I had this blocked out my life on reason or another. A few months ago, I was at a bar with my Mom, and I had mentioned how my name really makes me standout and how people I have not had contact with in years will remember me instantly (my uncle’s first wife – who I have not seen since I was six – still has a place in heart for me, and wouldn’t you too?). This lead my mom to point out that it was around that age where I had such detest for that name. I would beg her to let me change or at least give me a nickname so that I can be referred to as someone else. I didn’t want to stand out where everyone else had a “Michael” or “Dave” or “Jonathan”. Because of having “Elton” I was getting the “Elton John” treatment. Looking back, it was stupid to be work about that, but at six years young, I hated having people add “John” to my name. I got tired of it. I wanted something new.
“What do you want to be called?” My Mom asked at that age.
“I want to be ‘Mike Seaver’.” was my response.
Why Mike Seaver? Who is he by the way?
Mike Seaver was the eldest son to Dr. Jason Roland Seaver and Reporter Maggie Seaver on the ABC series Growing Pains.
First run of show: September 1985 - April 1992
Elton’s exposure of the show: June 1986 (birth) – April 1992 (5yrs. 10mths.)
Syndicated run of show: July 1987 – December 2010
Elton’s syndicated exposure / conscience taxonomy at work: 1990 – 1993
To be honest, I really can’t remember. I not going to focus on the actor, Kirk Cameron, even though his conversion to Christianity really did change directions of the show (he did get their nanny, Julie Costello – played by Julie McCullough because of stint in Playboy), this is about his character. But, like many actors, art and life tend to come as one in the eyes of many. In my case, I noticed his face on the cover of all the teen magazines. How he was a “teen idol” in the 1980s is like finding how many licks it would take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop; the world may never know. But at five years, I noticed that he was getting the girls. Mike Seaver was the confident, cool jokester. Plus he had a buddy name “Boner”.
He was also the big brother to Carol, Ben, and surrogate to Luke Brower. I had a little sister at the time so he provided a great example of a brother who was caring as well as pranking. In some respects, since I had a small family, Mike Seaver may have been the closest thing to a “big brother of sorts” I was a bigger fan of Bart Simpson at the time. Plus I didn’t understand it, but I felt that the Simpsons more closely resembled my family in more aspects. I hung on to Mike Seaver as the role model probably because he was not yellow.
So from four to six years old I would tell people, particularly in school to call me “Mike Seaver”. I felt was who I ought to be based on what I saw for a half-hour (or sometimes three hours) a week. My Mom brought that up because she had a letter from a private elementary school that she wanted me to enroll. It was a letter from the results of an entrance exam and their assessment of me was they thought I had a mental disorder because I was telling everyone that I met to call me “Mike Seaver” (they even made it a point to state who Mike Seaver was for my Mom).
Work found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Growing_Pains_screenshot1.jpg / CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
All reference information is made primarily from my memory, Wikipedia, and IMDB and will be stated as such unless otherwise noted. All images will primarily be used from Wikipedia and cited under Creative Commons with the intent of review and fair use.
I relate to your post in 2 ways. First of all, I loved that show too. I had a little crush on Mike Seaver! Secondly, I hated my name as a youngster as well. I came home from pre-school one day and grumpily asked my mom, "Why'd you have to give me a name with so many letters? Why can't I be Ann or Sue?"
ReplyDeleteI loved Growing Pains. I sort of think everyone has something like this from their past. No one could spell my name right. That made me angry all the time. It wasn't until I hit my high school and college years that I appreciated my name.
ReplyDeleteI think deep down, everyone wants to be someone else. There for awhile all I could relate to was the tv show 'Pepper Ann' and how eclectic her life was. She had trials, tribulations, as well as the everyday school issues we all went through growing up. It's funny because as we get older, we realize that we are who we are for a reason and we unknowingly become the person we are meant to be.
ReplyDeleteThe Mike Seaver thang was age 4. Three Stooges pie in face with your sister was age 3. Age 2 -like most kids) you were heavily into jeapardy and price is right.
ReplyDeleteI can really relate to your story Mr.Seaver! I always wanted to be somebody else in life when I growing up.Oh I love growing pains too but I had a little crush on Tracy Gold the daughter! However I must admit that I was and still am a Elton John fan!
ReplyDeleteI remember wanting to be Daisy Duke in the worst way when I was about 5-7 years old. I wore cut off shorts and my aunt's old high heels. There are pictures to prove this embarrassing phase in my life. As a grown up with 2 girls of my own, I wonder what in the world my parents were thinking letting me prance around like that...although it does explain my obsessive want for a Jeep Wrangler.
ReplyDeleteI have a pretty normal name but I understand where you are coming from. I think its "cool" to not have a normal name. I am planning on naming my first son Jackson, I want all my children to have different names. By the way I loved that show!!!!!
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