Twilight Zone's "Most Conservative" Episodes

[Trynn]

That episode horrified me too. The fundies would probably say that illustrates why women should not be I charge and should instead be submissive to their men.

I persinally think that, yes, the bus and did need to grow a spine, but not to dominate like fundies would think.

[GeoBQn]

While I think the show was trying to go for more universal kinds of messages, there were also a lot of episodes that contradict today's conservative ideology. Several episodes talked about the pitfalls of nostalgically longing for a past time. They talked about the destructive power of paranoia and suspicion, and our duty to take care of each other as fellow human beings. Even when you pull yourself up by your bootstraps and do everything right, sometimes bad things happen for no reason and life is "not fair, not fair at all." Just the ambiguity of some of the endings can make conservatives uncomfortable. In Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, the author talked about how conservatives are uncomfortable with post-modern thought and the idea that not everything can be reduced to simply "good" or "bad."

I also find the blog writer's identification with the little guy who stands up to society to be odd. The very definition of "conservative" is "holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation." I guess that shows how much the definition of the word is changing. Conservatives now think of themselves as holding on to specific ideology, and not just maintaining the status quo.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Honestly I think that ambiguity and the related twist endings are part of what make "The Twilight Zone" and similar types of horror so great. The idea that the danger is within ourselves, or within the community that we all felt so safe, makes for great horror.

[nana sew dear]

I keep remembering an episode where the earth is getting hotter and hotter but I can't find it on Netflix. Guess that one will never make the conservative list.

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That's one of my favorites too. I've watched it on Netflix but I can't remember the title.

There is one episode (can't remember that title either) where a little boy and girl escape their parent's arguing by diving under water in a swimming pool. The whole story is kind of a ripped off combination of "Night of the Hunter" and "To Kill a Mocking Bird". Memorable because part of the time it's the kid's own voices and part of the time it's voice-over legend June Foray. The kid's names are "Jeb" and "Sport" as opposed to "Jem" and "Scout" in Mocking bird. It's where I think those writers are done with this show. Check it out if you have a chance. :wink-kitty:

[ADoyle90815]

Honestly I think that ambiguity and the related twist endings are part of what make "The Twilight Zone" and similar types of horror so great. The idea that the danger is within ourselves, or within the community that we all felt so safe, makes for great horror.

I agree, it's why The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street is probably my favorite episode as it would be even more relevant today with the increased technology such as the internet.

[Shoobydoo]

I have no idea what 'To Serve Man' has to do with Obama.

Obviously Obama is a man-eating alien. Duh.

[lizziesmom]

I keep remembering an episode where the earth is getting hotter and hotter but I can't find it on Netflix. Guess that one will never make the conservative list.

Is that the one with Lois Nettleton in it? The twist is that she is very sick and running a high fever which causes her to dream the Earth is burning up. Instead of the Earth getting closer to the sun it is moving away from it and everyone is slowing freezing to death. It's called "Midnight Sun".

[Fun-Dee]

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That's one of my favorites too. I've watched it on Netflix but I can't remember the title.

There is one episode (can't remember that title either) where a little boy and girl escape their parent's arguing by diving under water in a swimming pool. The whole story is kind of a ripped off combination of "Night of the Hunter" and "To Kill a Mocking Bird". Memorable because part of the time it's the kid's own voices and part of the time it's voice-over legend June Foray. The kid's names are "Jeb" and "Sport" as opposed to "Jem" and "Scout" in Mocking bird. It's where I think those writers are done with this show. Check it out if you have a chance. :wink-kitty:

I just recently saw that episode. I didn't see the whole thing, I just happened to wake up in the middle of the night and found it on TV. It's called the Bewitchin' Pool. To add to the "To Kill a Mockingbird" similarities, Sport is played by Mary Badham, the same girl who played Scout. After looking it up, I see that it's written by Earl Hamner, Jr., writer of The Waltons.

[PennySycamore]

I was just about to post the same thing about The Bewitchin' Pool! I'm currently reading The Talisman by Stephen King and this episode makes me think a bit of The Territories in that book. I wonder if little Stephen was a fan of The Twilight Zone when he was growing up in Maine.

One of my favorites is Kick the Can about some old folks (should I say elderly?) who escape the nursing home by re-discovering the power of play. One of the women says something about the joy found in running that I just love.

[Trynn]

I was just about to post the same thing about The Bewitchin' Pool! I'm currently reading The Talisman by Stephen King and this episode makes me think a bit of The Territories in that book. I wonder if little Stephen was a fan of The Twilight Zone when he was growing up in Maine.

One of my favorites is Kick the Can about some old folks (should I say elderly?) who escape the nursing home by re-discovering the power of play. One of the women says something about the joy found in running that I just love.

I just saw that one. I felt so sorry for the old man who didn't join them and had to remain old.

I just watched the episode about the guy with the guardian angel, who trod to give him everything he wanted, but in the end the main character, beevis, decided that he mostly really liked his live.

[Pandora Moon]

Wonder what spin he would put on the episode about the little boy with unlimited power, who consigned anyone who displeased him "to the cornfield". His interpretations would probably be "Spare the rod and spoil the child" or, worse yet, "Michael Pearl was right".

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if Michael Pearl played this episode to his followers telling them that it's a documentary on what their children will become if you don't beat them.

[AnywhereButHere]

I was just about to post the same thing about The Bewitchin' Pool! I'm currently reading The Talisman by Stephen King and this episode makes me think a bit of The Territories in that book. I wonder if little Stephen was a fan of The Twilight Zone when he was growing up in Maine.

One of my favorites is Kick the Can about some old folks (should I say elderly?) who escape the nursing home by re-discovering the power of play. One of the women says something about the joy found in running that I just love.

I loved Kick the Can! I also really liked The Masks and The Obsolete Man, at least until I saw this guy's take on them. I'm just going to have to pretend I never read that bullshit, because I'm not going to have him ruin one of my favorite shows.