Page 251 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 9

At the same time, Mayberry was a place with clearcut values. Barney
had to face his responsibilities, even though it was unpleasant (and could
better have been handled by Andy). Ultimately, Barney (and the small
town values he represented) prevailed.
The show had a strong message of accepting people, such as Barney,
despite their frailties. Griffith says, “Characters, not jokes, made it such
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a good series.” There was the father-son relationship of Andy and Opie,
deputy Barney Fife playing off straight-man Andy, and the personifica-
tion of Southern hospitality, Aunt Bee.
However, another element that stands out is the absence of black
characters in the Southern town. Griffith says he regrets the lack of rep-
resentation: “We tried in every way to get that to happen, but we were
unable to do it.” 33
The stereotypical nuclear family may not have existed in the sheriff’s
house, but the father-son relationship was reinforced in the show and
Aunt Bee was the homemaker. The dominant reading of the show also
reinforces the status quo, as viewers want to identify with the Mayber-
rians. Andy is a heroic figure in the show, the man with common sense
who handles problems in the simplest way to get the best results. As
Don Rodney Vaughan notes, “The simplicity of Mayberry was portrayed
during an era of anything but simple times.” It may not have reflected
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reality, but since its syndication Mayberry has never been off the air.

Barb Koch is a graduate student at Webster University.

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