To the editor;
At a certain point we realize our youth has started to fade and it’s not just the creaky
knees or the occasional forgotten name, but more the passing names from TV shows gone
from the memories of youth cements it.
The latest lost name is Ken Berry – Captain Parmenter from ‘F Troop’. He, Gilligan and
Maxwell Smart were all there providing a laugh after a day at school when there were few
other laughs. The shows were of their time and probably wouldn’t make it today especially
F Troop and its racism.
TV has many role models from Tony Soprano to Dick Van Dyke, the good, bad and
ugly of the world. Children of the 60s had their role models from the heroes like Batman,
the historical like Daniel Boone or the future like Captain Kirk but what of the present
children.
Who will they remember fondly in their dotage – some Instagrammer, a Facebook social
influencer, a wrestling promoter turned President?
We need to create a worthwhile present for our children to vaguely remember fondly in
their old age as what we have now may not be worth remembering.
Dennis Fitzgerald
Australia
