The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Man from "Emperor"

Another one of my favorite classic TV show is “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” It has wit and class, and isn’t like so many comic acts today: just seeking to shock or reference their way into laughs.

And one of the most memorable episodes for me is one I saw way back as a college student. It isn’t the funniest, but it carried a message that has stuck with me ever since. I regularly use it to defend my “old fashioned” views of marriage and sexuality.

In “The Man from ‘Emperor’” Rob is approached by an old college friend with a job offer. He wants him to be an editor for his adult magazine. (I.e. a 60s television version of Playboy.) Rob never seriously considers the job, but his friend’s hard pressure tactics both make Rob feel appreciated for his talent, and Laura threatened in their relationship.

At the end of the episode, Rob offers a defense of marriage that speaks as well today as it did back then, three years before the Summer of Love.

Paraphrased, Rob compares the marriage commitment to a wall. And depending on your perspective, that wall can feel like a prison, keeping one locked away from any enjoyment in life, or it can be like the wall surrounding a safe, exciting amusement park.

In today’s society where sexual freedom has been “won” and people can do whatever they want with whomever they want; we are starting to see the ugly, unsafe, and painful dangers that come with such “freedom.” With all the accusations, attacks, and predators out there, a safe, fun amusement park with boundaries feels like a great idea.