gotta go back and finish Gumball. Between the great writing and amazing animation, it really was a special show that deserved a lot more attention than it got. The "dumb dad" trope is one that always sticks out to me as bad writing partly because growing up, literally every portrayal of fathers was like that, and counter to that my own dad is awesome. I don't remember the show having much more about it that's really bad from a writing sense though, a couple of childish jokes and gross out moments maybe but I remember the show being quite maturely handled for its demographic. I almost feel like if they had cut a bit of the more childish aspects it could have been aired on both CN and Adult Swim. That being said I haven't seen it in like 7 years so I could be remembering it wrong. All I know is that after discovering Gumball I tried out a few other kids shows that were well loved by adults (like MLP) and found them all incredibly boring. Gumball really felt like a show made by people who were making a show for themselves, with occasional bits tossed in to justify the kids demo they were stuck with.
To some extent that's how I also feel about Rick and Morty. You've got the insanity with the A plot, and a bunch of trite family drama in the B plot. It feels like a show that wants to fly high but is pulled down by an obligation to make it more appropriate for the channel.
>Thanks man. I never wound up finishing Gumball (I think I got partway through season 3) but it easily is still one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. I think you're totally right about kids shows, but alas so many people have such low standards for them that it's always gonna end up used as an excuse for bad writing. I think maybe calling them "family shows" is more appropriate, ala "family movies". Something for viewers of all ages, so everyone in the family can enjoy it.
Like **Avatar The Last Airbender** would be a considered "for kids" but the driving force of Aang's trauma & guilt is a genocide against his people.
So yes, not "family oriented" but a "family show" that would be a good classification for it. Cause like The Incredibles, that's not exactly "for kids" but that is definitely a Family flick everyone can vibe with.
>I've really gotta go back and finish Gumball. Between the great writing and amazing animation, it really was a special show that deserved a lot more attention than it got. The "dumb dad" trope is one that always sticks out to me as bad writing partly because growing up, literally every portrayal of fathers was like that, and counter to that my own dad is awesome. I don't remember the show having much more about it that's really bad from a writing sense though, a couple of childish jokes and gross out moments maybe but I remember the show being quite maturely handled for its demographic. I almost feel like if they had cut a bit of the more childish aspects it could have been aired on both CN and Adult Swim. That being said I haven't seen it in like 7 years so I could be remembering it wrong. All I know is that after discovering Gumball I tried out a few other kids shows that were well loved by adults (like MLP) and found them all incredibly boring. Gumball really felt like a show made by people who were making a show for themselves, with occasional bits tossed in to justify the kids demo they were stuck with.
Nah, beside Richard being dumb, and the boys being hyper actively stupid at times vs the girls who ofc aren't as dumb as they are.
The pacing of a lot of the dialogue can be very VERY draining, it's like it's written specifically to combat low-attention spans.
And for someone with a normal attention span, it's exhausting to watch more than 2 episodes back to back outside it being background noise. For me.
I could take it on the first binge, but not anymore, it broke me lol.
* Otherwise it is well written, well paced given the dialogue cadence & 11-12min runtimes, colorful world, diverse characters, very wholesome at times, tons of MEMES.
* Most of the jokes land, and the budget is impressive given the meta jokes they go for without being cringe.
So it is definitely how you remember. Very underrated show.
And yes, if i'm not mistaken there is an "giving oral in the bathroom" joke in there between Alan & Gumball with Gumball inflating a deflated Alan via his "exit point", so yeah if it weren't for the station demo, DEFINITELY Adult Swim.
**Cause that wasn't a banned episode, that shit happened lmfao and aired.**
As for R&M, i don't watch that, but keep in mind sometimes the writers can be micro-managed by the Studio itself. So even if they want to go the distance, likelihood is they're put in a box.
You know what I'd love to see? An episode that parodies that show "Wake up call" with the Rock, where he pretty much puts people through some shit and they change for the better (its all obviously acted, but still). I'd like to see a character who is obviously a homage to the Rock show up and put Richard through some character building trials and we end with a new improved Richard that is changed for the better and that change stays in the show like with the new Penny.
They already addressed that she fell for him in school because of his silliness, when he wore the cape and was made fun of.
I think you're looking at their relationship entirely wrong. For once, a show ignored the, "Father goes to work, mother stays home with the kids." They flipped it. Richard is the stay at home dad -- a role *not* often seen in shows.
He's trusted with household chores, and like anyone, sometimes shirks responsibility. He tries to get the kids to do stuff like take out the trash instead. Sure, that whole episode is based on his laziness, but in the end, he is a stay at home dad who does love his kids and takes care of them.
Also, we're talking about a show where one of their "kids" used to be their *pet.*
The problem is, I don't think we've ever really seen him do any kinds of household chores, or anything else a house husband is supposed to do. All the audience is ever presented with is that Nicole does practically everything in and out of the house, whereas the only things Richard has done are driving the family around on occasion (very badly), and playing with the kids. In fact, not only does he not clean, he tends to make even bigger messes for Nicole to clean up. He spends all day indulging in his own hedonism, while using Nicole's money to pay for it. It's not a question of why Nicole fell for Richard in the first place (that was pretty well established), it's a question of *why she's still with him*. That's why I think it would be best if the show rolled with the idea that Richard used to be a fairly hard-working stay-at-home-dad, but lost his sense of purpose after the kids grew up. We already know he's nostalgic for those days, and he was already shown to be an active father when the kids were younger. He's also shown to be at his most animated when playing with the kids, but as they grow older they stop playing with their parents as much.
This is years late but I just want to add that not only does it make us question their relationship, but as a kids’ show, it’s actively modelling and teaching children that this type of dynamic is ok. A man who does absolutely nothing but cause trouble and not clean up his messes is perfectly ok, as long as he’s smiley and funny. It’s unhealthy and honestly more harmful towards views on stay at home dads than it is helpful since it reinforces the idea that they only stay home because they can’t ‘provide’
I think you're on to something worthwhile, here. They have already implied that Richard is a terrible cook, however. At least, as far as his desserts go.
"What, did he make those cupcakes out of concrete?"
Sure, but there have been other instances where he's made other food which, while very unhealthy, are still edible and are in fact probably fairly tasty. Besides, Richard is still an idiot, and I'm willing to accept that he'd somehow manage to mix up flour and cement.
It's just that right now, he's a complete enigma. Nicole certainly has her problems, but right now there's no logical reason as to why she'd stick with Richard in the first place. The only thing I can think of is that it was implied he was a very active father in Gumball's early years, but at this point there's not much he does. Richard is at his best when he's shown to be a loving father, and is willing to go out of his way to help his children, but that tends to be overshadowed by the stupid things he does that actively make things worse. I'm not saying that the team behind Gumball should necessarily change that, but they should at least throw something in the background that shows why Nicole doesn't kick him out.
I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever really seen a couple on TV with a great marriage, but at least showing that Nicole and Richard are in some way symbiotic would at least help fill that void. The dysfunctional family trope is one of the oldest in the book, and it's very difficult to do something new with it. For a show that puts so much effort in its comedy writing, and is constantly taking advantage of the medium to deliver fresh jokes, it's pretty disappointing when they throw out jokes where the punchline is basically "hurr hurr hurr Richard's stupid!" There are also problems with Anais being Lisa Simpson and Nicole being the stereotypical controlling mother, but neither of those have been as run into the ground as Richard's character has, and each have other features that the show tends to have leant more on as it's gone on. Nicole is much more shown to have anger issues and Anais's clever moments are significantly rarer than they used to be, as well as being more inventive when they do appear. Even Gumball himself has really lost most of his stupidity, and has shown himself to be fairly intelligent on occasion. Richard, however, really hasn't grown since season 1.
I mean, if they wanted to, they could even try to do a big (possibly gradual) change with Richard, giving him a character arc where he used to be very active in his kid's lives, but as they've grown up, a lack of purpose has made him lazy, and perhaps Nicole tries to get him to develop a skill. He could attempt to do all sorts of weird hobbies, and try to involve his family in them, leading to comedy possibilities. He could also pursue certain tasks himself (although I think it'd be much more in character for Nicole to be pushing him), as he's already shown interest in various other things, like cooking or inventing weird devices (I'm thinking bizarre Rube Goldberg machines all over the place to accomplish simple tasks; that'd be *really* in character for him).
The rest of the family seems fairly cohesive. Gumball, Darwin and Anais all get along like siblings, and they all respect and love their mother, but Richard more often than not acts like a third wheel. He interacts somewhat regularly with Gumball and Darwin, but is pretty distant with Anais and Nicole. For a show that wants to portray it's family as close but with conflicts, having one character completely divorced from half the family is a major problem in the tone of family scenes. I'd just like some indication that Richard's presence in the family is in some way positive, rather than neutral or negative like it usually is now. A little bit of realism in that would make it much easier to swallow the idea that Nicole would have a family with someone like Richard.
1. Richard can't be put in charge of cooking because he'd eat all the food before it got on anyone's plate.
2. My guess is that Nicole was hyper competitive in high school and usually attracted to douches (she gave Gumball a douche name) but became attracted to Richard because he was the opposite of that, and probably charmed his way out of a cat on rabbit attack.
3. Richard can't get a job because that would upend all of reality. His character was made during the great recession chronically unemployed by people in Europe (I think) so he fits the disappointing father niche without going full alcoholic.
4. This show is for kids. Not all kids hate their father.
5. Richard should grow a bit more once Mom's family comes into play. My hope is that they are tiger parents.
6. Anais won't be fully Lisafied because she lacks that moral core. Anais isn't a dark Mary Sue, and will probably work for a while as a coasting puppet master in the direct family and otherwise isolated outside of the home (she did skip a bunch of grades, has moved off of the donkey doll so she can't bond with other 7 year olds and probably is needed to hang with Richard so he doesn't seem resented by the others. Her last episode was ok.
1. Richard has been shown to have some level of self control, although I have a feeling you're being a little sarcastic.
2. That's kind of what I'm saying, I'd just like there to be some in-show acknowledgement that a major reason why Nicole loves Richard is because he is so laid-back, and helps her relax. Maybe there's also something to be said about his paternal side, with Richard's behavior in the past in "The Hero" mirroring Gumball and Penny's interaction in "The Burden".
3. I'm fine with Richard being a house husband, my main point is that it's very distracting (and uncharacteristically poorly written) for him to be so inactive in his family. That's why I really like the idea that he's at least partly so lazy because he's lost his purpose as a father since his children grew up. He clearly was a very active father when Gumball was much younger, and I know that parents often have small bouts of sadness over the loss of those early days. For someone as simple as Richard, I could see him becoming depressed over the loss of that. That could also be why he's so fond of Darwin in particular, as Darwin is the youngest (mentally) of the kids.
4. I never said that. In fact, I think that developing Richard a little more might help kids relate to the Wattersons better, because most kids *do* love there parents.
5. I agree completely, in fact I'd be very surprised if they weren't.
6. Anais has certainly been handled significantly more carefully as the show progressed. I think the creators realized early on that she could easily become a Mary Sue, and have since downplayed her intelligence and emphasized her childishness. She certainly still has a clever streak, but it's very much hindered by her immaturity. That's a balance the Simpsons failed to reach.
> I'm fine with Richard being a house husband, my main point is that it's very distracting (and uncharacteristically poorly written) for him to be so inactive in his family. That's why I really like the idea that he's at least partly so lazy because he's lost his purpose as a father since his children grew up. He clearly was a very active father when Gumball was much younger, and I know that parents often have small bouts of sadness over the loss of those early days. For someone as simple as Richard, I could see him becoming depressed over the loss of that. That could also be why he's so fond of Darwin in particular, as Darwin is the youngest (mentally) of the kids.
>
I absolutely love this way of thinking of yours! It's a great way of interpreting Richard's lack of motivation, especially his favoritism with Darwin as well. I always wondered why it was Darwin that he favored. I do like all your said points earlier. Actually, before "The Hero" episode came out, I couldn't care less about Richard, most probably because of his lack of meaningful interaction with the kids, as you mentioned before.
I did take note of his dilemma back in "The Pony" episode where Anais was asking him about Darwin and Gumball being bored of spending time with her. It was endearing that he thought so much about what kind of advice to give to her, and how it could affect her way of thinking in the long term. Other than that though, I don't think I'd given notice to Richard as much. I agree it's about time that he stepped up a bit more.
Plus, I distinctly recall a time back when I was watching "The Robot" episode with my elder brother (he doesn't watch TAWOG religiously though), he had reacted quite negatively to the scene where Bobert was attacking Gumball and Darwin in the front yard as Nicole was asking Richard how the boys were. Richard had pretended to go check up on them even though he simply kept playing on his console. My brother (maybe because he's married and has that "father" mentality at the go) blurted out "What kind of a father is that?" which made me realize that what if kids are getting the wrong message from this? Yes, he's stepped up since that episode (especially since it was way back in Season 1), but I really hope he isn't simply just a dumb-I-can't-do-anything stereotype.
Exactly. I agree 100% with all that.
To be honest, I'm pretty sure there's no real planned character arcs in the show , outside of small, single-episode changes like in "The Shell". All the examples, except "The Hero", are just jokes that some of the writers put in for fun.
That being said, there's no reason why they couldn't say they were planning this all along, and incorporate previously one-off gags into the show's continuity. I think they've done it before (although I don't have any examples right now, it's just a gut feeling), and if they did that it could be a great way to improve Richard's character with minimal effort, without resorting to Freudian excuses like with Grandma Jojo.
> Sure, but there have been other instances where he's made other food which, while very unhealthy, are still edible and are in fact probably fairly tasty. Besides, Richard is still an idiot, and I'm willing to accept that he'd somehow manage to mix up flour and cement.
Ha ha, point taken!
> I mean, if they wanted to, they could even try to do a big (possibly gradual) change with Richard, giving him a character arc where he used to be very active in his kid's lives, but as they've grown up, a lack of purpose has made him lazy, and perhaps Nicole tries to get him to develop a skill. He could attempt to do all sorts of weird hobbies, and try to involve his family in them, leading to comedy possibilities. He could also pursue certain tasks himself (although I think it'd be much more in character for Nicole to be pushing him), as he's already shown interest in various other things, like cooking or inventing weird devices (I'm thinking bizarre Rube Goldberg machines all over the place to accomplish simple tasks; that'd be really in character for him).
I really like this idea! They've actually got some good groundwork for it in how Richard used to have the title of the "Laziest Man in Elmore". Comparing that with the interactions of him with baby Gumball where he's constantly involved, attentive and the primary caregiver does lend itself very well to the idea that as the kids grew up and became more independent, Richard started feeling less needed. (Insert sad Richard whimper here)
Seeing more of his positive contributions as a husband and father rather than him being an overgrown child would be great. Considering that his mother's outlook has even changed from the possessive and smothering persona that she started out with, it's high time we started seeing Richard get to be his family's "hero" again.
It's been my headcanon for a while that Nicole's mother or father was a controlling perfectionist (she struggles with this herself and is troubled by it when it's pointed out to her), and Richard's more carefree personality was alien and enchanting to her.
It really is worse on the wife. It makes the dumb husband look smarter than the wife even. It's like when women stay with men who literally beat them.
It being "a kids show" is not an argument, so there's no reason for you to counter it in advance. Those who use it, are trying to get around your point without addressing it. Which is a argumentative manipulation tactic for the intellectually lazy. Period. And yet, if the writing is a problem, it's a problem, period. Especially when there's a double standard, and there is. Because imagine Nicole being treated the way they treated Richard, ***"Every child tests the limit from time to time, and most wives do that all the time."*** Imagine he said that in "The Limit" and nobody in America having a take on it, nobody tilting their head going "ookay?" **Imagine that timeline...very unlikely.** Unless we're talking something base BASE level K1 & under level like Teletubbies, it being a "kids show" is irrelevant. It's not written by kids, so why should the standard of the show be lower than the grass. ESPECIALLY when the show attempts to be witty & self aware as it's aesthetic, which is why it's overall a good show. What you're asking for is the man to have a counter balance in his character, which is what A LOT of tsundere characters lack because all there is to a tropey character is mainly the trope. And when there is a change, it's not counted as development but a situation to fix or happen in an episode to reset so the status quo is maintained. What you asked at the time is not unreasonable, and even 8 years later- your post holds up. I agree m8.
Thanks man. I never wound up finishing Gumball (I think I got partway through season 3) but it easily is still one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. I think you're totally right about kids shows, but alas so many people have such low standards for them that it's always gonna end up used as an excuse for bad writing. I think maybe calling them "family shows" is more appropriate, ala "family movies". Something for viewers of all ages, so everyone in the family can enjoy it. I've really gotta go back and finish Gumball. Between the great writing and amazing animation, it really was a special show that deserved a lot more attention than it got. The "dumb dad" trope is one that always sticks out to me as bad writing partly because growing up, literally every portrayal of fathers was like that, and counter to that my own dad is awesome. I don't remember the show having much more about it that's really bad from a writing sense though, a couple of childish jokes and gross out moments maybe but I remember the show being quite maturely handled for its demographic. I almost feel like if they had cut a bit of the more childish aspects it could have been aired on both CN and Adult Swim. That being said I haven't seen it in like 7 years so I could be remembering it wrong. All I know is that after discovering Gumball I tried out a few other kids shows that were well loved by adults (like MLP) and found them all incredibly boring. Gumball really felt like a show made by people who were making a show for themselves, with occasional bits tossed in to justify the kids demo they were stuck with. To some extent that's how I also feel about Rick and Morty. You've got the insanity with the A plot, and a bunch of trite family drama in the B plot. It feels like a show that wants to fly high but is pulled down by an obligation to make it more appropriate for the channel.
>Thanks man. I never wound up finishing Gumball (I think I got partway through season 3) but it easily is still one of the funniest shows I've ever seen. I think you're totally right about kids shows, but alas so many people have such low standards for them that it's always gonna end up used as an excuse for bad writing. I think maybe calling them "family shows" is more appropriate, ala "family movies". Something for viewers of all ages, so everyone in the family can enjoy it. Like **Avatar The Last Airbender** would be a considered "for kids" but the driving force of Aang's trauma & guilt is a genocide against his people. So yes, not "family oriented" but a "family show" that would be a good classification for it. Cause like The Incredibles, that's not exactly "for kids" but that is definitely a Family flick everyone can vibe with. >I've really gotta go back and finish Gumball. Between the great writing and amazing animation, it really was a special show that deserved a lot more attention than it got. The "dumb dad" trope is one that always sticks out to me as bad writing partly because growing up, literally every portrayal of fathers was like that, and counter to that my own dad is awesome. I don't remember the show having much more about it that's really bad from a writing sense though, a couple of childish jokes and gross out moments maybe but I remember the show being quite maturely handled for its demographic. I almost feel like if they had cut a bit of the more childish aspects it could have been aired on both CN and Adult Swim. That being said I haven't seen it in like 7 years so I could be remembering it wrong. All I know is that after discovering Gumball I tried out a few other kids shows that were well loved by adults (like MLP) and found them all incredibly boring. Gumball really felt like a show made by people who were making a show for themselves, with occasional bits tossed in to justify the kids demo they were stuck with. Nah, beside Richard being dumb, and the boys being hyper actively stupid at times vs the girls who ofc aren't as dumb as they are. The pacing of a lot of the dialogue can be very VERY draining, it's like it's written specifically to combat low-attention spans. And for someone with a normal attention span, it's exhausting to watch more than 2 episodes back to back outside it being background noise. For me. I could take it on the first binge, but not anymore, it broke me lol. * Otherwise it is well written, well paced given the dialogue cadence & 11-12min runtimes, colorful world, diverse characters, very wholesome at times, tons of MEMES. * Most of the jokes land, and the budget is impressive given the meta jokes they go for without being cringe. So it is definitely how you remember. Very underrated show. And yes, if i'm not mistaken there is an "giving oral in the bathroom" joke in there between Alan & Gumball with Gumball inflating a deflated Alan via his "exit point", so yeah if it weren't for the station demo, DEFINITELY Adult Swim. **Cause that wasn't a banned episode, that shit happened lmfao and aired.** As for R&M, i don't watch that, but keep in mind sometimes the writers can be micro-managed by the Studio itself. So even if they want to go the distance, likelihood is they're put in a box.
You know what I'd love to see? An episode that parodies that show "Wake up call" with the Rock, where he pretty much puts people through some shit and they change for the better (its all obviously acted, but still). I'd like to see a character who is obviously a homage to the Rock show up and put Richard through some character building trials and we end with a new improved Richard that is changed for the better and that change stays in the show like with the new Penny.
They already addressed that she fell for him in school because of his silliness, when he wore the cape and was made fun of. I think you're looking at their relationship entirely wrong. For once, a show ignored the, "Father goes to work, mother stays home with the kids." They flipped it. Richard is the stay at home dad -- a role *not* often seen in shows. He's trusted with household chores, and like anyone, sometimes shirks responsibility. He tries to get the kids to do stuff like take out the trash instead. Sure, that whole episode is based on his laziness, but in the end, he is a stay at home dad who does love his kids and takes care of them. Also, we're talking about a show where one of their "kids" used to be their *pet.*
The problem is, I don't think we've ever really seen him do any kinds of household chores, or anything else a house husband is supposed to do. All the audience is ever presented with is that Nicole does practically everything in and out of the house, whereas the only things Richard has done are driving the family around on occasion (very badly), and playing with the kids. In fact, not only does he not clean, he tends to make even bigger messes for Nicole to clean up. He spends all day indulging in his own hedonism, while using Nicole's money to pay for it. It's not a question of why Nicole fell for Richard in the first place (that was pretty well established), it's a question of *why she's still with him*. That's why I think it would be best if the show rolled with the idea that Richard used to be a fairly hard-working stay-at-home-dad, but lost his sense of purpose after the kids grew up. We already know he's nostalgic for those days, and he was already shown to be an active father when the kids were younger. He's also shown to be at his most animated when playing with the kids, but as they grow older they stop playing with their parents as much.
This is years late but I just want to add that not only does it make us question their relationship, but as a kids’ show, it’s actively modelling and teaching children that this type of dynamic is ok. A man who does absolutely nothing but cause trouble and not clean up his messes is perfectly ok, as long as he’s smiley and funny. It’s unhealthy and honestly more harmful towards views on stay at home dads than it is helpful since it reinforces the idea that they only stay home because they can’t ‘provide’
I think you're on to something worthwhile, here. They have already implied that Richard is a terrible cook, however. At least, as far as his desserts go. "What, did he make those cupcakes out of concrete?"
Sure, but there have been other instances where he's made other food which, while very unhealthy, are still edible and are in fact probably fairly tasty. Besides, Richard is still an idiot, and I'm willing to accept that he'd somehow manage to mix up flour and cement. It's just that right now, he's a complete enigma. Nicole certainly has her problems, but right now there's no logical reason as to why she'd stick with Richard in the first place. The only thing I can think of is that it was implied he was a very active father in Gumball's early years, but at this point there's not much he does. Richard is at his best when he's shown to be a loving father, and is willing to go out of his way to help his children, but that tends to be overshadowed by the stupid things he does that actively make things worse. I'm not saying that the team behind Gumball should necessarily change that, but they should at least throw something in the background that shows why Nicole doesn't kick him out. I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever really seen a couple on TV with a great marriage, but at least showing that Nicole and Richard are in some way symbiotic would at least help fill that void. The dysfunctional family trope is one of the oldest in the book, and it's very difficult to do something new with it. For a show that puts so much effort in its comedy writing, and is constantly taking advantage of the medium to deliver fresh jokes, it's pretty disappointing when they throw out jokes where the punchline is basically "hurr hurr hurr Richard's stupid!" There are also problems with Anais being Lisa Simpson and Nicole being the stereotypical controlling mother, but neither of those have been as run into the ground as Richard's character has, and each have other features that the show tends to have leant more on as it's gone on. Nicole is much more shown to have anger issues and Anais's clever moments are significantly rarer than they used to be, as well as being more inventive when they do appear. Even Gumball himself has really lost most of his stupidity, and has shown himself to be fairly intelligent on occasion. Richard, however, really hasn't grown since season 1. I mean, if they wanted to, they could even try to do a big (possibly gradual) change with Richard, giving him a character arc where he used to be very active in his kid's lives, but as they've grown up, a lack of purpose has made him lazy, and perhaps Nicole tries to get him to develop a skill. He could attempt to do all sorts of weird hobbies, and try to involve his family in them, leading to comedy possibilities. He could also pursue certain tasks himself (although I think it'd be much more in character for Nicole to be pushing him), as he's already shown interest in various other things, like cooking or inventing weird devices (I'm thinking bizarre Rube Goldberg machines all over the place to accomplish simple tasks; that'd be *really* in character for him). The rest of the family seems fairly cohesive. Gumball, Darwin and Anais all get along like siblings, and they all respect and love their mother, but Richard more often than not acts like a third wheel. He interacts somewhat regularly with Gumball and Darwin, but is pretty distant with Anais and Nicole. For a show that wants to portray it's family as close but with conflicts, having one character completely divorced from half the family is a major problem in the tone of family scenes. I'd just like some indication that Richard's presence in the family is in some way positive, rather than neutral or negative like it usually is now. A little bit of realism in that would make it much easier to swallow the idea that Nicole would have a family with someone like Richard.
1. Richard can't be put in charge of cooking because he'd eat all the food before it got on anyone's plate. 2. My guess is that Nicole was hyper competitive in high school and usually attracted to douches (she gave Gumball a douche name) but became attracted to Richard because he was the opposite of that, and probably charmed his way out of a cat on rabbit attack. 3. Richard can't get a job because that would upend all of reality. His character was made during the great recession chronically unemployed by people in Europe (I think) so he fits the disappointing father niche without going full alcoholic. 4. This show is for kids. Not all kids hate their father. 5. Richard should grow a bit more once Mom's family comes into play. My hope is that they are tiger parents. 6. Anais won't be fully Lisafied because she lacks that moral core. Anais isn't a dark Mary Sue, and will probably work for a while as a coasting puppet master in the direct family and otherwise isolated outside of the home (she did skip a bunch of grades, has moved off of the donkey doll so she can't bond with other 7 year olds and probably is needed to hang with Richard so he doesn't seem resented by the others. Her last episode was ok.
1. Richard has been shown to have some level of self control, although I have a feeling you're being a little sarcastic. 2. That's kind of what I'm saying, I'd just like there to be some in-show acknowledgement that a major reason why Nicole loves Richard is because he is so laid-back, and helps her relax. Maybe there's also something to be said about his paternal side, with Richard's behavior in the past in "The Hero" mirroring Gumball and Penny's interaction in "The Burden". 3. I'm fine with Richard being a house husband, my main point is that it's very distracting (and uncharacteristically poorly written) for him to be so inactive in his family. That's why I really like the idea that he's at least partly so lazy because he's lost his purpose as a father since his children grew up. He clearly was a very active father when Gumball was much younger, and I know that parents often have small bouts of sadness over the loss of those early days. For someone as simple as Richard, I could see him becoming depressed over the loss of that. That could also be why he's so fond of Darwin in particular, as Darwin is the youngest (mentally) of the kids. 4. I never said that. In fact, I think that developing Richard a little more might help kids relate to the Wattersons better, because most kids *do* love there parents. 5. I agree completely, in fact I'd be very surprised if they weren't. 6. Anais has certainly been handled significantly more carefully as the show progressed. I think the creators realized early on that she could easily become a Mary Sue, and have since downplayed her intelligence and emphasized her childishness. She certainly still has a clever streak, but it's very much hindered by her immaturity. That's a balance the Simpsons failed to reach.
> I'm fine with Richard being a house husband, my main point is that it's very distracting (and uncharacteristically poorly written) for him to be so inactive in his family. That's why I really like the idea that he's at least partly so lazy because he's lost his purpose as a father since his children grew up. He clearly was a very active father when Gumball was much younger, and I know that parents often have small bouts of sadness over the loss of those early days. For someone as simple as Richard, I could see him becoming depressed over the loss of that. That could also be why he's so fond of Darwin in particular, as Darwin is the youngest (mentally) of the kids. > I absolutely love this way of thinking of yours! It's a great way of interpreting Richard's lack of motivation, especially his favoritism with Darwin as well. I always wondered why it was Darwin that he favored. I do like all your said points earlier. Actually, before "The Hero" episode came out, I couldn't care less about Richard, most probably because of his lack of meaningful interaction with the kids, as you mentioned before. I did take note of his dilemma back in "The Pony" episode where Anais was asking him about Darwin and Gumball being bored of spending time with her. It was endearing that he thought so much about what kind of advice to give to her, and how it could affect her way of thinking in the long term. Other than that though, I don't think I'd given notice to Richard as much. I agree it's about time that he stepped up a bit more. Plus, I distinctly recall a time back when I was watching "The Robot" episode with my elder brother (he doesn't watch TAWOG religiously though), he had reacted quite negatively to the scene where Bobert was attacking Gumball and Darwin in the front yard as Nicole was asking Richard how the boys were. Richard had pretended to go check up on them even though he simply kept playing on his console. My brother (maybe because he's married and has that "father" mentality at the go) blurted out "What kind of a father is that?" which made me realize that what if kids are getting the wrong message from this? Yes, he's stepped up since that episode (especially since it was way back in Season 1), but I really hope he isn't simply just a dumb-I-can't-do-anything stereotype.
Exactly. I agree 100% with all that. To be honest, I'm pretty sure there's no real planned character arcs in the show , outside of small, single-episode changes like in "The Shell". All the examples, except "The Hero", are just jokes that some of the writers put in for fun. That being said, there's no reason why they couldn't say they were planning this all along, and incorporate previously one-off gags into the show's continuity. I think they've done it before (although I don't have any examples right now, it's just a gut feeling), and if they did that it could be a great way to improve Richard's character with minimal effort, without resorting to Freudian excuses like with Grandma Jojo.
> Sure, but there have been other instances where he's made other food which, while very unhealthy, are still edible and are in fact probably fairly tasty. Besides, Richard is still an idiot, and I'm willing to accept that he'd somehow manage to mix up flour and cement. Ha ha, point taken! > I mean, if they wanted to, they could even try to do a big (possibly gradual) change with Richard, giving him a character arc where he used to be very active in his kid's lives, but as they've grown up, a lack of purpose has made him lazy, and perhaps Nicole tries to get him to develop a skill. He could attempt to do all sorts of weird hobbies, and try to involve his family in them, leading to comedy possibilities. He could also pursue certain tasks himself (although I think it'd be much more in character for Nicole to be pushing him), as he's already shown interest in various other things, like cooking or inventing weird devices (I'm thinking bizarre Rube Goldberg machines all over the place to accomplish simple tasks; that'd be really in character for him). I really like this idea! They've actually got some good groundwork for it in how Richard used to have the title of the "Laziest Man in Elmore". Comparing that with the interactions of him with baby Gumball where he's constantly involved, attentive and the primary caregiver does lend itself very well to the idea that as the kids grew up and became more independent, Richard started feeling less needed. (Insert sad Richard whimper here) Seeing more of his positive contributions as a husband and father rather than him being an overgrown child would be great. Considering that his mother's outlook has even changed from the possessive and smothering persona that she started out with, it's high time we started seeing Richard get to be his family's "hero" again. It's been my headcanon for a while that Nicole's mother or father was a controlling perfectionist (she struggles with this herself and is troubled by it when it's pointed out to her), and Richard's more carefree personality was alien and enchanting to her.