Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Daffey Thoughts

Home
Catholic
Happy Birthday Norman Rockwell

Happy Birthday Norman Rockwell

Last updated on: February 3, 2013 at 11:02 am by Dave Griffey

Happy Birthday Norman Rockwell 2013-02-03T11:02:00-04:00 Dave Griffey

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Yes, the real reason I couldn’t let today go by without a blog. It’s Normal Rockwell’s birthday! The Great One was born this very day, ready to bring a take on American life that still resonates even after all these years. Growing up, Rockwell often was portrayed along with Ozzie and Harriet as a euphemism for ‘everything that sucks about America’. The big lie, the propaganda, the pie-in-the sky exceptionalism Just like old Ozzie, Norman painted fanciful notions of a perfect America where all was well, problems were denied, and ignorance, naivety, or outright denial were the way all America loving patriots dealt with the ugly truth. It was a tactic common to a nation that refused to admit to its problems and failings, that insisted it was the only nation in the world worth anything, and that refused to deal with the harsh realities of real life.

Except, of course, it wasn’t. It never dawned on me until I became an adult that Ozzie Nelson was quite aware of life’s hardships. He knew full well what it was to struggle in a marriage, deal with bills, grieve over loved ones. He understood how rough life is. Who doesn’t? Certainly not the people of the Depression and World War II. Certainly not people who served in the First World War. Just because they chose to strive for the better side of life, to see the potential of human beings rather than focus on the worst doesn’t mean they were unaware of the worst. Just because they chose to look at cups half full and dwell there meant they saw value in the positive, not that they were unaware of a negative.

Ironic that many shows today indulge in a single minded sermonizing that would shame the old stereotypes because in many ways, modern progressivsm is everything that old time American conservatism was accused of being but wasn’t. So shows like Glee and networks like MTV promote almost fairy tale ideals of modern liberal values, shamelessly avoiding the negatives and almost singularly focused on advocating their morals in a way that even Ozzie Nelson would find ham-fisted.

The same is true with Mr. Rockwell. Derided by some of the hipper students and professors in my younger days as a liar with paints, I didn’t realize until much later how closer to reality Rockwell was than many of those students and professors. Sure, he could be whimsical. Yes, he could be humorous But it was often humor with truth. And while he looked at the better side of Americans, he wasn’t afraid to be brutally honest. One of my ongoing themes is just how much of a big, fat lie the thing known as liberalism was, at least the liberalism I grew up with. I shake my head at just how so many liberal movements today are everything liberals of old railed against. A former colleague once said he couldn’t figure me out, who I voted for, where I stood. I said it’s easy. I am a liberal in search of liberalism, because the thing out there that passes for liberalism has more to do with old, false stereotypes of American Conservatism than anything to do with the lofty promises of yesterday’s liberals.

Honesty

Some more doses of reality about America’s religious habits

One of the best self portraits

This hung in my childhood doctor’s office; one of Rockwell’s wise and kindly adults series

I bought a print of this for my Mom, the humor and point was well taken

Growing up, it was Ro

ckwell type Conservatives who were seen as the threat to free speech

Willing to inflict the comfortable, not just skate by in an illusionary world

Some more of his ‘all adults aren’t evil’ prints; one of my favorites

The real perceptions of Rockwell, far more honest than our Glee-infected look at modern progressive values

Uncategorized

Previous Post

February 3, 2013

Blogito ergo sum

Next Post

February 4, 2013 Why can't Americans just get along?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Atheism Awesome things Bigotry for the hip American Blogging Books Catholic Catholic Teaching Catholics on the Internet Christian Persecution Christian Unity Christianity and America Christianity in the Post-Modern World Christianity in the world Culture of Death Culture of Life Current Events Decline and Fall of the Christian West Defending Liberty Fun Stuff Global Warming Good Causes Good News Gun Control Health Care History Holidays Homeschool Humor Important things Inspiring Stories Interesting Insights Interesting Stories Islam and the West Liberal "Tolerance" Liberal observations Life in a post-Christian world Memorial Movies Musings News Other Blogs Our Big Politically Correct Bother Politics Popular Culture Post Modern Values Prayers Pro Life Promoting LGBT Protecting Liberty Racism in the world today Scientism Social Observations Sports Strange Stories The Boys The Catholic Church and the Left The Decline and Fall of the American Dream The end of liberty The Faith and the Left The Faith and the Right The Family The Greatness of God The Internet The Leftist Juggernaut The LGBT Question The Media The Pope The post-liberal Left The Power of Propaganda Tributes Twilight of the American Experiment Uncategorized Uneducating Postmoderns When the Church is wrong Why learn from history when we can repeat it instead Wisdom in the Post Modern Age World Events

Select a Month August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which of their sons did Adam and Eve lose first?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Abel Cain Japheth Seth